These People (with NumberOneEmber and ThatGuyRoberto) Willingly Follow a False Prophet. Why Would They Do That?
Upon entering the Film Festival, I notice three oddly dressed people. Two guys and one girl were all dressed as, what I assumed to be, hippies. They all had beards–even the girl! I approached them and just had to ask what they were doing here dressed like this.
“We’re promoting Kumare,” Shriyantha Wimalasekera explains.
I hadn’t heard of this particular movie, but Chelsea -adorning the lovely false beard- explains to me that it’s a movie about a man who wants to “teach people to be their own guru. He’s a false guru and teaches people his own teachings. His own techniques are called Kumare and he’s made his own website of the false teachings called Kumare.org.”
“It won the audience award at SXSW in California and this is the east coast premier,” adds Jeffrey Pennett.
Maybe it was my spiritual upbringing, but I have to admit I was rather intrigued. So, I ask Shriyantha what he thinks of the movie.
“Kumare’s way of life is a reflection of yourself. It has strong support and it won’t disappoint; it’s not possible.” He says.
After a quick picture, they inform me that the director and star of the movie is going to hold a Skyped Q and A at the Tuesday showing. “He’s a spectacle,” says Jeffrey, “and you can italicize that.” (So I did.) It’s too bad I have school that day.
With that, I bid them adieu and head to Shorts 1. I ask Stuart, the guy standing next to me, if he had seen the shorts and what he felt about them.
He said, “I like shorts. You see a lot of creative stuff and if it’s terrible, it only lasts a short time.”
I completely agree. Although, many of the shorts in this program weren’t short enough. I’ll admit I did love some shorts such as Queen, The Other Side and Jim & Frank. Otherwise, I’d like to just skip over that experience completely.
When those films were over, I took the “hippie” group’s advice and headed to Kumare instead of the second set of shorts (which I’ve lost all faith in). I’d like to block out the short documentary that premiered before this movie as well. However! Kumare has to be one the BEST films I’ve seen all year and was certainly the best documentary I’ve seen in my life time (as far as I can remember). I’ll save the details of the movie for you all to find out, but let me say: it’s true, this movie does not disappoint.
Lance Around Orlando 
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