Beyond Words
Encyclopedia
Beyond Words is a 1997
documentary film
directed by Louis van Gasteren
.
Shot in India
partly in 1967 in 35mm film
and partly thirty years later in 1997 in video, Beyond Words is one of only three or four films ever shot of the silent master Meher Baba
that include synchronized sound
and the only film shot of him in 35mm color. In the film van Gasteren deftly interviews Meher Baba on finding God within the self, drugs, and cinema. Meher Baba's silent gestures are interpreted in English
by disciple Eruch Jessawala
. It was one of the last films and by far the most professional ever shot of Baba, with cinematography by Jan de Bont
.
The Meher Baba footage in Beyond Words was originally planned by van Gasteren to be included in a longer film titled Nema Aviona Za Zagreb (No Plane for Zagreb) which was never completed. After a long period of consideration van Gasteren finally released the unseen footage in Beyond Words in 1997. Although Gasteren did not show the 1967 footage of the film publicly for 30 years, he allowed Pete Townshend
of The Who
to include two still frames inside the gatefold cover
of his 1972 Meher Baba tribute album Who Came First
. Van Gasteren also interviewed and filmed Timothy Leary
in Millbrook, New York
for the film No Plane for Zagreb. The footage of Leary does not appear in Beyond Words.
God-intoxicated person that Baba worked with), followed by a scene of Baba washing the feet of lepers, and then an interview of Meher Baba by van Gasteren. The film ends with a much older van Gasteren returning to India three decades later in a reunion with Eruch Jessawala who originally interpreted Baba's gestures. Meher Baba has long died as the now more mature men exchange words and photos. Also in the final scenes, Louis van Gasteren dons a red turban that Meher Baba had given him during their meeting in 1967 and which he had not worn for 30 years.
1995 in film
-Top grossing films:-Events:* March 22 - The Dogme 95 movement is officially announced in Paris by Danish directors Lars von Trier and Thomas Vinterberg.* March 28 - Actress Julia Roberts and singer Lyle Lovett announce their plans for separation....
documentary film
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
directed by Louis van Gasteren
Louis van Gasteren
Louis Alphonse van Gasteren is a Dutch director and documentary filmmaker. He is the son of the actor Louis van Gasteren Sr. and the concert-singer Elise Menagé Challa.- Biography :...
.
Shot in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
partly in 1967 in 35mm film
35 mm film
35 mm film is the film gauge most commonly used for chemical still photography and motion pictures. The name of the gauge refers to the width of the photographic film, which consists of strips 35 millimeters in width...
and partly thirty years later in 1997 in video, Beyond Words is one of only three or four films ever shot of the silent master Meher Baba
Meher Baba
Meher Baba , , born Merwan Sheriar Irani, was an Indian mystic and spiritual master who declared publicly in 1954 that he was the Avatar of the age....
that include synchronized sound
Sound film
A sound film is a motion picture with synchronized sound, or sound technologically coupled to image, as opposed to a silent film. The first known public exhibition of projected sound films took place in Paris in 1900, but decades would pass before sound motion pictures were made commercially...
and the only film shot of him in 35mm color. In the film van Gasteren deftly interviews Meher Baba on finding God within the self, drugs, and cinema. Meher Baba's silent gestures are interpreted in English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
by disciple Eruch Jessawala
Eruch Jessawala
Eruch Byramshaw Jessawala , born in Bombay, India, was a close disciple of the silent Indian master Meher Baba, and one of his mandali. Jessawala was also the primary interpreter of Meher Baba's , and later his unique sign language.- Early life :Jessawala was born in Bombay to Zoroastrian parents,...
. It was one of the last films and by far the most professional ever shot of Baba, with cinematography by Jan de Bont
Jan de Bont
Jan de Bont is a Dutch cinematographer, producer, and film director.-Early life and career:De Bont was born, one of 17 children, to a Roman Catholic family in Eindhoven, Netherlands. His earliest work after studying at the Amsterdam Film Academy was with the Dutch avant garde director Adriaan...
.
The Meher Baba footage in Beyond Words was originally planned by van Gasteren to be included in a longer film titled Nema Aviona Za Zagreb (No Plane for Zagreb) which was never completed. After a long period of consideration van Gasteren finally released the unseen footage in Beyond Words in 1997. Although Gasteren did not show the 1967 footage of the film publicly for 30 years, he allowed Pete Townshend
Pete Townshend
Peter Dennis Blandford "Pete" Townshend is an English rock guitarist, vocalist, songwriter and author, known principally as the guitarist and songwriter for the rock group The Who, as well as for his own solo career...
of The Who
The Who
The Who are an English rock band formed in 1964 by Roger Daltrey , Pete Townshend , John Entwistle and Keith Moon . They became known for energetic live performances which often included instrument destruction...
to include two still frames inside the gatefold cover
Gatefold
A gatefold is a type of fold used for advertising around a magazine or section, and for packaging of media such as vinyl records.- LP covers :...
of his 1972 Meher Baba tribute album Who Came First
Who Came First
Who Came First is the first major-label solo album by Pete Townshend, released in 1972 on Track Records in the UK and Track/Decca in the US. It includes demos from the aborted concept album Lifehouse, part of which became Who's Next...
. Van Gasteren also interviewed and filmed Timothy Leary
Timothy Leary
Timothy Francis Leary was an American psychologist and writer, known for his advocacy of psychedelic drugs. During a time when drugs like LSD and psilocybin were legal, Leary conducted experiments at Harvard University under the Harvard Psilocybin Project, resulting in the Concord Prison...
in Millbrook, New York
Millbrook, New York
Millbrook is a village in Dutchess County, New York, United States. It is often said to be a "low-key version of the Hamptons" and one of the wealthiest towns in New York State. Millbrook's estimated town population was 1,551 in 2008. Millbrook is located in the Hudson Valley, an hour and thirty...
for the film No Plane for Zagreb. The footage of Leary does not appear in Beyond Words.
Plot
The film begins in 1967 with extremely exotic and unusual scenes of a mast (a kind of SufiSufism
Sufism or ' is defined by its adherents as the inner, mystical dimension of Islam. A practitioner of this tradition is generally known as a '...
God-intoxicated person that Baba worked with), followed by a scene of Baba washing the feet of lepers, and then an interview of Meher Baba by van Gasteren. The film ends with a much older van Gasteren returning to India three decades later in a reunion with Eruch Jessawala who originally interpreted Baba's gestures. Meher Baba has long died as the now more mature men exchange words and photos. Also in the final scenes, Louis van Gasteren dons a red turban that Meher Baba had given him during their meeting in 1967 and which he had not worn for 30 years.