Announcing the Myrtle Beach Premiere of No Plane For Zagreb

Louis at 90, as he was when he completed the film 48 years after starting.

This post requires more explanation than most. I have learned that many people are not aware that a film with Meher Baba that has been in the making for fifty years, and that had Baba's explicit approval and cooperation, was completed and premiered in Eruope in November 2012. That film, never screened to a group in the United States, will show for the first time in Myrtle Beach on SUNDAY, OCTOBER 19, hosted by Meher Baba Circle of Friends. Here's some brief information on the film. More to come.

Van Gasteren in 1964

Louis van Gasteren is a filmmaker who began making a personal film on professional equipment in 1964, at the age of 42. His film took him all over the world, including to interview Timothy Leary at Milbrook (in the film). Meeting Irwin Luck and Rick Chapman on both coasts by coincidence, and learning of Baba from them (both had met Baba in the 1960s) Louis became determined to film Baba. 

After much trouble since Baba was in strict seclusion, Louis did finally manage to get an appointment to film Baba for one hour in Meherazad in 1967.

However, it would be 45 more years before Louis would actually finish the film. The footage of Baba is famous, for in 1997 Louis allowed large portions of it to be released for Baba lovers in a film titled Beyond Words. 

However, in 2012, Louis finished the film that Baba agreed to be in, specifically asking Louis to explain in letter what his film was about and how Baba fit into it. All this correspondence survives and I will later include some.

The film is not available in stores or online. It is in several languages, with significant amounts of English. It is English subtitled. 

More information to come, including a local newsletter from Avatar Meher Baba Circle of Friends. Don't miss it if you are in Myrtle Beach. Show starts exactly at 4:00 PM. Doors open at 3:30. Free. 

I will be adding more information closer to the show.

Nema Aviona Za Zagreb at Wikipedia
Nema Aviona at Facebook
NEMA AVIONA ZA ZAGREB at IMDB
Official Website
Meeting and Filming Meher Baba (the correspondence leading to filming Baba, collected by Louis van Gasteren)

WARNING!

DO NOT COME TO THIS FILM EXPECTING AN ORDINARY BABA FILM. CONTACT ME FOR EXACT INFORMATION IF YOU THINK YOU MAY BE OFFENDED BY:

• BRIEF NUDITY
• LENGTHY DISCUSSION OF DRUGS
• AVANT GARDE FILMS
• FILMS WITH SUBTITLES
• FILMS THAT MIX BLACK AND WHITE WITH COLOR
• FILMS THAT TAKE AN EFFORT TO FOLLOW AND FULLY APPRECIATE AND CAUSE THOUGHT

ALSO DO NOT COME TO THIS FILM TO SIMPLY SEE MEHER BABA. THE FILM BEYOND WORDS IN BABA BOOKSTORES EVERYWHERE AND DISTRIBUTED BY SHERIAR FOUNDATION HAS EVEN MORE FOOTAGE OF BABA AND INCLUDES WHAT IS IN THIS FILM. HOWEVER THIS IS THE CONTEXT DISCUSSED WITH MEHER BABA.

WHAT'S GREAT

• A FILM THAT MAKES YOU THINK, THAT CAN BE HEART-WRENCHING, AND IS THE KIND OF FILM WORTH DISCUSSING
• THE FILM BABA ACTUALLY AGREED TO BE IN, WHERE FOR THE FIRST TIME YOU SEE THE CONTEXT THAT THE ORIGINAL FOOTAGE OF BABA WAS SHOT FOR
• INCREDIBLE JAZZ AND BEAT MUSIC AND POETRY
• A FILM YOU HAVE TO SEE TWICE TO FULLY APPRECIATE
• A FILM STORY THAT MEHER BABA NOT ONLY APPROVED BUT AGREED TO COOPERATE IN BRINGING TO THE SCREEN

There will be an introduction to the film explaining what you are about to see at the event.