A while ago I saw a movie that really impacted me - something that movies don't manage to do all too often these days. Maybe it's because I am tired of the same clichees and phrases Hollywood has drowned us in in the last couple of decades, or I simply cringe at the ideological taste most productions leave in the mouth ever-expanding their sphere of artificial preoccupations of the mind.
All the more reason to look out for some brave productions that go about their storytelling in an entirely different way and share perspectives that actually mean something in these crazy times we find ourselves in.
I am happy to say: "The last shaman" is exactly that movie, a documentary of mighty proportions.
Depression, electro shocks, plant medicines
The last shaman is somewhat of a narrational hybrid that is highly modern and yet manages to captivate the audience through its modern and engaging style and ease of storytelling in an usually unspeakable realm of human experience.
The story follows a young man who is severly depressed about his life and his place in the world, fully stripped of hope for the future or any sense of positivity in light of the overencumbering psychological baggage that constantly tries to make its best case for the dude to simply kill himself. Rock-bottom. Something many people these days could relate to...
We get to see some of the more extreme methods "classical Western medicine" can offer as sort of a last resort for severly depressed people like our protagnoist, elecroshock therapy for the brain to name but one in order to somehow save the damaged inside of the psyche through brutal and unaware methods.
And eventually, there seems to be only one option left on the table to try out in order to get a grip on the causes for his suffering and depression even if it means risking everything and venturing to people who may have retained a way of insight into the human psyche that is so vastly missing from our Western societies in general these days: We follow James into the rainforest to face his misery through experiencing the healing qualities of ayahuasca, other related plant medicines and a tribal approach that brings out the psychological hangups and obstacles we have invited into our soul at the deepest levels. And the movie does so in a way that I can relate to greatly from my own experience. It's a trip!
Interactive trip
The movie is both documentary, vlog and a portrait of the greatly popular and often overhyped ayahuasca tourism in many parts of the world, where novices of the psychedelic sort can often run into the wrong kinds of shamans - people who are really after their money and power, more than enabling healing and insight. From the beginning we get a refreshingly neutral picture of the whole culture that surrounds ayahuasca, as well as a feel for the different intentions behind many of the people working with the plant in an age where demand for shaman's services is constantly rising.
While I am very fond of psychedelic use of plants and medicines to heal the mind, break through psychological barriers and find a way to alleviate spiritual pains I greatly applauded this movie for its dedication to cover both the dark and light aspects of ayahuasca culture.
At face value The Last Shaman might seem like some kind of corny ayahuasca promotion movie as part of the fad of recent years. But really, the movie is the opposite: Shining a great light on the healing potentials of ancient plant-based medicines the West has largely denied, forbidden and forgotten - while also warning any unsuspecting viewer that the dark side of Ayahuasca tourism is real and ever-growing, that the ever-expanding incorporation of sacred medicines into streamlined Western business models has become a large freight train without much consideration for real healing work, and that the reckless exploitation of spiritual seekers who don't listen to their own intuition when browsing for their first shaman can have real and lasting consequences if they are not careful.
I also dig how the main protagnoist of the movie is neither a drug user, nor hippie or anyone else one would "typically" assume with wanting to go on an ayahuasca retreat. Instead he is one of the many people that exist these days who got broken on the inside and is seeking for a way back to himself, no matter the miles he will have to walk to find it.
The moments this really intimate movie shares with us - often seen through lens of a daily vlog - are really impactful. Not to mention the movie is a masterpiece when it comes to underscoring the message through media-shamanistic techniques, both visually and in audio. Trips and psychedelic states of mind can be really hard to depict to those who can't yet draw on their own experience, but this movie has done so in a convincing, engulfing and heartfelt way, giving us the option to walk through the dark valley in our own way as we watch the healing work of these plants unleashed unto James' messed up mind. Talk about pioneering work!
The movie is on netflix, so unfortunately I cannot share any link here. But if you look for "The last shaman" online I am sure you will find it somewhere, or simply suggest this movie next time the question arises "so what are we gonna watch?" ;) The movie will even be interesting to non-psychonauts, especially due to its depression premise and its neutrality in portraying this growing underground phenomenon of scared plant healing work..
Needless to say, if you struggle with severe forms of depression or you know anyone who is in the midst of battling such a challenge, this movie may bring as much inspiration, ambition and spiritual support as any movie these days is capable of.
Here's a link for the trailer, just to give you an impression of what you are getting into.
On the other hand if you simply long for a well-needed break from Hollywood BS scripts and irrelevant sci-fi garbage that tries to distract us from our powerful connection to the universe, life and nature that has always been present but buried... this movie might be a welcome change and a breath of fresh air.
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