The power of focus is an important, yet underappreciated, tool for living a fulfilling, healthy life. Likewise, the mind is a workhorse many people underestimate. Before he ever conceived of directing his documentary film, Dalai Lama Renaissance, Wakan Foundation for the Arts president, producer, and founder Khashyan Darvich began focusing his mind.
“I first started meditating when I was in college,” he said. “Actually, that was kind of a turning point in my life, because I felt kind of lost. I felt unhappy and I didn’t quite know why.”
After enjoying a non-religious meditation retreat, Darvich embraced a meditation practice. For a year, he spent time each day focusing purely on his breathing.
“I think that just cut through all the fog in my life,” he said. “I connected with a deep place within, and I found clarity in my life.
“I think that as a filmmaker, or any artist, the best work you do is from that very deep creative well within yourself,” he added. “So I think [meditating] helped me connect with the best creative part of myself.”
Despite being focused on becoming a feature-filmmaker, Darvich found opportunities come his way for directing documentary films. Deciding to go with the flow, he discovered a knack for the genre, and viewed it as a way to melding his creative passion with his spiritual practice.
“I sort of naturally started combining spirituality with documentary filmmaking,” he said. “I didn’t know documentary filmmaking was the way that I would fulfill my purpose, but something opened the door for documentary filmmaking.”
Darvich began the Wakan Foundation for the Arts, which aims to produce projects that serve humanity and the greater good. This endeavor led him to the Dalai Lama’s doorstep with a camera crew in tow for his film, Dalai Lama Renaissance. The film catalogs a journey made by 40 Westerners and members of the Association for Global New Thought, based out of Santa Barbara, to India to meet the Dalai Lama and to discuss how to change the world for the better.
“They all learned that in order to change the world, you have to first change yourself,” Darvich said. “In the film, we actually see these characters go through a transformation from their ego to their heart.”
Darvich was busy tending to a crew of 18 who were simultaneously manning five cameras for 14 hours each day. But he still got to sit down and interview the Dalai Lama for the film.
“The moment that really touched me was the times that I was interviewing the Dalai Lama,” he said. “He showed me that compassion is a natural part of who we are.”
Compassion is something Darvich strongly believes in. He will be attending both screenings of the film, which doesn’t technically premier until March, so he is providing the Central Coast with a sneak peek.
“I think that once you have intention—no matter what you profession is—once your intention is helping others, doors open for your project,” he said. “For example, it is difficult to get Harrison Ford in your film, but he was the first person on our list.
“We just approached him, explained the project, explained that the intention of the film was to inspire audiences and to help them understand themselves better,” he continued, “and he connected with it and he agreed. Six weeks later he was sitting in the recording studio recording narration for us.”
Darvich will appear in person with his film because he feels positivity is best passed from person to person. He also hopes to share his experiences and a message he received from the Dalai Lama.
“He said every human being has a unique gift that they are meant to share with the world that will make the planet better after they are gone,” he said. “People can quietly reflect on what that is within them and put it into practice. And, at the end of our life, our last days on Earth, we can look back with peace and know that we have done our job on the planet.”
Arts Editor Joe Payne is doing his job. Contact him at jpayne @santamariasun.com.
This article appears in Jan 23-30, 2014.
