This movie was made by my good friend Dom Rice of Australia. It is a take on a film scenario by Meher Baba, written in 1931. The film conveys the theme of reincarnation, according to the teachings of Meher Baba. Over five lifetimes, a small group of souls remain together, until one of them achieves spiritual perfection. The film, assembled from short clips from other films, is 24 minutes.
The following is the original scenario in a nutshell:
Life 1
"Cannibals are eating a corpse around a fire in a jungle. One man, X, catches the eye of a young woman, Y. They smile at one another and he throws her a tasty piece of flesh. She eats it. Another man, Z, is jealous and a fight ensues between the two men. X wins and kills Z."
X as the cannibal that wins the girl
Clips from the 1981 comedy 'Caveman.'
X = Ringo Starr
Y = Shelley Long
Z = John Matuszak
Life 2
"A great but cruel king, Z, is reigning in Turkey; he kills all foreigners who fall into his hands. X, a Persian, is captured by the king and is tortured: he is bound to a tree and lashed; pins are thrust down his fingernails; he is hanged upside down while the soles of his feet are lashed. The king's wife, Y, pities the Persian fellow and asks her husband to forgive X for her sake. Z loves his wife greatly and forgives X, who then becomes a court favorite. Eventually, Queen Y falls in love with the foreigner. The king discovers this and kills them both." (Meher Baba's scenario)
X is the foreigner who comes to Turkey
Clips from the Kung Fu Panda TV series, season one, episode 2 'The Princess and the Po'
Z: The murdered cannibal is now a cruel king; voiced by Dennis Haysbert
X: The lover of the cannibal woman is now a foreigner; voiced by Jack Black
Y: The cannibal woman becomes the cruel king's wife who pities X and asks her husband to spare him; voiced by Kari Wahlgren
Life 3
"Y, a merchant in China and his wife, X, have three daughters and one son. They are millionaires and live lavishly. The merchant is very honest. However, his son, Z, is a corrupt rogue, interested only in drink and drugs. Secretly, he uses his father's money to his own advantage. Z forges Y's check for a large amount, and Y comes to know about it. Instead of helping his son, Y imprisons him. The merchant's wife, X, loves Z and sorrows deeply. Gradually, she pines away. Soon Y, the merchant, becomes disgusted with his life and dies. Z suffers much in prison, and after being freed, he leads a good life and repents. He dies in peace." (Meher Baba's scenario)
X is the grieving mother
Clips from 'It's a Wonderful Life' and 'Jailhouse Rock'
Y: The queen killed by her husband now is an honest merchant in China; portrayed by Jimmy Stewart
Z: The cruel king is now the merchant's son, a spendthrift; portrayed by Elvis Presley
X: The foreigner and queen's lover in the previous life is now the merchant's wife who loves her son; portrayed by Donna Reed
Life 4
X is a king who becomes a mendicant and lives a life of renunciation with his wife Y.
Clips from the 2007 Telugu film 'Gautama Buddha'
X: The Chinese merchant's wife is now a reigning prince in India; portrayed by Sunil Sharma
Y: The Chinese merchant is now the prince's wife; portrayed by Kausha Rach
Z: The rakish son is the prince's spiritually-minded slave;
Life 5
X finds a master (guru) and becomes God-realized. Y and Z become his followers.
Clips are from 'Go West,' 'Duck Soup,' and 'At the Circus.'
X: The former prince has become the elder brother who is a spiritual leader; portrayed by Grouch Marx
Y: The former wife of the prince has become a brother who follows X; portrayed by Harpo Marx
Z: The former slave of the prince has become a brother who also follows X; portrayed by Chico Marx
