Springtime's for tantric coupling, right? Peace, Sting! So May 1st is (very) high time for a theatrical premiere of THE SOURCE FAMILY, the feature-length documentary directed by Maria Demopoulos and Jodi Wille about Father Yod and The Source Family's radical experiment in '70s utopian living, yo! It all begins at the IFC Center in New York: a pleasure chest of interviews with never-before-seen home movies, photographs, and original music created by The Source Family themselves provides an unparalleled insider's view into the cult/commune phenomenon and wild social experimentation of the early '70s - a uniquely Californian vibe. From there, the film will spread to every coast on the continent!
The Source Family's outlandish lifestyle, popular celebrity-hangout restaurant, rock band, and beautiful women made them the darlings of Hollywood's Sunset Strip; but their outsider ideals, controversial spiritual leader Father Yod, along with his 13 wives, instigated local authorities. They fled to Hawaii, leading to their dramatic demise. Years later, family members surface and the rock band reforms, revealing how their time with Father Yod shaped their lives in the most unexpected ways. These personal accounts, along with interviews with outsiders, create the narrative the film. However, the story is largely cinematic, expressed through the use of the group's extensive film and audio archive maintained by Isis Aquarian, one of Father's wives, Family documentarian, and a central character in the documentary (as well as being associate producer). Jam-wise, all you heads surely know this is not to be missed: the film's soundtrack is composed entirely of original Source Family music produced from 1971-1975. Take a break from your chanting and watch the trailer (and then go back to chanting!):
The Source Family (Trailer) from Eternal Now on Vimeo.