A radical testimony of the strongest known natural psychedelic, tryptamine 5-MeO-DMT produced by Bufo Alvarius, a toad of the Sonoran desert. The breathtaking audio-visual adventure is enhanced by immersive animations inspired by the psychoactive effects of this extraordinary substance. Fascinating stories of a group of Czech psychonauts are combined with personal insights of Stanislav Grof, a judicious nestor of transpersonal psychology, and Octavio Rettig, a controversial neoshaman who has facilitated ceremonial contact with Bufo Alvarius for thousands of volunteers from around the world. For many, the experience has been life-changing. Originally intended to simply document these experiences, the film evolved into an intense meditation on the nature of consciousness and being.
How and why did we make the movie?
“A human being is a part of the whole called by us universe, a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings as something separated from
the rest, a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty.”
– Albert Einstein
Written, edited, directed and 3D animation by:
FILIP ZÁRUBA
Cinematography:
FILIP ZÁRUBA & PETR ZAJAC
Production:
VÁCLAV DEJČMAR, LUMÍR KRAINA & FILIP ZÁRUBA
Music:
PETR ZAJAC, FILIP ZÁRUBA, MAOK & JOSE ANTONIO JANSASOY
Script editor:
VÁCLAV DEJČMAR
Starring:
STANISLAV GROF, OCTAVIO RETTIG HINOJOSA, MICHAEL VANČURA, PAVEL BÉM, VILIAM POLTIKOVIČ
& A GROUP OF PSYCHONAUTS
Archive footage courtesy of:
MITCHMARTINEZ.COM, ANDRES MARTINEZ, LEONARDO BONDANI, JON NILES HECKMAN, DISNEY JUNIOR, ABC 15 ARIZONA
In cooperation with:
VLADISLAV ZEMÁNEK, ONDŘEJ BAHNÍK, VILIAM POLTIKOVIČ, JIŘÍ PEŘINA, ANDRES MARTINEZ, CLAUDIA ESCOBAR, SIMONA JENDRYKOVÁ, MARKÉTA VAHALÍKOVÁ, LENKA PLECHÁČKOVÁ, FILIP MENŠL
SONORAN DESERT TOAD
Special thanks:
PROF. MUDR. STANISLAV GROF, M.D. PH.D., DR. OCTAVIO RETTIG HINOJOSA, MUDR. MILAN HRABÁNEK, VACHE GARABEDIAN, MGR. MICHAEL VANČURA, VILIAM POLTIKOVIČ, MUDR. PAVEL BÉM, MUDR. STANISLAV KUDRLE, VÁCLAV DEJČMAR, PETR ZAJAC
5-MEO-DMT