So far in our quest to show you the great and glorious of the Kickstarter world, we’ve touched projects from all different backgrounds & genres – documentaries, animations and sci-fi shorts to name but a few. However, with Making It Big, we’re always looking to find something different, something new, and, most importantly, something that deserves your attention. Well, we think we’ve got one in this delightfully titled, boldly modelled and visually daring documentary. Welcome to Wisdomkeepers, Paqo Andino.

To quote their Kickstarter directly, “Wisdomkeepers, Paqo Andino is an inspirational, emotionally intimate documentary film revealing the heart centred, celestially guided lifeways of the Andean Holy Mountain Tradition– one of our planet’s few remaining uninterrupted wisdom lineages.” The unique nature of the story intrigues but as with the Million Dollar Duck previously and taking into consideration the strong nature of this genre currently, why should we promote this rather ambitious number?

Wisdomkeepers

Courtesy of Jeffrey Wium

The goal for this project is a rather eye-watering $77,000 – one of the biggest I’ve seen for a while in terms of full length features, especially with a documentary. However, these guys do appear to be making something extremely gorgeous and fascinating. In this narration-free doc, the style will echo such groundbreaking and visually delightful films such as Samsara and Baraka. Translation: the images and stories will sing.

Filmed on location in the Peruvian highlands, this film will take us on a captivating journey into the heart of an ancient earthkeeping culture to experience a way of life that is at once practical and mystical. They claim “viewers receive a direct, unmediated experience of living with the Paqos, witnessing their heart-based intelligence and being touched by their active, reciprocal relationships with the conscious life force inherent within all aspects of the natural world.”

Wisdomkeepers 3

Courtesy of Jeffrey Wium

This film will present its audience with universally applicable insights into a holistic way of living based on awareness, heart intelligence, unconditional reciprocity, sustainability and the sanctity of daily life, the foundations of what is known as ‘The Living Peace’. These are big claims but with their bold narrative style, I’ve got a gut feeling that they could achieve their goal. To me, it seems that it’ll be one of those films that you’ll have to let yourself go. As it were…

So who is the creative team behind this super-doc? Director Jeffrey Wium is a western-born lineage holder in the Andean Holy Mountain Tradition and received direct inspiration for the project and his life from his pilgrimage in the Peruvian Andes.

Wisdomkeepers 4

Courtesy of Jeffrey Wium

In the Kickstarter, Wium speaks of his experience and his revelation within the Peruvian Andes. “In 2002, I was injured while filming a television series and subsequently led into the realm of holistic healing as a result of my recuperative inquires. This ‘accident’ offered me deep insights…and introduced me to the mystical realms of ancient spiritual healing arts.”

Production-wise, principle photography was actually completed in 2010 with Wium using the succeeding years to transform his life and allow some suitable time for reflection. Further still, the editorial process is complete too after an impressive 14 months edit. It was executed in a single pass from beginning to end using the Paqos native Quechua language. Wium and his team had to arrange the Spanish and English translations and had to set about clarifying the dialogue to make it more accessible to Western audiences and generated subtitles. It was not a simply a cut and PVA glue job.

Wisdomkeepers 1

Courtesy of Jeffrey Wium

So why does this Kickstarter even exist? Not being rude at all yet one must question why they need such resources considering so much of the post production is complete? They say: “the funds raised through this Kickstarter campaign will cover the final costs of video and soundtrack mastering sessions as well as start-up costs for marketing, promotion and distribution” and “in addition to the experiential cinematic offering, we are co-ordinating talks and integrative programs to help people deepen their understanding and cultivate aspects of The Living Peace in their daily lives.”

What do we make of all this? This looks set to be one of the most fascinating and visually daring documentaries – potentially up there with other visual greats of this genre.  Furthermore it could provide a deeper holistic call to many but on a more film focused ideal, the trailer looks pretty spectacular and the footage will be of a premium quality.

As always, you make up your own mind. Check out the Kickstarter here, and check their trailer below. Thanks for reading!

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