Becoming Nobody

Jamie Catto, USA, 2019, 81 min.

“When I was born, I donned a space suit for living on this planet. It was this body, this nice spacesuit, and it had a steering mechanism, my prefrontal lobes and all the brain motors coordinating stuff. . . . You get so good at using your spacesuit that you can’t differentiate yourself from your spacesuit anymore. . . . It’s what I call somebody training.”

—Ram Dass

Both playful and profound, this film is a portal to and portrayal of Ram Dass’s life and teachings.

In Becoming Nobody, historic clips of Ram Dass balance an engaging conversation with director Jamie Catto. The film captures a loving man full of joy, wit, honesty, and wisdom, at ease in conversation while sharing his considerable pains and pleasures. The life experiences that have freed him from the attachments of his “Somebodyness” have transformed him into the radiant soul who now inspires a new generation. In watching Ram Dass’s unconventional journey unfold, we may come to understand how our own roles and disguises become increasingly burdensome.

The screening will be followed by a conversation and Q&A with Rameshwar Das.

About the Speaker

Rameshwar Das met Ram Dass in 1967 soon after his return from India, and spent time with Maharaji in India from 1970 to1972. His principle vocation has been as a freelance photographer, including work for The New York Times. He has taught photography and photojournalism, and has also worked as an environmentalist and writer. Over the years Ramesh has collaborated on several projects with Ram Dass including the original collection of manuscripts that became Be Here Now, the Love Serve Remember box set of recordings, and is the co-author of Ram Dass’ newer books, Be Love Now and Polishing the Mirror. He lives with his wife and children on Long Island in New York.