Visions of Mystery and Magic

written by mary joan schwab

I have always believed in the promise of film and television to transform the way we look at the world, to help us better understand one another and the human experience. Much like other arts, film and television serve us best when they enrich and uplift the human spirit. This personal vision led me to study film and television (and later business) and a career in media marketing, and recently brought me to the heart of the entertainment world - Los Angeles. Today, journeying along my own yogi lifestyle, I still believe in that promise. Despite what can seem like an overwhelming void at the box office, and the obsession with equating meaning with ticket sales, I have been pleased to discover projects, companies and creative dreams in line with this vision that are alive and percolating.

This column will explore above, below (and beyond) the Hollywood radar and bring stories, inspiration and information about companies, individuals and projects “in play” that promise a connected and uplifting experience. We’ll also review movies and go in depth with interviews on projects and the people that make them. Stories and ideas in the works for upcoming issues include:

An interview with Mira Nair, the delightful firebrand producer director of films such as Vanity Fair, Monsoon Wedding, and Mississippi Masala. Described as a “force of nature,” what really attracted me to Mira (who is now 47) was her bold wonderful statement “that when I am 50, I want to be standing in a beautiful open space with a view of Lake Victoria with a group of filmmakers, all of whom know how to do a headstand.” She spoke recently at a screening of Vanity Fair about her yoga practice on the set as the key to finding the stamina to handle the demands of film production. We’ll talk with Mira and members of the crew about how yoga fuels the day and impacts the set. • The Celestine Prophecy is finally gearing up for the big-screen. This worldwide bestseller by James Redfield introduced millions of readers to an appreciation of spiritual awareness and became an unprecedented publishing phenomenon. We will talk to producer Barnet Bain (What Dreams May Come) about the project and how they are translating the mystical messages of the book into a compelling film, featuring an international cast including Matthew Settle, Thomas Kretschmann, Sarah Wayne Callies, Annabeth Gish, Hector Elizondo, Joaquim De Almeida and Jürgen Prochnow. Barnet also has another one of my favorites, Richard Bach’s Illusions in development, and we’ll bring you the latest on that project as well.

the legacy of luna

Julia Butterfly Hill’s national bestseller recounting her two year stand against the Pacific Lumber Co., while living in the branches of Luna, a the majestic thousand-year-old California Redwood, has been optioned by Baldwin Entertainment, and the screenplay is being written by Academy award-winning David Ward, (Sleepless in Seattle, The Sting , The Milagro Beanfield War). In a Hollywood first, the filmmakers are promising a “green set,” and “want to show that an ecology-minded production is do-able.” We will follow the development of this project and help celebrate all the ways it can inspire us and give new meaning to “greening” a project.

eBay founder Jeff Skoll has also caught our attention by stepping up to back commercially viable projects that “center on important social issues and awaken, inspire and empower their audiences to make a difference.” His production company Participant Productions, in partnership with Warner Brothers, has two features in works with an impressive list of talent including George Clooney, Matt Damon, Jeffrey Wright and Amanda Peet.

A closing thought: These past few months we have all been urged to “make our votes count.” Another mission of this column will be to encourage you to get out and vote with your movie dollars. Early and ongoing box office support does count. The more we support entertainment that inspires and moves us, the greater likelihood we will find inspiring and uplifting films gaining broader distribution. Let’s give a whole new meaning to that original description of the “moving pictures” business.

As seen in Yogi Times (yogitimes.com)