Hare Krishna! The Mantra, the Movement and the Swami who started it all (DVD)

Hare Krishna! is the true story of an unexpected, prolific, and controversial revolutionary. Using never-before-seen archival verite, Prabhupada s own recorded words, and interviews with his early followers, the film takes the audience behind-the-scenes of a cultural movement born in the artistic and intellectual scene of New York s Bowery, the hippie mecca of Haight Ashbury, and the Beatle mania of London, to meet the Swami who started it all.

With its rare archival footage featuring the quiet Beatle, as well as adherents Allen Ginsberg and, later, Boy George, the film effectively summons an evocative moment in time...'Hare Krishna! The Mantra, the Movement and the Swami Who Started It All' reveals an inner glow. --Los Angeles Times 

This adventuresome spiritual biography maps the life and mission of Swami Prabhupada (1896 -1977) who is world renown as one of the foremost Vedic scholars and Hindu teachers of modern times. His work was grounded in devotional service to Krishna. His Indian spiritual master guided Prabhupada's scholarly pursuits until 1965 when he traveled to America to bring the message of Krishna consciousness to the English-speaking world; he was 69. --Spirituality And Practice 

For viewers who aren't hostile to mysticism, vegetarianism and endless chanting, it s a stirring story. Prabhupada arrived at a pivotal moment in American culture, setting up shop in a Lower East Side storefront behind a sign promising Matchless Gifts. He was soon communing with George Harrison, members of the Grateful Dead and Allen Ginsburg, who is shown singing Hare Krishna to a smirking William F. Buckley Jr. --Washington Post

John Griesser is an American film director, cinematographer, and photographer whose work spans nearly 50 years. On assignment as a photojournalist, John began documenting the Hare Krishna Movement in 1970 and in the subsequent decade continued to capture the group's growth and influence in the rapidly-expanding yoga and kirtan scene. He is best known for his documentary work in capturing the unique spiritual and traditional cultures of India and in 1978 produced the award-winning documentary, Vrindavan: Land of Krishna. Now, 35 years later, his project Hare Krishna! revisits the group providing a behind-the scenes insight into the founder of one of the most high profile spiritual groups of the 20th century.

Run time 92 minutes

English - Stereo & 5.1 Surround sound

Russian Dub - Stereo