Award-winning documentary premieres at Mary D. Fisher Theatre
Sedona AZ (August 3, 2016) – The Sedona International Film Festival is proud to present a special premiere of the award-winning new documentary “Holy Hell” — showing one day only: Thursday, Aug. 18 at 4 and 7 p.m. at the Mary D. Fisher Theatre.
After graduating from college, young idealist Will Allen joined a spiritual community filled with like-minded people looking for some answers to the basic questions of life, led by a charismatic but secretive guru in 1980s West Hollywood.
A recent film school graduate, Allen began to chronicle the group’s activities that centered on their leader, a mysterious individual they called The Teacher, or Michel. This incredible archive of video footage became the basis for Allen’s film.
The guru, a charismatic and flamboyant South American native who spent most of his time in a Speedos and Ray-Bans, promised to show his followers the enlightenment his master had shown him. He created an environment of love and acceptance and would perform a euphoric physical act on them that he referred to as Shakti; members said it would shake them like an intense LSD trip. Of course, this man — who eventually changed his name to Andreas — wasn’t quite what he seemed.
Camera in hand, Allen documented 20 years of living inside this community, showing how his idealism began to unravel as more is revealed about the true nature of this cult. The group is shockingly torn apart.
Speaking out publicly for the first time, and with unprecedented and unparalleled access, “Holy Hell” is a descent into a world no one, not even its participants, could have imagined.
Told through over two decades of the filmmaker’s archival materials, this is their story.
“The film stitched out of that footage is one of the most intimate and emotionally involving examinations of how easily a seemingly benign spiritual movement can shift into a damaging, destructive cult. It also may be one of the most L.A. stories ever told.” — Oliver Jones, The New York Observer
“An unprecedented close-up look…we watch with bated breath as the mask is slowly pulled off.” — Owen Gleiberman, BBC
“Holy Hell” will show at the Mary D. Fisher Theatre on Thursday, Aug. 18 at 4 and 7 p.m. Tickets are $12, or $9 for Film Festival members. For tickets and more information, please call 928-282-1177. Both the theatre and film festival office are located at 2030 W. Hwy. 89A, in West Sedona. For more information, visit: www.SedonaFilmFestival.org.
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