One: the Movie

Interesting. How similar were the responses? (By the 14th question, I assume that's the gist, that all these different religions gave similar answers...)

I dunno; haven't seen it yet. I was hoping YOU had!

We won't get the copy for another few days. We show it on October 10th.

Hmmm. Well, maybe someone will have seen this, I'd like to get their reviews.

I think that, Soz, you are right, most of these people will begin to have similar answers because, for one thing, they are avowed spiritual believers of one kind or another. Probably non-believers would have more differences. How about this... anyone still reading this is welcome to answer the questions and then we'll see. (Maybe this ought to be moved to the Religion and Spirituality Forum?)

<<I'll start; ahem, dibs on changing my mind.>>

• What happens to you after you die?
I have no idea; I'm leaning towards peace.

• Why is there poverty and suffering in the world?
People seem to be unwilling to give up greed.

• Describe God
Impossible but I assume a strong feminine aspect.

• How does one obtain true peace?
Listen to your heart.

• When is war justifiable?
I don't think it can be; it is a mistake compounding another. One of the earliest religious written sources, the Bhagavad-gita starts with a war... it seems so inevitable and starts a lot of scholarly discussion. I like what the Dao De Jing says and also, Lao Tzu -- War should be viewed as a funeral.

• Describe Heaven; and how do you get there?
I imagine a beautiful forest and a lot of sleeping. Maybe being a tree?

• What is the greatest quality humans possess?
Their curiosity and their eyes.

• Why are so many people depressed?
The have high expectations.

• What is the meaning of life?
Sensory perception.

• How would God want us to respond to aggression and terrorism?
By not having it.

• What are we all so afraid of?
Loneliness and pain.

• What is your one wish for the world?
Clean environment and freedom. (Oops. That's 2. So, okay, I'm throwing in love and beauty, peaceful trade and thoughtful ideas.)

• What is our greatest distraction?
I think it is comparing ourselves to other people and worrying about it.

• The theme of the project is "We are all one." What are your thoughts on this?
I think we are all many.

• Nonverbally, by motion or gesture only, act out what you believe to be the current condition of the world.
<Can you see me? I'm twirling around with a dazed look on my face and alternately smiling and frowning.>


The design of this predynastic African Bird or Serpent Headed Goddess is about 5,000 years old. A number of similar statues have been found in Libya and Egypt. Representative of vitality and joy, they showed dances for regeneration and the celebration of life. They may also show the invocation of the deities.
It is not known what the pre-literate peoples who created this image called her, or even what language they spoke. (from a catalog)

Synopsis and reviews
Heres some info I gleened from the website: www.onethemovie.org

VERY INTERESTING! Hope this helps...


This film asks the big questions of life to people on the street and to many of the world's most renowned and respected spiritual leaders, authors, icons and celebrated masters including, Barbara Marx Hubbard, Father Richard Rohr, Llewellyn Vaughn-Lee, Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev, Father Thomas Keating and B.T. Swami with comment from His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama.

What types of questions do these spiritual masters answer? What happens to you after you die? Describe God. When is war justifiable? What is the meaning of life? How would God want us to respond to aggression and terrorism? And more...

As baby boomers mature and a new generation of 'meaning seeking'
movie-goers flood into the movies houses in search of films that challenge convention, inspire thought and stir the soul, this backyard film from the Midwest that has been called a "deeply moving film," may just help unite humanity.

In the spring of 2002 Ward M. Powers suddenly awoke in the middle of night with an idea that called him to action. He needed to make a film that would express to all of humanity the importance of understanding our interconnectedness... a film that would communicate the idea that WE ARE ALL ONE. Powers, a Detroit-area trial attorney who had never done any film making, mail ordered a video camera and embarked on what turned out to be a two-year life-changing odyssey.

The film seemed to have a life of its own. Powers started by asking for help from friends and family but soon, doors opened and support flooded in from all directions. They had no prior experience, industry connections and very little budget, but because of the project's theme they were able to attract an array of technical, creative and production talent required to successfully complete a feature length documentary.

"In an increasingly divided world... the power of ONENESS is longing to emerge," said Powers. "It was this energy and inspiration that we knew would transcend any limitations or difficulties that we might encounter while trying to make this film."

Over the next two years the unlikely crew traveled the country asking 'life's ultimate questions' to Christians, Hindus, Buddhists, the homeless, Sufis, Muslims, street kids, Jews, Taoists, Native Americans, Atheists, philosophers, social architects, prostitutes, mystics, monks, moms, medicine-men, teenagers, working people, and more, capturing wisdom from those in remote monasteries to those in the urban alleyways.

ONE... The Movie, weaves the novice filmmaker's remarkable journey with a tightly edited thematic collage of the interview responses using threads of music and imagery in a style that challenges traditional film genre classifications.

Experts explain how we are ONE
in film"
Seattle Times
" Impact of ONE is multiplying"
Cleveland Plain Dealer
" ONE small movie hits big nerve"
Arkansas Democrat Gazette
" 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."
Sam Ajluni
Former Cannes Film Festival Panelist
" ...watching "ONE," I thought back to that naive, shoestring project that Dennis Hopper and Peter Fonda cooked up in 1969 that proved to be a lightning rod for youthful aspirations."
David Crumm
The Detroit Free Press
" ...powerful and very moving. You really caught something, an essence, a quality and also made it very, very human, very accesible. Really good. What a wonderful film you have made- so full of life."
Llewellyn Vaughan-Lee
Sufi Mystic and Author
" I need to see the movie a few more times as my soul and head are spinning like an over caffeinated exponential equation."
Steve Spreitzer
National Conference for Community and Justice
" I can't imagine anybody seeing ONE and not feeling changed in a deeply personal way. What a remarkable movie!"
Jim McFarlin
WB20 television, "Flix and Pix, the Movie Show"
" I expected that it would make me think. But I didn't expect that it would make me cry."
Excerpt From a story in The Detroit News
6/7/05
" ONE is a remarkable and spiritually uplifting film that just may have the power to transform your own view of the world."
Emily Madison
Waterfront Film Festival
" Can three guys kicking around the country with a mail ordered video camera open doors on the wisdom of the universe? It's beginning to look like a possibility to viewers..."
Flint Journal
June 25th, 2005
" ...documentary ONE gains cult status."
mlive.com
Everything Michigan
" What's so cool about Powers' and Carter's pilgrimage is that we all have an opportunity to tag along -- and glimpse at least a spark of enlightenment in less than two hours in air-conditioned comfort with a soft drink and a tub of popcorn at our fingertips. I mean, goodness gracious! Can life get any better than that?"
The Detroit Free Press
May 13, 2005

" I'm hopeful its power will stay with me."
L.L.
Bloomfield Hills, MI
" I thought it was incredible and plan on seeing it again."
L.K.
Farmington
" Here's to helping the planetary consciousness evolve."
K.G.
Southfield
" The film is awesome!"
M.L.
Detroit
" It certainly surpassed anything that I could have expected...overwhelming!"
J. B.
Novi
" Great show!"
R. S.
Birmingham
" I will certainly spread the word about this wonderful movie!"
A. K.
Southfield
" ?- the feeling I walked away with is indescribable."
D.T.
Northville
" ...POWERFUL. Thank you for putting the REAL meaning of life on screen."
C. H.
Birmingham
" It is phenomenal! ...it is a piece that needs to be seen at least three times."
S.S.
Oak Park
" I was knocked out by the celebrity thinkers and charmed by the rest of you."
C. M.
Novi
" ...an absolutely amazing piece of underground film work"
B.
Ann Arbor
" Good people of the world should stand and cheer long and loud for ONE!"
R.R.
Chicago

Thank you RKHassan and welcome to a2k.

It is hard to explain the film but people can get a good idea of it by reading the website. Thanks for posting it and the excerpts.

Are you interested in taking a shot at the questions yourself?

O N E
It's not just spiritual leaders that were interviewed in the movie. It is teenagers on the street, homeless people, moms, dads and even atheist. The hope is that this will give you a look at humanity. You tell me if it works

Bliss! Thank you.

Did you think it worked? I hope so because I have more buzz going on about this film than we've had for any other.

Our local newspaper printed a big article with a four by four photo. I have been getting calls everyday and have a bunch of reservations for the main showing. I have even added a screening on Sunday evening to take care of the requests by the library staff and a few others who couldn't watch it on Monday.

People are thirsty for this kind of message film.

• What happens to you after you die?
The worms eat you.
• Why is there poverty and suffering in the world?
Greed
• Describe God
Short and fat, possibly hermamphroditic
• How does one obtain true peace?
Angie's Massage Parlor on 5th and Grand. (they misspelled a word)
• When is war justifiable?
Never, possibly unavoidable, but never justifiable.
• Describe Heaven; and how do you get there?
That pleasant place in peoples' minds that gets them through the tough
times. By thinking.
• What is the greatest quality humans possess?
Tolerance
• Why are so many people depressed?
Chemical imbalance
• What is the meaning of life?
To avoid angst
• How would God want us to respond to aggression and terrorism?
The opposite way George W. Bush is doing it
• What are we all so afraid of?
The unknown and unachievable
• What is your one wish for the world?
Less people
• What is our greatest distraction?
George W. Bush
• The theme of the project is "We are all one." What are your thoughts on this?
If we were two we couldn't be one.
• Nonverbally, by motion or gesture only, act out what you believe to be the current condition of the world
........
......
...
.

Gustav the Great, thanks for sharing...








... and have fun with Angie.

Piffka,

The response that I have seen, is that the movie DOES give the audience different view points and ideas to ponder. I think you will want to talk about it after you see it. If you don't you won't be able to sleep.

You won't be disappointed.

• What happens to you after you die?
Nothing can happen to you anymore, because you are dead, all that remains is a decomposing corpse and the memory that other people have of you.
• Why is there poverty and suffering in the world?
Willful ignorance and indifference
• Describe God
An idea primitive psyches create as a comfort in their insecurity
• How does one obtain true peace?
By dying, life is a struggle
• When is war justifiable?
A badly formulated question; rather one should ask whether violence is justifiable and the answers is that it depends on the circumstances. In self-defence a resort to violence is justifiable when all other means have been exhausted.
• Describe Heaven; and how do you get there?
Full-bodied wine, tasty bread, strong cheese, good friends and uplifting and entertaining conversation. No worries until morning arrives. This is attainable for everyone who has true friends.
• What is the greatest quality humans possess?
Compassion
• Why are so many people depressed?
Inability to be satisfied
• What is the meaning of life?
There is no prescribed meaning, thank god. Everyone can fill in life's meaning for themselves.
• How would God want us to respond to aggression and terrorism?
Since god mirrors the primitive psyche and the primitive psyche is driven by fear, god wants us to respond to violence with more extreme violence
• What are we all so afraid of?
The unknown
• What is your one wish for the world?
An omnipotent and immortal version of me would be a good thing for the galaxy at large.
• What is our greatest distraction?
Reality TV
• The theme of the project is "We are all one." What are your thoughts on this?
You made a spelling error. It should be: We are all alone.
• Nonverbally, by motion or gesture only, act out what you believe to be the current condition of the world.
Define "condition" spiritually, physically, economically, ecologically, etc.

Thanks, Bliss. I've been happily surprised by the number of people who want to see this film. I will be watching it for the first time this evening with a rarified group. I'll report back how it went.

You may not appreciate this, Passkynen, but your heaven appears to start with sacramental bread and wine. I agree with you, this should be attainable for everyone who has true friends.

Wow. Well, I showed One tonight to a bigger crowd than I expected. I liked the film a lot. Did I love it? I may have loved the film. I know I want to see it again and both Mr. Piffka and I would like to get our hands on those CD interviews.

The only complaint I heard from anyone was that the film-makers were intrusive. I personally liked the way it stayed a documentary and I needed to be reminded that they were just amateurs making a film. <shrug> It was funny and profound. There were a lot of guffaws in the crowd and laughter and some very attentive people, too.

Those are amazing interviews. Father Keating! Thich Nhat Hahn! The Sufi mystic! Deepak! Robert Thurman! All who were either everyday folks or totally not everyday. The music was beautiful.

I loved what RamDass said about George W. It made me wish I still had my (prolly first edition) copy of Be Here Now. And who was that African guy? Nobody said anything about him and I thought he was amazing.

I sure know where *I* am going next time I go to Albuquerque and I'm glad I'll be seeing that film again tomorrow night.

Nice point Mrs. Piffka. I had not realised my heaven was a reenactment of the last supper (be it with fewer participants), well that only strengthens my later point about the universe and I.

ONE
Piffka,

The African guy I think you are refereeing to is BT Swami. (http://www.btswami.org/). I am sorry to say he has since passed.

There are different opinions on whether there should be more or less narration. Surprisingly the majority seam to be leaning towards more narration! I think it gives people more of a connection because that experience can happen to any of us if we are only inspired to do so.

Did you have any discussion after the movie? How did you feel after?

Thanks, Bliss. B.T. Swami... he seemed to have a lot to say. I liked him. Liked 'em all.

Sad to say, we didn't have much discussion... this is one of those communities where people rush home early before they turn into pumpkins. What discussion there was, was positive. I am expecting more this evening, though I may have to rush people out for a second showing. I can also tell you. I went home and slept like a baby last night.



Paaskymen -- <grin> Hmmm, omniscient and omnipowerful you in charge of the universe, you say? Well... as long as you're filled with compassion.

I think you'd like this film. As for the bread and wine, I always wondered why there was no Biblical mention of cheese. Maybe cheese was not big in Jerusalem then? (Has someone written a SciFi story about that? That seems like a Robert Heinlein thought.)

One the movie
Saw the movie last night. Thought provoking, wonderful people, a must see.

Hi Sprinter. Welcome to a2k. I have to ask... Did you see it in Gig Harbor?

Final report: We had 38 people at the first show last night, 15 at the second for a total of about 80 people to see the film over our two-night stand. My co-hort in cinema and I watched it three times, so that skews the totals somewhat. As she said, "We're going to be so enlightened, we'll glow in the dark."

I'd watch it again.

Thought-provoking is an excellent description, Sprinter.

I'll be interested in seeing how the mass-market theaters take to it.

I purchased all the DVD's of the interviews from the onethemovie.org website and can hardly wait for them to arrive. I bought the "deluxe" version with a wooden box and the incense.