With One Voice explores the world of mysticism and it’s role in spirituality and religion. The documentary is a quest to learn from mystics, representing major religions, about their own spiritual journey and what they have learned from it. In the words of Father Keating in the film, “We are all mystics seeking to solve the mysteries of existence.”
The filmmakers who created With One Voice have produced a documentary that is not an external point-of-view of mysticism. Even though, it does use a narrator, it also makes extensive use of first person interviews. The unique quality of this story is that its point-of-view, while still subjective, is from the inside looking out. Viewing the documentary brings the audience into the world of mystic spirituality, religion and to some extent exposes the viewer to the notion of inner peace.
Many people like to say that they are “spiritual.” rather than religious. But what does that really mean? What is spirituality? Where does spirituality begin and religion end? How do spirituality, religion and mysticism relate to each other? In a subtle way the answers to many of these questions are examined in this beautifully shot and edited documentary with original music by Michael Josephs.
The film is divided into eight areas: Personal Mystical Experiences, Religious Intolerance, The Essence of Love, Spiritual Transformation, The Mystical Perspective, The Way To Peace, The Many Paths To Truth and Messages To The World.
In each segment we hear the thoughts of mystics from many religions. In the first segment we learn from the voice over narration of Peter Coyote, that “mystics seek spiritual awareness by exploring their own intimate connection with the divine.” Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev speaking of his first mystical experiences relates that, “…suddenly I did not know who is me… I was all over the place… Everything had become me.”
The documentary builds on interviews with mystics on each subject painting a picture of the spiritual enlightenment mystics from all faiths wish to share with the world. The journey is never boring or in anyway an attempt to win converts to mysticism. It simply seeks to share the knowledge of these seekers of enlightenment with others.
Rabbi David A Cooper explains in one segment that he feels it is impossible to adequately describe and convey the smell of a rose. “…But if I hand someone a rose and ask them to smell it, we now have a commonality we can speak about. This is what the mystic experience is like.” This is also what the experience of viewing the film is like.
J R Martin
WITH ONE VOICE – AWAKEN TO THE BEAUTY THAT UNITES US ALL 2009 – Forest Way Productions – Directed by Eric Temple – Produced by Matthew Flickstein and Carol Flickstein – Narrated by Peter Coyote
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Tags: Documentary Film Review, Meditation, Mysticism, spiritual
