AWAKE: The Life of Yogananda
Currently in Theatrical Release
Directed by Paola di Florio & Lisa Leeman
Produced by Peter Rader, Paola di Florio, and Lisa Leeman
AWAKE: The Life of Yogananda is an unconventional biography about the East Indian mystic who brought yoga and meditation to the West in the 1920s. Paramahansa Yogananda authored the spiritual classic “Autobiography of a Yogi,” which has sold millions of copies worldwide and is a go-to book for seekers, philosophers and yoga enthusiasts today. By personalizing his own quest for enlightenment and sharing his struggles along the path, Yogananda made ancient Vedic teachings accessible to a modern audience. Known as the "Father of Yoga in the West," he attracted countless followers in his day and became an instrumental figure in launching the multi-billion dollar yoga industry of today. Filmed over three years with the participation of 30 countries around the world, the documentary examines the world of yoga, modern and ancient, east and west and explores why millions today have turned their attention inwards, bucking the temptations of the material world in pursuit of self-realization.