Three weeks after graduating from film school in 1985, Will Allen meet his sisters spiritual guru Michel Rostand, he was mesmerized by the man and his movement and would spend the next 22 years in the Buddfield cult. Will served as the groups in-house filmmaker, doing documentary work, directing short films, at least one music video, and recording the annual ballet performances the group did during most of the 1990's. Will retained this massive video archive, which combined with roughly present day interviews with former members and family, make up most of this documentary film.
The charismatic Rostand started his group in Hollywood, moved it to Austin and later Hawaii. Something of a mystery who was vauge about his past, he changed his name several times, even while leading the group. His true backstory had to be pieced together. Born Jamie Gomez in Venezula in 1942, his mother died when he was an infant, details about his relationship with his father are uncertain, but he had implied or told multiple followers he was the victim of sexual abuse as a child.
Gomez came to the United States, apparently in the 1960's, danced ballet professionally in California and became an actor, bit parts, mostly or all non speaking, but in some major movies including 'Airport 1975' and 'Rosemary's Baby'. He also did gay porn. Gomez became a licensed hypno therapist and then started Buddfield in the 1980's. A hodgepodge of vaugly Eastern New Age beliefs, Gomez claimed to have trained under a 'Master' but really got his ideas out of various books. While in its early years the group was somewhat benign, it didn't stay that way.
Gomez's group preached celibacy, but former group members state there was alot of consensual sex going on between members, and non consensual between Gomez and some of his better looking male acolytes. Will chronicals his near quarter century with the group form idealistic early day's, to mass defections in 2007 when the extent of the guru's abuses came to light via an anonymous whistle-blower, confirmed by many others. However not everybody left, Gomez also managed to attract additional followers and apparently leads a small group even today.
This film exists and this story is told largely because of Will Allen's near constant filming, as well as his perseverance both as a film maker and as a cult survivor. This is a one of a kind work. ***
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