ILLUMINATE 2017 Lineup



Walk With Me
Arizona Premiere


Be transported into a state of meditation as you watch this transformative film. Narrated by Benedict Cumberbatch, this is a cinematic journey into the world of mindfulness and the Zen Buddhist master Thich Nhat Hanh. The film goes deep inside the Plum Village Monastery where devotees have given up all their possessions and signed up to a life of chastity for one common purpose — to transform their suffering and practice the art of mindfulness with the world-famous teacher.





The Golden Age
US Premiere


Subversive pop star Maya O'Malley inspired this tour de force musical. After a string of incendiary remarks in the press, Maya gets dropped from his music label, and sets out on a spiritual pilgrimage to immerse himself in the vast teachings of Hindu mythology. Set against a dreamy backdrop of his compelling songs, the film reveals Maya's tumultuous journey towards spiritual redemption.


A Q&A with director Justin Connor and sound mixer Derek Vanderhorst follows.




City of Joy
Sedona Premiere


What would it be like to live in a place often referred to as the "the worst place in the world to be a woman"? This film follows the first class of students at a remarkable leadership center in the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. In this ultimately uplifting film, we witness tremendous resilience as these women transform their devastation into powerful forms of leadership. The film features Eve Ensler of The Vagina Monologues who helped build the City of Joy.





All the Rage (saved by Sarno)
Southwest Premiere


Called the "best doctor you've never heard of" by Forbes Magazine, Dr. John E. Sarno has pioneered a successful mind-body approach to treating chronic pain. He has cured thousands of patients including Larry David and Howard Stern and sold hundreds of thousands of books. This documentary profiles this back pain and rehabilitation specialist, presenting treatment information that could help millions of people suffering with chronic pain. Featuring Sen. Bernie Sanders, Prince Ea, Dr. Andrew Weil, Dr. Gabor Mate and many more.


A Q&A with director Michael Galinksy and Dr. David Clarke follows.




MANTRA - Sounds into Silence
Spotlight
World Premiere


This full-length feature documentary about the practice of Kirtan chanting, or Bhakti Yoga, shares the stories of people who are experiencing healing and inner peace by singing mantras together. Through encounters with a variety of leaders of the practice in the West, we discover how performers Deva Premal & Miten, Krishna Das, Jai Uttal, Snatam Kaur and MC Yogi came to embrace the practice of Kirtan, and how, over the years, it transformed their lives.


Preceded by:  
Yoga in Sedona | USA | 2016 | 9 min • Documentary Short




Lane 1974
Arizona Premiere


Based on a true story, Lane is a teenager raised by a single hippie mother in the 1970s. That counterculture was formed by young adults escaping the constraints of their parents' social conformity. But what about their offspring, often raised outside of child-rearing conventions and without any viable alternatives? This beautiful affecting drama captures the pathos of growing up subject to the whims of free-spirited grownups who themselves could use some adult supervision.





Hare Krishna! The Mantra, the Movement and the Swami Who Started It All
World Premiere


Hare Krishna! is a documentary on the life of Srila Prabhupada, the 70-year-old Indian Swami who arrives in America without support or money in the turbulent 1960s. Suddenly thrust into the raging counterculture, he speaks of the world's real need – a revolution in consciousness. This captures the attention of a generation of youth seeking answers and ignites a worldwide spiritual phenomenon, now known as the Hare Krishna movement.





Global Spirit: Earth Wisdom For A World In Crisis
World Premiere


Woven through compelling portraits of indigenous leaders, "Earth Wisdom" follows the Lakota Sioux's non-violent resistance at Standing Rock Reservation. Through the unique prism of indigenous cosmologies and native perspectives from all continents, this film weaves a vivid contrast between the bureaucratic, slow-moving "recognition" of indigenous peoples by the United Nations, and the political immediacy of the Dakota Access Pipeline protest movement. This series is hosted by Carlos Santana and Cindy Blackman Santana.


A Q&A with director Stephen Olsson and producer Lorraine Hess follows.