Holistic healing with shamans in the Peruvian/Brazilian Amazon is an intriguing subject for a documentary film, and for filmmakers Nick Polizzi and Dan Bailey, the process was life-altering. The Sacred Science will be screened at The Ridgefield Playhouse as a presentation of The Ridgefield Playhouse Documentary Film Series of The Ridgefield Playhouse Film Society on Saturday, January 14, at 7:30 p.m., followed by a Q&A with the filmmakers hosted by Ira Joe Fisher and Morton Dean. This event is sponsored by Cohen and Wolf, P.C., HBGroup, The Ridgefield Press and Sony XDCAM HC.
The Sacred Science not only explores the mythology behind Amazonian Shamanism but also offers tangible results of eight people who spent a month in the Amazon jungle seeking help with their physical and psychological ailments. Of the eight brave souls, five returned with real results (improvement/full recovery), two were not cured and one person did not come back. The time-tested indigenous plant medicines and spiritual rituals of the South American rain forest are caught on camera in this groundbreaking documentary film.
Filmmaker Dan Bailey explained: “It started off as a long-awaited creative collaboration between my cousin Nick and me, but once the wheels started rolling on the project, we both realized that the message behind The Sacred Science was much bigger than the two of us. Eventually it grew from something we wanted to do, into something we both knew we had to do.”
For director/cameraman Nick Polizzi, his epiphany came while he was on a cross country trip a few years back. “If you trace commonly used holistic practices back to their origins, the search will often lead you to a remote region of the world where an ancient indigenous culture is still struggling to exist. Once I began to draw these correlations, I knew I needed to create this documentary.”
Polizzi said that he wants people who see The Sacred Science to gain a greater appreciation for ancient tribes’ knowledge and realize that it is a relevant, applicable technology that can save lives and better western communities. “Our wish is that folks leave the film with an understanding of the deeper emotional/spiritual healing that is necessary to alleviate the physical symptoms of our ailments.” Bailey put it this way: “We've all heard of medical miracles, people overcoming their illnesses through sheer willpower and determination and faith, but to see it with my own eyes and actually take part in the process is something else entirely.”
For reserved seating ($5.00), call or visit the box office at (203) 438-5795, or order online at ridgefieldplayhouse.org. The Ridgefield Playhouse is a not-for-profit performing arts center located at 80 East Ridge, parallel to Main Street, Ridgefield, CT.