Documentary-style film. So a young person gradually sinks into depression, seeing the fast and pressing rhythms of life, really loses the meaning of life, doesn't know what to do. He follows what the doctors suggest, but all treatments are just symptomatic, they don't solve the problem... So he's thinking, if no solution is found, he's going to put an end to this at some point. So he accidentally hears about shamans and some plants in Latin America and decides to leave on his own, to make a journey to salvation. It's quite difficult, of course, to trust someone, since many just look at profit and don't offer a cure. So a long journey until he finds someone who can really help and doesn't look at profit. He will go through some stages that will make him not solve depression at once, but to be able to really start fighting it for the first time. A fairly interesting documentary-style film about depression and all the futility of so-called Western society, which is actually all developed countries. It is not its structure in the style of a normal film, but more a documentary about the journey to salvation. Definitely recommended and it's something different, it won't tire you at all.
17 Reviews
Must watch
urbanspider23 November 2020
Warning: Spoilers
A very good documentary not only highlighting depression and mans attempt to overcome it, but also the greed fuelling an industry exploiting the ayahuasca medicine used by shamans for hundreds of years, if not longer, the genuine shamans and people looking to take it to improve their lives by unscrupulous people taking advantage of its newly found status and popularity. Unfortunately, shockingly and graphically we witness the death of a person looking to find himself through the medicine that perhaps could have been avoided.
James continues his journey and meets a true shaman, Pepe, along the way, who's eventually shunned out of his community for genuinely helping people, whilst western NGO's and shady Shamans move in for profit and greed, exploiting the medicine, indigenous peoples and those seeking answers to their problems.
For me James's story played second base to the exploitation that's going on over there. Thousands of people each year searching for answers to who they are spending good money to seek them out are being bombarded by shady shamans and NGOs that do not really care about who they are and what they're after, merely profit. As such the industry booms and the real shamans diminish, only to be found deeper and deeper in the jungle far from accessibility. Capitalism's grip for wealth strangling the true meaning out of shamanism and spiritual growth by fuelling the greed for more and diluting the quality of those undertaking the ceremonies. Pepe, one of the 'good genuine ones' sadly is a part of the collateral damage caused by an industry destroying that which it claims to represent. Thankfully James gains experience and recognises who the shady ones are, thereby avoiding a dark fate, and it was good to see the transformation of who he became at the end.
I would recommend anyone wanting to experience the medicine watch this video first, as it's a real eye opener.
James continues his journey and meets a true shaman, Pepe, along the way, who's eventually shunned out of his community for genuinely helping people, whilst western NGO's and shady Shamans move in for profit and greed, exploiting the medicine, indigenous peoples and those seeking answers to their problems.
For me James's story played second base to the exploitation that's going on over there. Thousands of people each year searching for answers to who they are spending good money to seek them out are being bombarded by shady shamans and NGOs that do not really care about who they are and what they're after, merely profit. As such the industry booms and the real shamans diminish, only to be found deeper and deeper in the jungle far from accessibility. Capitalism's grip for wealth strangling the true meaning out of shamanism and spiritual growth by fuelling the greed for more and diluting the quality of those undertaking the ceremonies. Pepe, one of the 'good genuine ones' sadly is a part of the collateral damage caused by an industry destroying that which it claims to represent. Thankfully James gains experience and recognises who the shady ones are, thereby avoiding a dark fate, and it was good to see the transformation of who he became at the end.
I would recommend anyone wanting to experience the medicine watch this video first, as it's a real eye opener.
Why didn't he try to find Pepe?
randhawalovedeep16 September 2018
Warning: Spoilers
It's a great story of a human being who wants to come out of his grievances. It talks about the culture of shamans, both the spiritual one and the business one. However, in the end it feels like James should be looking for Pepe. I don't know if he looked hard enough. It isn't evident from what is shown in this documentary. It just makes me say that James is a selfish person for not caring for Pepe(shaman) who actually made him feel better.
Do your research
erikvanseggelen20 August 2019
Warning: Spoilers
Ayahuasca is not for recreation
Ayahuasca is not a cure
Ayahuasca and it's history and culture should be respected. Do your research, do your preperation, do la dieta!!!
Go in with love, respect and submit yourself and you get the most rewarding lessons ever. These are the rules I feel.
I think this documentary focuses most on the bad part and dangers. Take care and love and truth to you all.
It's a beautiful journey
kedireturns13 July 2020
This documentary was extremely important to me. I identify with the protagonist so so much. Although this doesn't cure the existential crisis, it's a beautiful real journey of a young man who took the same steps I would've taken.
Two quotes I saved for my future reference from the movie:
Psychiatrists have no real understanding of how the brain works. Our weapons, tools, therapies are so primitive because of our fundamental lack of understanding of how the brain works. - Nobel laureate Neuroscientist And
I don't think Ayahuasca is to be worshipped. I don't think Ayahuasca gives you anything that you don't already have in yourself. And that was a message given to me from the plant spirits, that I hold the key in myself, to whatever it is I need to do in order to get well.
Two quotes I saved for my future reference from the movie:
Psychiatrists have no real understanding of how the brain works. Our weapons, tools, therapies are so primitive because of our fundamental lack of understanding of how the brain works. - Nobel laureate Neuroscientist And
I don't think Ayahuasca is to be worshipped. I don't think Ayahuasca gives you anything that you don't already have in yourself. And that was a message given to me from the plant spirits, that I hold the key in myself, to whatever it is I need to do in order to get well.
Beautiful
alex_i-3051921 April 2021
This is a very human film. Now dont get me wrong, there were parts I felt was slightly.. I dont know, hippy, but it really didn't take from the film. What I found the most beautiful part, is the change in his eyes at the end of the film. His eyes at the beginning had no life, there's a sparkle by the end.
Who paid for this journey?
moviemom2322 January 2021
I have 2 words for you:
WHITE PRIVELEGE
I never really understood the true meaning of these words until I saw this.
Basics:
Man-child of privelege (priveledge?) is depressed to the point of suicide.
Somehow is financed to travel to the Amazon to look for a cure.
He doesn't have a job apparently.
He wears $50 underwear.
He criticizes his parents for expecting him to do something constructive with his life.
He smokes, drinks, vomits, whistles, sings, eats mostly rice, smokes, drinks, vomits, bathes, sings, plays soccer, lays around.
Loved the story
cristiana-cristescu25 March 2018
The message that this world is sending to most of us, that we have to be the best in everything we do, to work hard to get to the top and if we don't succed, we are a failure, puts a tremendous pressure. This pressure can lead to depression, like your brain and your body just wants to shut down from everything around.
For me this movie was about finding yourself, your roots, going back to nature, going back to the basic things that metter. Thank you James!
Dealing with depression
fmwongmd6 October 2020
Sad then happy
tcal-7691827 August 2020
Worth sticking with, some parts are frustrating because the film confirm how in any small corner of the world there are people looking to exploit and profit from nature, but definitely worth seeing the journey taken by James. He is a very lovely human 💙
Give it a shot
thorn-199428 August 2018
The movie isn't trying to be a great movie. It just tells the story of a man in search of a will to live. Some can relate to that, some can't. Give it a shot either ways.
I gave it 10/10, because i can't compare it to any other movie. Would definitely recommend, only if you can find it in yourself to empathize.
I gave it 10/10, because i can't compare it to any other movie. Would definitely recommend, only if you can find it in yourself to empathize.
Boring documentary about ayahuasca
danielcalegari26 August 2022
It is a very boring documentary about a rich young man searching a cure for his depression. Then he went to Peru and visit some shamanic healing centers...
That is it.
If you had experienced daime in Brazil or if you know about neo-xamanism with ayahuasca, this movie has nothing new to show you, only some indegenous xamans praying and a lot of forest scenes.
Ayahuasca is DMT and it can cure depression and others.... But it is not related about religion, faith or what ever... DMT is like serotonin, that is it.
I was waiting to watch this movie at Netflix. I just forward it, fast.
If you had experienced daime in Brazil or if you know about neo-xamanism with ayahuasca, this movie has nothing new to show you, only some indegenous xamans praying and a lot of forest scenes.
Ayahuasca is DMT and it can cure depression and others.... But it is not related about religion, faith or what ever... DMT is like serotonin, that is it.
I was waiting to watch this movie at Netflix. I just forward it, fast.
Defintitely worth watching
stivenj18 September 2018
Yeah, the story is common but different, the character is pretty honest about his situation, good thing is that he realizes he has to do something about it and doesn't get stuck in his house complaining about it. A very touching documentary with a deep message.
Worth watching
peteragross28 April 2019
A very human story about finding your identity and inner voice. Thank you. We get conditioned by society to fit a mold that is never a natural fit to our inner being. How we unwind from that is a journey we all invariably then have to face in our lives.
Icaro song Name?
wnwhn22 May 2021
Good, intimate...
RosanaBotafogo29 August 2022
A shaman who promotes cockfights is certainly a charlatan, he may even have the gift, but he uses it in a sly and dishonest way, a true shaman would never harm a life, however irrational, poor James Freeman, I pitied him in a fit of anger, I think the only one in the entire documentary, about the pressure exerted by his family, especially his father, for not following the damned behavior patterns of the American dream... Poor James Freeman, I pitied him in a fit of rage, I think the only of every documentary, about the pressure exerted by his family, especially his father, for not following the damn standards of behavior...
Good story with great meaning
eduardovcolman20 January 2022
Warning: Spoilers
This movie was a little bit anguishing to me at times, moving at others, and in the end, it was relieving.
In the beginning, I thought the story would be only about James, but throughout the movie we see that it is much more than that, it also covers the community in Peru and its local drama and issues around the use of Ayahuasca as "a business", like stated the movie.
The story passed about the year of 2011 if I am not wrong and I am pretty sure that the commercialized Ayahuasca has taken over peru and other places by now (2022), since there is huge number of centers that conduct such ceremonies not only in Peru, but also in other countries.
Anyway, aside from that, the story of James is anguishing at times, like I said, but you can see that he is looking for something real, he just does not know where to look to solve his issues. And like many people who suffer from depression can relate, conventional medicine and psychiatry frequently doesn't help at all.
So he goes for Ayahuasca as a last resort for answers. In Peru, he goes through some issues which I will not go into detail, and also a few different shamans in a what was possibly a very long and courageous stay in Peru, far from his home.
By the end, what he learned from the plants is that the answers to his problems are inside of himself, like stated in the beginning of the documentary. So what I learned is that we can see that there really isn't a magic solution to anything, but the solution is really inside ourselves, and this realization can help us reorient our lives and give us the needed courage, energy, motivation, honesty and sincerity with our own selves to keep going in our lives towards what we really want and will make us happy. So in the end he is not cured, but he has renewed hope and he knows that he can get better somehow.
In the beginning, I thought the story would be only about James, but throughout the movie we see that it is much more than that, it also covers the community in Peru and its local drama and issues around the use of Ayahuasca as "a business", like stated the movie.
The story passed about the year of 2011 if I am not wrong and I am pretty sure that the commercialized Ayahuasca has taken over peru and other places by now (2022), since there is huge number of centers that conduct such ceremonies not only in Peru, but also in other countries.
Anyway, aside from that, the story of James is anguishing at times, like I said, but you can see that he is looking for something real, he just does not know where to look to solve his issues. And like many people who suffer from depression can relate, conventional medicine and psychiatry frequently doesn't help at all.
So he goes for Ayahuasca as a last resort for answers. In Peru, he goes through some issues which I will not go into detail, and also a few different shamans in a what was possibly a very long and courageous stay in Peru, far from his home.
By the end, what he learned from the plants is that the answers to his problems are inside of himself, like stated in the beginning of the documentary. So what I learned is that we can see that there really isn't a magic solution to anything, but the solution is really inside ourselves, and this realization can help us reorient our lives and give us the needed courage, energy, motivation, honesty and sincerity with our own selves to keep going in our lives towards what we really want and will make us happy. So in the end he is not cured, but he has renewed hope and he knows that he can get better somehow.
See also
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