Visionary Edge presents “Conversations With God” Saturday

"Within every one of us is a voice that speaks the truth." This simple and direct message sums up Conversations With God, a feature-length movie based on the international best selling book of that name by Neale Donald Walsch. The new film, directed by Academy-Award winner Stephen Simon, will be hosted by The Visionary Edge in Half Moon Bay, Saturday, March 31, 2007.

The book Conversations With God remained on the New York Times bestseller list for almost three years, selling millions of copies worldwide. Now the film tells the moving, dramatic, and true story of Walsch’s journey from homelessness to best selling author and spiritual teacher.

Conversations With God will be screened at The Depot (by the Johnson House) on Higgins Purissima Road, Half Moon Bay. Doors open 7:00 pm; film at 7:30 pm, Saturday, March 31. Please call in advance for advance tickets at 650-560-0200.  Suggested donation $10 for advance tickets, $15 at the door.

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In the movie, his journey begins when he breaks his neck in a car accident and loses his job. The unexpected slide from everyday guy to homeless bum, and his struggles just to stay alive, is a wake-up call for all of us. An eye-opening roller coaster ride takes us through his physical and emotional battles to find food, make friends, and regain his life. And just when things seem to be going his way, they get worse. One night, full of anger and bitterness, and feeling a complete failure, he demands an explanation from God. He shouts out a blizzard of questions, and to his disbelief, answers come! He frantically scribbles them down on legal pads, and the remarkable conversations that follow form the basis for a book destined to be read by more than seven million people in thirty-six languages around the world.

With authenticity and feeling, the movie version of Conversations With God shows Neale Donald Walsch’s transition from ordinary man to homeless bum to celebrated author. It is believable because it really happened. It moves us because it touches universal vulnerabilities and possibilities. What happened to Walsch could happen to anyone—and that is the point of this remarkable story. Any one of us could find ourselves out on the streets with no place to live—not because of any particular flaw in our character, but simply because life is unpredictable. The courage, pain, and struggle to regain a life are probably more familiar to most of us than we care to realize.

"We rarely see homelessness depicted so realistically in films," said Reba Vanderpool, co-founder of The Visionary Edge. "Conversations With God touches our hearts because it humanizes the people we often pass on the street without a word or glance. We are reminded of an important truth: A life that makes a difference is a life built on love and compassion. Yes, what happened to Neale could happen to you or me—not just the ups and downs of life, but discovering the voice within all of us that speaks the truth, when we listen, about who we really are as human beings."

The film stars Henry Czerny as Walsch, and co-stars Ingrid Boulting as Sunny, a pivotal character in the film.  One of Canada’s most respected dramatic actors, Czerny is acclaimed on stage, television, and in feature films, both in his native land (Canada) and in Hollywood. Boulting, who left Hollywood years ago to pursue a career in yoga and art, returns for her first on-screen appearance in more than twenty years.

"For the past ten years I have dreamed of making this movie," said director Stephen Simon. "Conversations With God is a powerful, mystical, controversial and surprising film."

At a recent talk, a member of the audience asked Neale Donald Walsch: "If God had only one brief message for all of us, what would that be?" The author-cum-spiritual teacher paused, and then said God’s most important message could be expressed in five simple words: "You’ve got me all wrong."

Conversations With God will be screened at The Depot (by the Johnson House) on Higgins Purissima Road, Half Moon Bay. Doors open 7:00 pm; film at 7:30 pm, Saturday, March 31. Please call in advance for advance tickets at 650-560-0200.  Suggested donation $10 for advance tickets, $15 at the door.

Located in Half Moon Bay, The Visionary Edge is a transformative arts, events, and media venture committed to inspiring millions—via the creativity and potency of films, music, and story—to create a wiser, more sustainable and compassionate world.