First-time filmmaker Ward Powers says meditation learned from Isha Foundation founder Sadhguru Vasudev has “changed everything.”
This Spring, Oprah's OWN Network will feature the independent spiritual documentary ONE the Movie, which has become a sleeper hit among spiritual circles since its first release in 2005. Crafted with only the passion of a vision on a shoe-string budget by an entirely inexperienced but truly inspired production staff, avid fans have kept the film's popularity steadily growing by word-of-mouth for the seven years since. The airing of ONE the Movie on Oprah's OWN network will mark the film's debut to a mass audience.
The film's sustained and growing popularity is fueled largely by its timely message and raw, 'stream of life' documentary style, which reveals the human vulnerability of each guest and emanates a soulful authenticity that resonates deeply with audiences. The newbie film directors' non-commercial eye lends the film a welcome groundedness in an era where media hype often exploits and divides humanity. ONE the Movie offers a simple but stunning reminder of the profound reality of oneness at the core of humanity, awakening and reminding us of our common inner divinity. "Every once in a while a film comes along to lift the spirit and give hope to the human connections we all share. One is such a film," says Sam Ajluni, panelist from the Cannes Film Festival.
ONE the Movie features the contemplative perspectives of revered monks, such as Thich Nhat Hahn, respected religious figures, such as Father Thomas Keating, modern mystics including Sadhguru Vasudev, and an array of well-known teachers and guides from the spiritual landscape. Interwoven with these are the heartfelt reflections of men and women from all walks of life filmed impromptu on the streets of America. The diversity of people and perspectives featured in the film displays the colorful variety of human life, even as the movie weaves them together into a common tapestry around the theme of Oneness.
Sadhguru Vasudev, founder of Isha Foundation, featured in the film as a modern yogi and mystic, encourages viewers to recognize and embrace the beauty of human diversity to ultimately experience this oneness in their own lives. "We are all unique. Each one of us is different, and it's so wonderful that we're different. We may spring from the same oneness of our interiority, but as human beings, as individuals, every one of us is unique. We are different. That's what is beautiful about us," Sadhguru emphasizes in the film. “If you learn to enjoy the difference—if you see that every human being is a unique human being. Only once in the whole eternity, only once this kind of human being happens…That is true with yourself, with your friend, with your enemy, with your loved ones, and the ones you hate. All of them are absolutely unique. Anything that you see as unique, you value it. Anything that you value, you'll have no problems with it and oneness will happen out of that. If you begin to enjoy the uniqueness of life, oneness will happen out of that."
Ward Powers, trial attorney and father turned documentary filmmaker, explains the evolution of his own spiritual journey. After meeting with so many teachers, philosophers, and personalities during One the Movie’s creation, Powers has since committed to the practice of yogi and mystic Sadhguru. "Before making the film,” he explains, “I was not a meditator. But when the demands and chaos of releasing and promoting ONE took over our lives, I definitely knew it was time to learn a practice to center myself. So, over four years ago I took the Inner Engineering program taught by Sadhguru through the Isha Foundation. It changed everything. Now, I never miss a day. Once your can find your center, you never want to live any other way."
For more information about One the Movie, visit http://www.onetheproject.com or check out the project's facebook page http://www.facebook.com/onetheproject. For more information on the documentary’s OWN screening, contact us at media.usa@ishafoundation.org.
