AWAKE – The Life of Yogananda
By evoking the journey of the soul as it pushes its way through the oppression of the ego and delusion of the material world, the film creates an experiential immersion into the unseen realms. AWAKE is ultimately the story of mankind itself: the universal struggle of all beings to free themselves from suffering and to seek lasting happiness.
Interview with Directors Paola di Florio & Lisa Leeman
OMTimes: How did your film come to be?
Paola & Lisa: Yogananda’s legacy organization, Self Realization Fellowship, had been approached for decades by people wanting to make a film about the Guru who brought Yoga to the West. For one reason or another, the time never was right. In 2008, however, an opportunity presented itself with financing through anonymous donors. Yogananda’s direct disciples were passing on and it seemed the right moment to make a film. SRF decided to find a team of independent filmmakers to allow for an outside point of view and “beginner’s mind” in telling the story. It was SRF’s wish to make a movie for the world and not just for insiders. They did an extensive search and we were fortunate to have been selected to make the film. Of course, right after being hired, we looked at one another and realized we had a daunting task before us! Not only was it an epic story, but it would also challenge us, the filmmakers, to distill these ancient teachings in a user-friendly form for uninitiated audiences. Luckily, we didn’t fully realize the extent of the responsibility, because it would have been way too intimidating.
