In the documentary "Tony Robbins: I Am Not Your Guru" (2016), filmmaker Joe Berlinger, who among many productions has made the captivating "Paradise Lost" trilogy (1996–2011) and the intimate Metallica documentary "Some Kind of Monster" (2004), conveys motivational speaker Robbins' six-day seminar "Date with Destiny".
Berlinger got interested in making the film after having attended the seminar himself, but it took two years of discussion before Robbins wanted to participate in the project.
How did you end up attending his seminar?
I met Tony through some mutual friends, and he was a fan of my Metallica film. We hit it off, and he sensed I was having some issues in my life and he invited me to attend the seminar.
You said you went kicking and screaming.
I’m not a touchy-feely person. I don’t normally participate in these kinds of things. I’m more of an observer. I look through a camera for a reason. At the first break of the first morning, I fled the room and called my wife to ask, “How do I get the hell out of here?” It was touching a deep nerve in me. Strangers hugging one another, people pairing off and sharing their intimate feelings — it was not for me, so I thought. My wife encouraged me to stick it out, and I ended up having a very profound experience.
What was Tony Robbins’s response to your interest in making a movie?
I chased him for about two years. He was very reluctant.
His biggest concern was that he didn’t want a camera crew intruding on people’s experiences. Even though he has cameras there, those cameras aren’t always in people’s faces the way a documentarian is. We talked through it, and I had to reassure him that I’ve filmed very sensitive situations over the years and can do it in a way that doesn’t impact the experience.
The documentary premiered at the 2016 SXSW Film Festival and will be released on Netflix on July 15.
Image credit: Amanda Mills
Via Brian Koppelman.