Interview of Sheela Silverman aka „Ma Anand Sheela” at the Primera Persona festival at the Centre de Cultura Contemporània de Barcelona on May 11, 2018 after Netflix‘s series „Wild Wild Country“.
“The CCCB presents year 7 of Primera Persona, the benchmark festival that brings together creators from various artistic disciplines who base their work on their own life experience. Readings, monologues and conversations, performances that the participants prepare exclusively for the festival. This year, Primera Persona is also celebrating its third outing at La Casa Encendida in Madrid.
Primera Persona 2018, 11 — 12 May 2018 Festival. Autobiographic live sessions: stand-up comedy, pop music, theatre and narrative”
”Friday, May 11, 2018, Live:
Closing day one of the festival is Sheela, the leading character in the Netflix documentary series Wild Wild Country (2018), former personal secretary to and spokesperson for the spiritual master Osho. She became known worldwide thanks to the Netflix series, which looks at her key role in the development of the cult of Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh and addresses issues such as conspiracies, alternative post-hippy religious cults and culture shock, among many others. A charismatic and controversial media figure, especially after the creation of a huge Rajneesh commune in the Oregon desert, Sheela became the visible face of confrontation with the former inhabitants of that region, first, and then with the US authorities. This confrontation led to 29 months’ imprisonment, accused of several of the activities carried out in the community. Her participation in Primera Persona presents in all its complexity this iconic character in a series that has made her a global phenomenon, but with many nuances. And, most of all, a fascinating life story straight out of a novel.
The television critic and writer Roberto Enríquez (Bob Pop) will interview Sheela. Language: English with simultaneous translation (into Catalan)”
Youtube summary
“Sheela, the central character in the Netflix documentary series Wild Wild Country, gives her version of what happened in Rajneeshpuram while she was Osho’s personal secretary: why the sanyasins were armed and why they used homeless people as voting tools. Sheela also talks about her personal relationship with Bhagwan (Osho), drugs, her controversial TV appearances, and what she thinks about the series. Interviewed by the TV critic Bob Pop, Osho’s former spokesperson takes the opportunity to defend herself from the accusations made against her and argues that she has served her time in prison and that people should move on.
Sheela took part in the Primera Persona festival at the Centre de Cultura Contemporània de Barcelona (May 2018)"
editor - comments
Sheela’s credibility is doubtful. It is hard to say what is right and what is wrong in her statements. What expression of her is really authentic, true or meaningful is also unknown.
As one group of people sees her as a new „female Osho“ or a „Yoko Ono“ (a quote from this this video) and admire her for her strength. The CCCB festival introduces her as an “iconic” character which shows their generally positive attitude towards her.
Others, including many fellow sannyasins, see her as a megalomaniac, manipulative and narcissistic "psycho".
Contradictions can be already seen in the title of her interview: "Leave me alone". If she really wants to be left alone then why this performance in front of a big audience?
Further, for example, she alleges that Osho knew all about her actions and was involved in her (criminal) activities. For this, there is no evidence at all, in spite serious efforts, including the editors of this Wiki. Especially, an incredible amount of investigating was done by a plethora of US government agencies, and they were specifically instructed and highly motivated to find something on Osho. This was explicitly stated by the prosecutors. But there was nothing. (Ultimately, Osho was convicted of , i.e. marriage fraud, but even for that there was hardly any evidence.) Also, Sheela did a enormous amount of wiretapping in Rajneeshpuram, including of Osho's premises, and no doubt these taps were investigated. No evidence was presented.
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