Filip Záruba
direction, camera, script, 3D animations, editing, music and production
Filip Záruba is one of the pioneers of 3D animation in the Czech Republic. He began experimenting with it as early as in 1993; he created his first 3D television jingles and commercials for the Czech Television at the mere age of 18. Having graduated from the Film school of Zlín, he decided to engage in this field in a really professional manner. He collaborated on a variety of commercials, films and video clips as cinematographer, editor, animator and special effects´ creator. He also used to give lessons on 3D graphics and animation at the multimedia department in Zlín under the Brno University of Technology. After encountering Octavio Rettig and the Bufo Alvarius medicine, he decided to take advantage of all his existing experience to make an auteur film about this unique method. He took off with a group of volunteers for Columbia for a journey that changed the life to many of them including himself. The BUFO ALVARIUS – THE UNDERGORUND SECRET documentary is one of the projects of the Asaya companionship run by Filip Záruba with his friends which organizes lectures and workshops focused on transpersonal psychology, shamanism, yoga and mysticism. Music is another of Fillip’s great love affairs – nicknamed Sub.d.visionz, he was a leading force of the legendary Dvoika.troika crew of Ostrava and produced quite a number of electronic tracks. He also composed part of the music for his director’s debut BUFO ALVARIUS – THE UNDERGROUND SECRET which is the very first feature film about the hallucinogenic toad in the world. His complete multimedia portfolio can be found here: www.filipzaruba.com
Petr Zajac
camera and music
Film, music, mysticism, these could be characteristics of my life journey. Unconventional author of film and esoteric music, filmmaker, adventurer and psychonaut. Since childhood, I’ve been fascinated by mysteries, secrets and questions related to this world, universe and consciousness itself. Secrets and desire to understand are driving forces of my life. I’ve been expressing my feeling and experiences through music for more than 30 years and also through film and spoken word in recent years.
Vaclav Dejcmar
production and script editor
Václav Dejčmar is an economist, investor and philanthropist. He is also co-owner of the DOX Prague nonprofit centre of contemporary art which ranks among Central Europe’s leading private galleries. He likes to engage in investments into disruptive projects and ideas. In 2011, he directed the film I am Fishead, discussing the role of psychopaths in business and politics and commenting on world around us in a provocative way. Bufo Alvarius – The Underground Secret is his second act as a producer.
Lumir Kraina
production
Businessman from the city of Ostrava and founder of the Asaya companionship run by him and his friends which organizes lectures and workshops focused on transpersonal psychology, shamanism, yoga and mysticism. Founder of the Krajina zdraví (Landscape of health) project which associates Holotropic Breathwork facilitators, coaches and therapists from all over the world.
Ondrej Bahnik
expedition organizer and expert adviser
Ondřej started his spiritual journey and personal development at the very young age of 12. On his path he has learned about bioenergetic techniques and traditional herbalism, but his path was most influenced by his meeting with shamanism. He followed several types of traditional healing and learned from shamans from Siberia, Colombia, Peru and Mexico. He has attended Grof Transpersonal Training and now uses his experience in individual and group practice with people. His major interest lies in working on integrations with clients after experience of holotropic states of consciousness and working with spiritual emergencies. He is a member of the project United Nations Venezuela Associations (ANUV), sharing knowledge of traditional leaders and healers from Amazonia and Mesoamerica.
Maok
music
Maok music Maok is a musician, improvisator, multiinstrumentalist, singer, composer but primarily human being whose inseparable part and the most distinct component of self-expression is music. His unique style is easily recognized in his dreamy, almost mystical compositions even without knowing specific pieces. He is a regular and sought after guest at meditation events organized by popular Czech or Slovak spiritual figures. In his own words, “I see music as expression of freedom and love. As an expression of creative moment where the beauty is born which can captivate and guide us into the colourful and constantly changing world of our Soul or which can lull any motion within us and we can dissolve in a singularity, in the full emptiness which is a pupil of the eye at the same time. It can bring us to a pulsating ecstasy of burning Heart or guide us through journey of dance and movement where we merge with our bodies in our inner rhythms. Or we can just have a pleasant nap.“
Jose Antonio Jansasoy
music
Shaman from the Inga and Kamentsá tribes located in the Sibundoy valley, Columbia, who is known for his work with Yahé aka. Ayahuasca and for producing other herbal medicines like eg. Rapé. He is a skilled guitar and harmonica player.
Stanislav Grof
Stanislav Grof PhD. is a psychiatrist with over sixty years of experience in research on healing, transforming and heuristic potential of non-ordinary states of consciousness. He is one of the founders and chief theoreticians of transpersonal psychology. MUDr. Grof is the founder of the International Transpersonal Association (ITA) and for several decades served as its president. Along with his former wife Christina, they developed a highly efficient psychotherapeutic and self-exploring method of Holotropic Breathwork and organized big international conferences for transpersonal psychology all over the world (also in Prague in 1992). He still holds lectures and conducts expert training programs of Holotropic Breathwork and transpersonal psychology; he is professor of psychology at the California Institute of Integral studies (CIIS) in San Francisco at the department of philosophy, cosmology and consciousness. Dr. Stanislav Grof published over 160 articles in professional journals and many books that were translated into numerous languages. They include LSD Psychotherapy (1980), Beyond the Brain (1985), The Cosmic Game (1998), The Holotropic Mind (1992), Psychology of the Future (2000), When the Impossible Happens (2006), The Ultimate Journey: Consciousness And The Mystery Of Death (2006), Spiritual Emergency (1989), The Stormy Search for the Self (1990) and Holotropic Breathwork (2010). The last three were written together with Christina Grof. The International transpersonal conference is held regularly under the aegis of Stanislav Grof in various countries. Last time many leading scientists participated in it in Prague in 2017.
Octavio Rettig Hinojosa
Doctor Rettig earned his medical degree at the University of Guadalajara in Mexico. After discovering the effects of 5-MeO-DMT natural psychedelic compound – the Bufo Alvarius venom, he re-introduced this strong healing instrument to the Seri tribe in the Sonora desert where the Colorado River Toad lives. Over the years, he developed a unique neoshamanic method for working with this substance as efficiently and as safely as possible which brought him even support of native inhabitants of the Sonora desert and the indigenous Piaora tribe of Venezuela. Octavio Rettig is a member of United Nations of Venezuela Association which provides official international protection to his work (UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples). Dr. Rettig explores ancient use and the therapeutic potential of natural medicines and at the same time, he promotes their responsible use. He has authored the book The Toad of Dawn, 5-MeO-DMT and the Rise of Cosmic Consciousness. During more than 7000 ceremonies with the toad venom, he has assisted many people all over the world in healing from various mental and health problems. Professionally, he aims to facilitate general understanding of the natural substances´ healing potential.
Mgr. Michael Vančura
Czech clinical psychologist, psychotherapist, Holotropic Breathwork facilitator and founder of the Diabasis centre for helping people with spiritual emergencies. Education: Faculty of Arts at the Charles University in Prague, field of study: clinical psychology international psychotherapeutic training in Ericksonian hypnosis and psychotherapy psychotherapeutic training in family therapy training in bodywork according to Dr. Schmidt hypnosis training Holotropic Breathwork training training in work with altered states of consciousness psychotherapeutic training in Pesso Boyden Psychomotoric Psychotherapy (PBSP) self-experience training programs involving work with altered states of consciousness short-term trainings, courses and workshops /systemic family therapy, crisis intervention, work with trauma, spiritual emergency…/
MUDr. Pavel Bém
Czech politician, physician, psychiatrist and world-renowned expert on drug issues. Commissioner of The Global Commission on Drug Policy – Geneva, Switzerland – where he aids in forming new global approach to drugs along with other personalities such as Richard Branson, Kofi Annan or Nobel price holder Mario Vargas Llosa. Education: Faculty of Medicine, Charles University in Prague Florida State University School of Criminology and Criminal Justice Mediterranean Institute for Research and Training in Physiotherapy and Psychiatry University of California
psychonauts
Brave volunteers starring in our film, shot in Colombia. Big thanks!
