sbwoodside

I saw this movie on Friday night at The Westdale cinema in Hamilton Ontario at the recommendation of some friends, and because the creator was there to talk and answer questions. The film stands on its own, but if you get a chance to hear Paul speak about it, that's even better.

Coincidentally my own dad was in India around the same time, learning meditation at an ashram, although he didn't meet the Beatles.

Paul's adventure-this is as much about him as it is about the Beatles-starts with the rediscovery in his garage of a box of photos that he took in 1968 at Rishikesh, India, the ashram of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. Photos so good they belong in a museum.

How did he get these candid, personal, intimate photos of John, Paul, George and Ringo? That's the story, and it's one that celebrates the power of meditation, an open mind, viewing the world from the eye of innocence and childlike wonder.

If you see the film to find out what the Beatles were like at their most relaxed and creative, you will be satisfied. You might also find yourself interested to find out more about what took both them and Paul Saltzman to India to look within.

I learnt about this short through a member of the crew. It's a quiet and enjoyable little piece of film with a spot of excellent acting from Andrew Scott, now famous for his Moriarty in Sherlock. He does a good job of capturing an Aspergian character. The sound is very effective, washing over the beach scenes with surf and the muted roar of music during the scenes where his character enters a sort of fugue state.

The story is extremely simple, the characters are direct, the dialogue uncomplicated. The acting is allow to reveal itself to us directly. It's not a deep film, but it reveals some of the very human behaviour of people with autism spectrum, and some of the good and bad of people who are "normal".