Nouveau Shamanic
Cinema Podcast
with Joost Vervoort
Joost and I watch films that play with the concept of reality and discuss how this intersects with the imaginal world, shamanic practice and dharma.
You can listen on Anchor or on Spotify.
Episode 1, Mandy
The first film we watch is ‘Mandy’, directed by Panos Cosmatos and starring Nicolas Cage – whom I am fascinated by and who we named the podcast after.
“Cage said that, at a certain point in his career, he realized that he had developed his own method of acting, which he described as ‘Nouveau Shamanic’.”
Described as a ‘primal, psychedelic rage-scream of a movie’, Cage goes on a wild revenge-killing spree against a religious cult. We use this to dive in to discussing the dark-side of imaginal practice and the dharma.
Episode 2, Upstream Color
Upstream Color is an American experimental science fiction film.
“A man and woman are drawn together, entangled in the life cycle of an ageless organism. Identity becomes an illusion as they struggle to assemble the loose fragments of wrecked lives.”
We use this to discuss interconnection, the role of the observer and how shamanic and imaginal practice intertwines with human connection.
Episode 3, Event Horizon
Event Horizon is a cult-classic sci-fi horror film.
“The dark inside me from the other place – it shows you things”
We use it to explore the topics of the depths of hell and ultimately the hardest moment in love. We also recorded a journey where we travel into the void together, which you can listen to at the end.
Episode 4, Aniara (with guest Odile Strik)
A spaceship carrying settlers to Mars is knocked off course, causing the consumption-obsessed passengers to consider their place in the universe.
“Deliver me from the vision,” Mima
We discuss emptiness, the basic problems of being alive and who we’d like to get stuck in space with.
Episode 5, IT
We watch IT, a pivotal film from Joost’s childhood, and discuss Joost’s nightmares, alternate realities, loneliness, empowerment of the feminine life-force energy and separation as a fuel for individuation.
This is IT.
Rosa gives some Jungian analysis of the theme’s symbolism. We particularly love the theme of collective belief in each others’ realities as a force of resistance and strength.