Bhagwans Erben (1993)

(Bhagwan's Heirs)

Subtitle: Vom neuen Leben nach des Meisters Tod (About the new life after the death of the master)

A remarkably positive documentary by German public broadcaster NDR/WDR, about the Osho Commune in Poona, India, some history of Rajneeshpuram, Oregon, an interview with Sheela in Switzerland, about the sannyas centers in Cologne, Germany, the Humaniversity in Egmond aan Zee, The Netherlands, a sannyas center near St Petersburg in Russia, and again in the Commune in Poona.

A description by Osho Film Festival :

An impressingly positive report, the press office in Poona couldn't have produced any better

A film like this was almost inconceivable during Osho's lifetime: an unbelievably positive documentation about Osho and sannyas from the year 1993.

This is the most comprehensive documentation about the sannyas movement.

It takes the spectator around the world, beginning with Osho's Ashram in India, to the largest European centre in Cologne, Veeresh's Humaniversity in Holland and finally to St. Petersburg in Russia, where at that time a sannyas movement just started to emerge.

After a detailed contribution about the centre in Cologne, the Humaniversity of Veeresh in Holland is covered very detailed in a well-meaning manner.

This film has to offer some absolute highlights. Thus e.g. for the first time after the destruction of the Ranch in Oregon Sheela, one of the responsible actors for this disaster, appears in front of a camera.

There is nothing left of the complacent power greedy Sheela of the earlier years.

After seeing her interview, one is tempted to ask the question: Has she been always in such a state of mind? And why has no one ever taken notice of this?

A real bummer is the interview with Veeresh. He teaches us the different ways of how people use to hug each other. Of course he cannot resist the temptation of personally demonstrating the film crew all these strange positions. Subsequently, he outs himself as fully enlightened and as the most beautiful man alive on earth, at least of those he came to know up to now. And naturally all his friends can only confirm that statement.

Very interesting is also the part about the Russian sannyasins, which have found shelter in a shockingly grey building from the remains of the soviet empire. Everything here looks a lot different from what western sannyasins are used to.

Not many would have expected such a variety among the sannyasins.

This documentary looks more like an advertisement for Osho and his movement then an ordinary TV documentary.