One Giant Leap: What About Me?

One Giant Leap: What About Me?

2008, Philosophy  -   49 Comments
8.25
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Ratings: 8.25/10 from 210 users.

Jamie Catto and Duncan Bridgeman travelled for 7 months through all 5 continents, and recorded in over 50 locations to create the most inspiring film and album they could imagine. Their mission was not only to gather insights on the huge universal themes of life from the most inspiring and illuminating people they could find, but also to seek out the cream of the world's musicians and compose immense multi-layered music with them.

Sometimes you're used to a way of life where the house is open but you don't go out because you've already lost the concept of freedom. But sometimes you're so anxious for freedom that you could free yourself from any prison or chains. It all depends on the strength of your concept of freedom.

You've got to realize one thing, and that is you need to tame your wild, crazy mind. Your mind has a very bad habit which we call it self-cherishing or "What about me?" It's a bore, it's a drag, and nobody wants to hear it, so you can just shut up, get off of it, connect with people and give. You'll be so busy giving that you'll have no time for yourself. You're going to be a lot happier.

This is the time for awakening for humans on the planet. This is the time to wake up out of the madness, because history of humanity is basically the history of insanity. But for the first time in the history of this insanity, the insanity is threatening to destroy us. So we're coming to the end of this one way or another. Either we destroy ourselves or we wake up out of that dream, the nightmare. But to see your own madness is the beginning of healing insanity, because in every human being there's not only the madness, there's also the sanity.

Mostly what you get through the media is the madness. But at the same time there are millions of other humans who already have that awakening within them so they can hear what's going on. In every child an ego gradually begins to develop and one of the first things child loves is his or her name. I'm John, I'm... and then other things come as the children grow up... I'm a boy, I'm a girl, I'm strong, I'm weak. The ego is always built on identification with this or that.

We've been trained and conditioned to shut down our spontaneous responses, our authentic and essential responses from a very early age. We are talked out of our feelings because nobody knows how to communicate from an emotional field.

The idea of a shadow has to be liberated, we must go into the places that scare us, into the darkness and make friends with our demons. The wound is the key, because we're all wounded by birth. We're like "where am I", "who am I". "why am I here", "where is he", "where is she", and so we're constantly recreating until we make peace with the loneliness and our own anger.

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Jane
Jane
1 year ago

This is one of the best documentaries ever made. I wish Netflix would put it back up. I could watch it over and over.

Claudia
Claudia
4 years ago

Are there any subtitles in Spanish?

Lana
Lana
6 years ago

Amazing. Thank you so much.

Loring Palmer
Loring Palmer
6 years ago

Bridgeman and Catto have used their video footage to put together new dimensions for their brilliance. Look for their 2 approaches on Netflix: "What About Me". They've created a series of 15 to 25 minutes each. More music, more dancing, plus the philosophy. A wonderful complement to the documentary you just watched.

Bernadette
Bernadette
7 years ago

Can't fault the remarkable breadth of superb music in this film. I tuned out however when the wearisome message on repeat appeared to be White People Bad (and exploitative and troubled).
I'm so glad to be born in the West, unhampered by tribalism and poverty and slave to some dumb religion. If these places in the film are such paradises, I'd wish the inhabitants would just stay there.

Neslihan
Neslihan
7 years ago

Thank you everyone.. It has been a great inspiration!!

Love from Istanbul.

joey budgie
joey budgie
7 years ago

I cannot believe the way, over recent times, that documentaries and so many TV series have continuous background muzak that is such a distraction . I love music, but NOT is this increasingly annoying context. PLEASE STOP!!

tanya123
tanya123
8 years ago

this piece of art is more brilliant than any of you critics can perceive, apparently. its just about god damned time we look at ourselves, really SEE ourselves. this video is a beautiful self portrait. warts and all.

Cain
Cain
8 years ago

"If everything that ever lived is dead, and everything that's alive is gonna die, where does the sacred part come in?" G. Carlin, 1996

bluetortilla
bluetortilla
8 years ago

I feel sorry for anyone who did not throughly enjoy this. The question is can I live it?

sonny corbi
sonny corbi
8 years ago

fresh - fusing Art with practical application; pulling the masses out of the either - Bravo!!

Pacha
Pacha
9 years ago

Very good. Left me with a tear in my eye

Engaging123
Engaging123
9 years ago

Awesome, Inspiring, Deeply Beautiful Music and moving observations. An odyssey of interesting cultures and perspectives. Loved the transitions from people to thoughts in a musical symphony. Worth watching!

Irish Sweetness
Irish Sweetness
9 years ago

Let's put the navel-gazing aside for a while and take the world back from the banks before we do anything else. Then we get disclosure on the alien issue, and start talking to them .. because they're here. At least .. the Tall Whites are.

Irish Sweetness
Irish Sweetness
9 years ago

The religious guy says "...God will wipe out humanity ... to preserve society ....."
(facepalm)

Joel Henry
Joel Henry
9 years ago

The worlds longest New Age music video

gizem kaya
gizem kaya
10 years ago

This is the thing is not possible to achieve By some of hippies but it is impossible for other normal people. Everybody has an ego and you can jusi cintik or restrict it but you can not end it up so that documentary can influence you but does not refleks in realite

Kristina
Kristina
10 years ago

For the two folk I disagreed with:

Women rock and shouldn't be raped by their husbands. Go masterbate in the bathroom or find a woman who actually wants to have that much sex.

I don't believe God considers a man to be my head. I'm a strong and independent woman and I'm happier without that bullshit.

Great documentary! I will watch it again. Loved the music and the inspiration. Really great listen while I was animating in college.

xoxoxoxo

Jacek Walker
Jacek Walker
10 years ago

Nice to hear Eckhart's timeless insights here and there again.
Excellent music background but a tad too nostalgic for a sigle like me. It evokes the past unnecessarily. ;)

Jessilyn Gardiner
Jessilyn Gardiner
10 years ago

ditto

Rampage
Rampage
10 years ago

Glad I stumbled onto this!

bionara
bionara
10 years ago

Uplifting and insightful. I hope I can take something away from this!

Cracking soundtrack too - great to spot bass legend Victor Wooten grooving away at 1 hour 49 :D

judith
judith
10 years ago

Second time around was even better..just close your eyes and listen...there is true brilliance here !!!!!!

Emilie Martel
Emilie Martel
10 years ago

I have shivers! Amazing documentary. beautiful. Great Music. Is there a way to get hold of this music?

soleil
soleil
10 years ago

a amazing show, thank you , would like to know who is the singer in green shirt at 34:15 , one love

cyberdog
cyberdog
10 years ago

I thoroughly enjoyed this documentary. There are a few issues that irked me, but all that was easily overlooked by simply enjoying the absolutely incredible talent of the artists.
The musicians, the composer(s) the presentation, the diversity, wow!
The collective talent in this documentary has left me in awe. Probably
one of the only documentaries, that I have already watched several
times, and enjoyed it. if not more the subsequent times, being able to take in the subtleties that I had missed previously. If not, just to enjoy the music.
Thank you Vlatko!

Johanna
Johanna
10 years ago

(1/2) Very inspiring. Personal transformation and the exploration of truth is a lifelong process that takes so many forms. To hear the confessions of personal discoveries and wisdom - no matter what stage of life one is at or what background one has come from - presents one with questions they may not have asked yet, perspectives that constructively compare and contrast with one's own, and (I believe most importantly) rightly argues that one is necessarily in control of their own life - whether or not one realizes it.

I think there is an important distinction to be made between cognizant aptitude and wisdom...

Jo McKay
Jo McKay
10 years ago

It is already hurting to try and watch this, just over 6 minutes in and I am groaning...and thinking "Oh no, psycho babble 200 - I don't know if I can swallow any more". Yet other comments are raves, so the debate should I force myself or not? If its another one of those-humans are doomed to destroy ourselves, etc then I bow out - aim the poison to the 1% elite greed and our aim is sure (for much of the problems of all known history)...the majority have proven again and again that we are able and willing to change and can do so very quickly when the barriers come down - those barriers are not our psychology, they are the imbalance of power!

TragicallyHopeful
TragicallyHopeful
10 years ago

Great delivery on a complex, topic. The insanity of humanity. Consider that stolen Mr. Power of Now. I enjoyed the mixture of celebrity, only since their opinions are more highly valued by the public. Not that I agree with that but it is what it is. Tim Robbins seems like a real cool cat.

My only real critique was the complete absence of logic and over-presence of dogma. The irrational mind is made rational through logic not mystics and blind faith. Aristotle solved this problem BC and taught it to the elite who then occulted the information and used it to build the roman empire. And we all know what happened to them, or do we?

Anyways, it would be nice if logic was presented to slaves and indentured servants the world over in just such an entertaining and digestible medium.

No matter what my ego thinks, this documentary is a step in the light direction!

tibor
tibor
10 years ago

I love it ! Entertaining and inspirational. Great editing job!

Vexst Junglist
Vexst Junglist
10 years ago

if i wanted to listen to loads of music it would be fine.

pwndecaf
pwndecaf
10 years ago

Wonderful...awesome...inspirational...joyful...beautiful...

Harley
Harley
10 years ago

I am going to make this early claim that this is the best documentary of the 21st Century. It should be played in classroom in the world and on mainstream media.

sebastien972
sebastien972
10 years ago

This is honestly one of the best documentaries I have ever seen.

ev
ev
10 years ago

A two hour meditation, aided by joyful music, guided by colorful images of the contemporary, exotic, ordinary human being.

mark farley
mark farley
10 years ago

suffer for the truth

oQ
oQ
10 years ago

Thank you Vlatko...the music, cinematography, words...all awesome. @Epicurus, make sure you watch this one, great on all fronts.
I especially enjoyed the African portraying.
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