| Spiritual Cinema: A Return
to Shamanic Storytelling An Interview with Stephen Simon, co-founder of The Spiritual Cinema Circle Provided by The Ford Group Some of the best movies made each year are never seen. These are films that inspire, open the heart or transform the viewer, but, because they donÕt fit into the traditional ÒHollywood mold,Ó they donÕt make it into your local movie theater. But now you can see these kinds of films in your home with recently launched DVD film club, The Spiritual Cinema Circle. The Spiritual Cinema Circle finds films from all corners of the world that warm the heart and is the brainchild of bestselling authors Gay and Katie Hendricks and veteran Hollywood film producer Stephen Simon. Since the launch in April 2004, more than 9,000 people in 58 different countries have signed up for this new venture. August will be the fourth month that subscribers have received Spiritual Cinema DVDs in the mail. Stephen Simon recently took a few minutes from his home in Ashland, Ore., to chat with us about his efforts to introduce spiritual cinema into the world via The Spiritual Cinema Circle ø soon to become the premier home for films that engage our collective human spirit. With your connections in the film industry, delivering keynote talks at film festivals and venues around the world, you had the opportunity to see wonderful films that hardly anybody else got to enjoy. Is this what inspired you to launch The Spiritual Cinema Circle? Stephen Simon: Gay Hendricks actually initiated and then approached me with this idea ø and I loved it from the beginning. IÕd been talking about a distribution company for spiritual entertainment for years, and here it is. ItÕs great news for audiences and great news for filmmakers. We put 40Ñ45 spiritual films per year into peopleÕs homes. It took you 20 years to get What Dreams May Come made. Why did Hollywood drag its feet on this film? Simon: I knew one of the main purposes of my career in movies was to produce the film and get it out into the world. However, nobody understood the film. After years and YEARS of industry politics and filibustering, when What Dreams May Come hit theaters, it became extremely and immediately obvious that the film was going to work wonderfully for the audience attracted by its story, but not for the casual viewer. The studios marketed the film on the start power of Robin Williams and Cuba Gooding Jr. and made the film out to be an action-packed adventure, which it is not. What Dreams May Come is not a walk in the park. It challenges audiences to look within themselves and, as such, it is not a movie where you can just check out and go along for the ride. This was when I realized we had to find a new way to reach people who would connect with this kind of film ø because Hollywood obviously didnÕt know where to start. Even with all that, the film grossed over $100 million worldwide and won the 1999 Academy Award for Best Visual Effects. Why do you think Hollywood has ignored these types of films? Simon: Hollywood has turned its back on ÒolderÓ filmgoers. In their unfortunate and desperate quest for the Òunder-25Ó film audience, Hollywood Studios have abandoned classic storytelling and alienated adult filmgoers along the way. Storytelling has disappeared and has been replaced by an ever-increasing emphasis on effects, sequels and dumb comedies. IÕm confident The Spiritual Cinema Circle will reconnect adults with movies theyÕll love and want to see. We view our films as a return to shamanic storytelling. When did you know you had to leave Hollywood? Simon: An experience occurred with a teenage girl who died of cancer in 1998. Amanda Weber was dying when she saw the TV ads for What Dreams May Come and we got her a video of the film so she could see it at home. Her Dad told me that she died very peacefully after seeing the film ø and that just did it for me. I knew that I couldnÕt exist in the superficial mindset of ÒHollywoodÓ anymore. I physically left in 2001, and re-located to Ashland, Ore., where I am surrounded by a community that totally supports and inspires my vision. What are a few examples of the types of films people can expect to see from The Spiritual Cinema Circle? Simon: A perfect example of spiritual cinema is Niki CaroÕs 2003 indie hit Whale Rider, as well as 2001: A Space Odyssey and Ghost. These are all good examples of mainstream films that fit within the spiritual cinema genre. We travel to film festivals around the world to handpick films for The Circle that uplift, inspire and touch the heart. These films go directly to DVD for our members ø to keep! How does The Circle work? What are the Ònuts and boltsÓ of being a member? Simon: We operate kind of like a cross between a Òbook of the monthÓ club and Netflix. We do the homework for our viewers and pre-select three to five films per month to put on DVD. We usually try to have at least one feature-length film, a handful of short films, and lately weÕve had some wonderful documentaries thrown into the mix, too. Members pay $24 per month and the DVDs become theirs to keep. Are you attached to the production on any of The CircleÕs films? Or is The Circle primarily a distribution vehicle? Simon: Right now, The Circle is exclusively a distribution operation and I have nothing to do with any of the films that are being distributed by the circle, with the exception of the upcoming documentary on Volume Four on the making of Indigo, a film that I directed and produced with James Twyman and Neale Donald Walsch. The Circle, however, will not distribute the film itself. Hopefully someday we will become a theatrical distribution company as well. WeÕll see. Some members have set up viewing circles within their communities ø people who get together each month to screen Circle films to share the emotional experience of watching spiritual cinema. What is The Circle doing to encourage and promote this kind of community? Simon: I just love that the very name of our company has inspired and encouraged this community atmosphere ø this was really what Gay, Katie and I sought to do from the very beginning: bring like-minded, spiritually focused people together through films they could enjoy. We actually saw these Òviewing circlesÓ pop up all over the country, so weÕve created a space on our website for people to find each other within their city. WeÕre dying to know what your favorite Circle film has been so far. Any favorites on the horizon? Simon: Yikes! I love them all! We actually just posted some viewer response to our Volume Three on our website ø one member in Cincinnati, Ohio, had this to say: ÒI donÕt know how you can surpass Volume 3. Every piece was spectacular. I just finished Mother Ghost. I have to rank it in the top 10 movies I have seen in my lifetime, and that is no short span. I was born the year Gone with the Wind and The Wizard of Oz were first released and have been going to the movies ever since. Thank you for doing such a superb job in providing a much needed uplift in the art of films.Ó I think that speaks for itself, donÕt you? What has surprised you the most about The Circle? Simon: How fast itÕs caught on! We did not think that we would have this many subscribers from this many countries this quickly. We would have been happy if weÕd had the response weÕve gotten in just four months in our first year of operation. We hope our films stir people to remember who we can be when we reach beyond the seen into the realm where we engage the magical aspects of our human potential. Readers can join The Circle by going to www.SpiritualCinemaCircle.com or call 1 (800) 280-8290. Copyright © 2004 The Ford Group |
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Aug 2004 |
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