Exploring the purpose of our hearts we want to represent the diversity of humanity both in front and behind the camera. Thus, women are in key creative roles. And we strive to have the biggest possible diversity in front of the camera, because our hearts long for connection beyond race, gender, ...

THE INTRODUCTION

The poetic science documentary Dawn of Hearts is an impressionistic pulsing ride through our magic human life, from before birth to beyond death, revealing the true purpose of our hearts.

 

A small group of acclaimed scientists and doctors disprove the century-old idea we all take for granted: that our heart is a pump. Instead, they found that it stops the blood flow, creates vortices and sends more information to the brain than vice versa. Our emotions, broadcast via our hearts throughout our bodies and far beyond, influence our brains capacity to be creative and solve problems. Last but not least it synchronizes us to the ‘heartbeat’ of our beautiful planet earth. The planet that many cultures deem to be a living, intelligent being.

 

Could it be that not with our brilliant brains, even enhanced with artificial intelligence, but rather with our hearts we will find solutions to the heart-breaking health, social and other problems we are facing worldwide?

 

 

We live in times where most people believe that understanding and improving our brain is the key to a brighter future and merging with artificial intelligence (AI) might even be the next step in our evolution. Dawn of Hearts weaves together studies from cutting-edge science, the wisdom of a Sufi master, an ancient myth about our planet and intimate personal experiences from people of all walks of life, to show you why this mysterious pulsing organ is the doorway to the world we all long for.

 

Created by a team of filmmakers who have worked on Oscar nominated and Sundance winning films, this mind-bending documentary will forever change the way you see your heart, yourself and life. Meandering between linear logic of science, subjective impressionism of human life and magical realism of our hearts’ internal worlds, the film intends to reignite the viewers sense for the beauty and wonder of life.

 

There are only two things that could prevent us from having paradise on this planet. Our belief that better brains and more technology is what we need. And our conditioning to ignore most of what we feel, meaning what our heart tells us.

 

THE STORY THREADS

A patient is prepared for open heart surgery. The surgeon explains the procedure and what the heart does. It is simple. We all know it. The heart is a muscle that pumps blood.

But Dr. Cowan, a medical doctor, tells us a very different story. In his early twenties, he stumbled upon a preposterous idea. A century ago Rudolf Steiner, the founder of Waldorf education, biodynamic agriculture and anthroposophical claimed that for humanity to evolve, we need to realize that our heart is not a pump. After nearly 40 years of researching this idea, he made up his mind. “If you think the heart is a pump you miss the whole thing.”

A tiny sparkling something is erupting from the black hole at the center of our galaxy.

First love. The first kiss.

Then that pain. Her heart broke. His too. Will they ever find it again? This feeling that was so precious, so nurturing.

The sparkling something is falling through the vastness of space.

They grew up, met someone else and fell in love again. So deeply they want to have a child. Be a family. Experience the magic of the circle of life.

“Nothing is random. Nothing is purely accidental. Everything is part of our own, if I may say so, individually designed curriculum of the heart”. When Kabir, a Sufi who toured with the whirling dervishes, embarked on his spiritual journey he studied with many masters. But when he met a master of the heart he entered a new world.

An embryologist explains that few weeks after conception our heart emerged, way before our brain was formed. And while our mother carried us safely for nine months close to her heart we bonded with her through the rhythms of our hearts.

This sparkling something looks like a comet with a huge tail.

Or maybe a woman with a shimmering dress falling through the universe?

 

 

"I'll keep my science hat on here. It's kind of metaphorically, like measuring the heart rhythms of planet Earth. As it turns out, it may not be a metaphor, but I'll keep it at that. For now." In his latest study, Dr. McCraty, director of research at the word-renowned Heartmath Institute, found that our hearts can synchronize with earth. This way we can exchange information, meaning communicate with this planet we live on.

An ancient myth tells the story of the fallen goddess Sophia. Together with her male counterpart, she created humanity. She was so curious how their creation would evolve that she fell out of her home, the center of this galaxy, into our dimension, where she gradually became this planet. Earth.

We are at the brink of being convinced that we need to merge with machines and AI to take the next step in our human evolution.

Will we need to become humachines to create the life and world we long for?

Or is our heart the key?

 

WHY WE NEED TO MAKE THIS MOVIE

There is one thing that probably connects all of us, no matter how different we are. At least I choose to believe so. The wish to live in a world where we all live in a peaceful, healthy environment and have a fulfilled life.

 

But this is far from the world we have today. And still many people today believe that if we invent and use more technologies we’ll soon have the world we all long for.

 

With all scientific ‘blessing for humanity’ innovations, be it chemical pesticides, medical drugs, nuclear energy or computers, mobile phones and social media it takes years, more often decades until we discover the down-sides of these inventions.

 

All our inventions were created using our mind-consciousness. The admired Einstein said that we cannot solve a problems with the same consciousness that created it. Is there another state of consciousness that we could access? Could it be that there is a heart-consciousness that is equally important as our mind to solve problems?

We strongly believe that we humans are able to solve all of our current problems and create the world we long for. And with this film we suggest that this starts by realizing the true purpose and potential of our hearts.

 

WE HAVE A DREAM & MISSION

We want to inspire teachers around the world to change our educational system, which is nearly exclusively focused on training our minds, to equally facilitate the full potential of their student's hearts. Towards that goal, we offer all high schools around the world in low GDP countries FREE streamings/downloads of this documentary for classroom screenings.

 

And there are a few more things we aim to achieve with this film:

1) Increase awareness that our heart is not a pump

2) Ignite a worldwide discussion about the true purpose and potential of our hearts

3) Encourage viewers to take measurable steps to improve their heart health and activate the full potential of their hearts

4) Collect, preserve and present indigenous knowledge and wisdom about our hearts from around the world

If you like our vision and mission, please share it with those people who also long for a more heartful and brighter future.

 

Your support is tax-deductible. This documentary is a fiscally sponsored project of the The Film Collaborative, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. In accordance with IRS regulations, The Film Collaborative issues tax receipts for all donations of $250 and over. Seed&Spark will take their fee and the credit card processing fee out before The Film Collaborative receives the funds. The Film Collaborative issues tax receipts on the amount they receive.

 

OUR TIMELINE

We are filming the first critical story elements between March and April. Some storylines evolve over the next 6 months, so we will continue to film those unfolding events. Editing will start in April based on thorough paper-edits. We aim to have a decent work-in-progress cut presentable by July and aim to have the film ready for release in fall/winter 2018.

 

THE TEAM

 

Benedikt Just - Writer & Director

This is his debut as a writer/director. He has worked as a sound designer and supervisor in the German movie industry for over 12 years. During that time he worked on award-winning documentaries and films as well as one major Hollywood production. In search for ‘himself’ he left the film industry, got his German naturopath degree and worked as a product manager before he returned to the movie world. 

 

Carmen Delaney - Director of Photography

Carmen has shot corporate, industrial and commercial work for clients such as Google, Adobe, HP, AirBnB, Puma, Sephora, Chase and the City of New York. Her work has been screened at film festivals around the world including The Toronto Film and Music Festival, The Mill Valley Film Festival and The European Film Festival. She is a fellow of CIFF’S Points North Fellowship, Film Independent’s Fast Track Program, Film Independent’s Documentary Lab, IFP’s Spotlight on Documentaries, IFP’s Documentary lab.

 

Anna Kühlein - Composer

Her professional musical education started at an early age of four. She wanted to become a composer since she was nine years old and her dream specified at the age of twelve, when she decided to become a film composer. Anna studied music production with focus on recording, composition and piano at Hochschule der populären Künste Berlin. Since October 2016 she is working on her music master studies at the renownded Filmuniversität Babelsberg. She has been composing and producing for several different short films, documentaries and commercials.

Alexandra Wedenig - Editor

Alexandra is an award winning filmmaker and professional editor with more than a decade of experience. Her feature film ‘Reflection of Maya Rose’ has won awards at festivals on multiple continents. Her background involves studying directing at the Vienna film school and she runs her own production company. She is a member of the Austrian Editors Association (aea) and has edited numerous documentaries. 

 

Tobias N. Siebert - Producer

Tobias studied Production and Media Economics at the Munich State Academy for Film and Television from which he graduated with honors. Tobias is partner and shareholder of BASIS BERLIN Postproduktion and CEO & Producer of BASIS BERLIN Filmproduktion. For THE STORY OF THE WEEPING CAMEL, he received an Oscar Nomination for Best Documentary. The film sold in more than 60 countries. His film OF FATHERS AND SONS won the Grand Jury award for best international documentary at Sundance 2018. He is a member of the German Producers Association and an EAVE and Sundance DFP Alumni.

 

Acknowledgements:

Original cover photo by Shan Sheehan