Film: "Transformation"

I'm still on the topic of Landmark Education only because I watched a film this past weekend relating to it.  "Transformation, The Life and Legacy of Werner Erhard" is currently premiering in NYC at the Quad Cinema in NYC for a few days only until August 2nd.  Here's my small review:

The film is a documentary biography of Werner Erhard.  There are interviews by him, his mother, former EST Vice President, former EST participants, current participants of Werner's seminars (not EST) and many professionals unrelated to him.

I personally did not know what to expect from "Transformation" since I had no interest in watching it earlier.  Had a friend not have an extra tix from a cancellation, I would have not watched it so soon but I am glad I have.  As some of you may know, I am a participant in The Landmark Education courses and I have written my first hand experiences here and here.

The film offers you a bibliography of the accounts that led to the creation of EST, the popularity of it and the demise and downfall of it and where Werner is today.  What I find astonishing is a direct video taped account of some of the exercises from the EST training.  It's a nice look into some of the exercises the participants endure.  When you watch people lying down on the school's floor shaking uncontrollably, that is SCARY!  It's only the individuals who find value in going through it will think otherwise. 

Whether you are curious about Landmark or not, I believe it is a good watch regardless of your interest.  Good people were interviewed for the film such as a Harvard Business School director  (too many names in the film to recall) who wants Landmark Education to be available to all businesses.  The film showed how it benefited companies such as Reebok and what a difference it had in its employees and their families. There's also a story about how Landmark Education not only helped put out a rampaging fire between Union and Management of a particular Steel company which I forget but how it managed to create a strong bond between the two opposing parties thereby increasing production by 30% and decreasing employee casualties by 50% as a result.  Those are astounding numbers considering that before Landmark, the President's home was gun shot by a Union member.

Werner Erhard currently travels the globe to help community groups benefit from the education that he has always taught.  I believe he toned down in his delivery based on what I recall from the film; it's a good watch.....not so much about EST but about how a man got taken out by the media and how he chose to persevere through the intense emotional ordeal.  I don't believe he calls participants "Assholes" anymore.

Watch the film with an open mind and choose what you want to believe.  EVERYONE has dirt on them and if the media chooses to dig deep enough, they may find something juicy enough to sell news.  Two questions I personally have for the film: 1) who produced and funded the film and what was the purpose?  2) Why the name change?

Comments

[lgattruth]

Here is some information from another message board to answer some of your questions on who was behind the film - more to the point - the Executive Producer of one of the film's two production companies was none other than - Werner Erhard's attorney !

For those interested, more information has come out regarding just exactly who was behind the production of the film. On the film's web site, the film credits " Symon Productions, Inc. and Eagle Island Films " -- However, this mysterious company " Eagle Island Films " seems to have only produced one film, namely, this one. Here is an interesting chain of events related to Werner Erhard's attorney:

March 3, 1991 -- Werner Erhard is investigated by " 60 Minutes " - and the program airs on CBS.
http://www.rickross.com/reference/forum/forum2.html

April 1992 - Walter Maksym, attorney for Werner Erhard, represents Erhard in lawsuits which involve 20 defendants from the media/press.

San Jose Mercury News Tuesday, April 7, 1992
Est Founder sues critics; suit names Mercury News writer
http://www.skepticfiles.org/rumor/law-suit.htm

1992 - Breakthru Publishing, same publisher that published Diets Don't Work, publishes 60 Minutes and the Assassination of Werner Erhard, (and the Diets Don't Work, Inc. company has Walter Maksym as president)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Breakthru_Publishing
http://goliath.ecnext.com/coms2/product-compint-0000736885-page.html

2006 - Transformation: The Life and Legacy of Werner Erhard film - with production companies Robyn Symon Productions and also Eagle Island Films - with Walter Maksym president and executive producer of Eagle Island Films - and Walter Maksym having once represented Erhard in suits against 20 defendants in media/press about very same story.

http://www.jmls.edu/alumni/Briefcase%20Winter%2006.pdf

"Walter Maksym is executive producer of the upcoming film "STASH," set in Chicago. Maksym is president of Walter Maksym Publishing, president of Diets Don't Work, Inc. and president and executive producer of Eagle Island Films."

Does it not seem very strange at the least, that a man that represented Werner Erhard in lawsuits against CBS and 20 defendants related to this "60 Minutes" investigation, has now come to be the Executive Producer of this mysterious " Eagle Island Films " - that has now produced a film describing these self-same events