“Awaken: The Life of Yogananda” is an unconventional biography of the life of prominent Indian yogi Paramahansa Yogananda.
The award-winning documentary “Awaken: The Life of Yogananda,” an unconventional biography of the life of prominent Indian yogi Paramahansa Yogananda, will be released all over India on June 17.
This documentary is being released a week before International Yoga Day, which is June 21.
Written and directed by Paola Di Florio and Lisa Leeman, the film features interviews with George Harrison, lead guitarist of The Beatles; world-renowned Indian musician, the late Ravi Shanka; holistic health pioneer Deepak Chopra; famed Kirtan musician Krishna Das; and many others who drew inspiration from the writings and teachings of Paramahansa.
The film, distributed by Muviwale Entertainment Pvt Ltd in India, will be released in major cities including Mumbai, New Delhi, Pune, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Kolkata, Chandigarh, Noida, Gurgaon, Ranchi and Thane, a statement said.
Expressing her joy over the release in India, Liman said: “I have great reverence for the ancient wisdom teachings of India, and I am absolutely thrilled that Awaken” will be shown in Yogananda’s beloved homeland, India.
I’ve always been a seeker, and in filming Awaken…, I enjoyed the cinematic challenge of figuring out how a biography of a meditation master could convey Eastern teachings in an intuitive, cinematic way that Western audiences could understand.
I would like to think that Yogananda, who was born in India in 1893 and came to the U.S. in 1920, would enjoy seeing this film about his life and teachings come full circle, showing his beloved India in the twenties.
The opening of “Awaken…” in India marks a significant moment. Paramahansaji’s teachings on the ancient wisdom of India seem to have come full circle, Florio added.
The film has won numerous awards and accolades at festivals such as the Audience Award at the Illuminate Film Festival, the Spirit in Cinema Award at the Maui Film Festival, the Conscious Life Award at the Conscious Life Expo Film Festival and has been screened at such prestigious festivals as the Seattle International Film Festival, Tel Aviv Spirit Film Festival, Heart International Women’s Film Festival.
It has been successfully released in such countries as the United States, Canada, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand, Germany, Austria, Brazil, Greece, Italy, France and Japan.
Interestingly, the Indian Embassy in Washington will hold a special screening of the film on International Yoga Day.
