2012 Time For Change - Daniel Pinchbeck Takes Us On a Journey to 2012 and Beyond

This has been one of the most eagerly awaited 2012 related docu-films. It brings together an interesting and diverse mix of well known celebrities, 2012 researchers, progressive thinkers and new modality designers. This is probably the most positive film yet produced on the topic and certainly the one that best asks, and then attempts to answer, the common questions of just how we avoid major turmoil ahead?

The film starts with a reminder of the Mesoamerican creation myths. These focus on cycles of time with major creation at their beginnings and tumultuous happenings at there ends. This is an idea common to other mythological traditions and reminds one of the Christian visions of a great creation later followed by a terrible flood which cleansed the land in preparation for a new age to begin.

The film is in part the story of a seekers journey, Daniel Pinchbeck takes that main role in that regards and also acts as our narrator and guide. His story has great commonality with those of other seekers and 2012 researchers that can be found lurking in forums on the net. As such it never becomes a story about Daniel Pinchbeck or his work but rather retains the feel of a mystical journey led by a neo-shamanic initiate of a new cosmic consciouness.

Some of the most interesting aspects of the film are the incredible designers and inventors interviewed and the projects they have created. The work to clean up polluted weather by using bio-machines was fascinating. To see how the inteligence of nature could be cleverly used to do things we would assume took expensive indsutrial machinery was a real inspiration. Simply combining a variety of biological life into one place allowed for all kinds of pollutants to be addressed.

The film balances it positive visions with an expounding of the more negative reality in which we currently find ourselves. Bernard Lietaer gives a great explanation of the foundations of the financial crisis and explanation of why the financial system as it exists can never address the most serious social problems. At its simplest he reminds us not to focus to much on the bad driver when the machine itself is dangerously flawed. No film about large-scale social change can ignore the web of debt that shackles human progress.

It was great to see an interview with Michael D. Coe the legendary Maya anthropologist. For anyone who is interested in the Maya at all they will have at some point encountered his work as he quite literally wrote the book on the Maya. His opinions on why civilisations fail was insightful as was his interpretation on Maya cyclical time in relation to Maya prophecies.

The Maya activist Policarpo Chaj gives a short but captivating address on the contemporary Maya view on 2012. He reminds us that for the Maya this is expected to be a time in which mankind awakens to how disrespectful he has been to mother earth. The modern Maya expect this to be a rude awakening. This is of course based on their cosmology which has flowed in an unbroken tradition for millennia, though perhaps slightly contaminated by the Spanish Catholic influence.

Probably the most interesting interview topic is that of expected saviours and other related prophecy. This is wonderfully and fully covered by both the learned Lakota speaker Tiokasin Ghosthorse and the novelty wave theorist Dennis McKenna. We are reminded not to invest everything into a kind of cop out mentality of 'someone else will do it'. It matters little whetehr the someone is a returning indigenous deity or an alien space fleet. We can hop for saviours but in the meanwhile we have to work on our own salvation.

The film is very well produced and I love the way it visits so many different ideas and relevant personalities. There are many longer films which provide far less juicy content. The people interviewed all speak intelligently and with contemplation. This is certainly not a film for wild eyed doomsday theorists or thrill seekers hoping for Nibiru to crash into us at any moment. Daniel's background in journalism shines through in that he knows how to present information, when to give a little and when to give a lot. Each subject gets the amount of cover it requires to introduce it properly.

The film is full of great imagery, animations and clips which contemplate the dialogue from Daniel when he is sharing insights from his own 2012 journey. This includes of course his near legendary experiences with Iboga and Ayahuasca. All of this is very well edited together and keeps interest held firmly to the screen even though it is the spoken message which is most key.

There is far too much in this film for any review to do it justice. Sting talking about the time he got high on DMT, David Lynch on transcending the physical world, Ellen Page shovelling goat shit and some bloke driving about on a moped powered only by water. What more do I need to say except please support this project by watching the film and buying copies for people you know that need to hear this message!

Visit the film project home page now to order your copy or arrange a screening in your town.