"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 panelist
Cannes Film Festival
Circle of Bliss Productions announced the release and availability of the documentary ONE... The Movie. 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.
Film Availability
Circle of Bliss plans to exhibit the film at independent film festivals both domestically and internationally, and will be debuting the film in Europe this November at the Berlin One World International Film Festival on Human Rights. ONE... The Movie, will also be showing at the 25th Anniversary Hawaii International Film Festival, will kick off September Peace Month in Houston and will have several advance screenings in Cleveland, NYC, Little Rock and other cities. Circle of Bliss is currently planning to distribute the film itself through its distribution company Lumen Naturae Promotions LLC. They are currently planning a theatrical release at select cities for late 2005 and early 2006.
For additional information on theatrical and film festival locations or for more background on the film please visit: www.onethemovie.org.
