Finding Joe
Patrick Takaya Solomon | Filmmaker
Documentary. 2011
English.
Directed by Patrick Takaya Solomon
In the early 20th century, while studying world mythology, Joseph Campbell discovered a pattern hidden in every story ever told and he called it “the heroes journey”. A truly inspirational film, FINDING JOE takes us on the ultimate heroes journey: the journey of self discovery. As you slay dragons and uncover treasures, you just may find that the holy grail you seek is closer than you think.
Featuring: Deepak Chopra, Mick Fleetwood, Rashida Jones, Tony Hawk, Catherine Hardwicke, Laird Hamilton, Robert Walter, Akiva Goldsman, Sir Ken Robinson, Robin Sharma, Lynne Kaufman, Alan Cohen, Brian Johnson, Joseph Marshall III, Rebecca Armstrong,
Chungliang Al Huang, David L. Miller, Gay Hendricks, David Loy and Norman Ollestad.
www.findingjoethemovie.com
Notes from the Director:
For the past 12 years I have been directing commercials; you can check out my reel at newhousefilms.com. I started my career shooting action sports films: snowboarding, motocross and skateboarding, etc. Notable films include Totally Boardand Crusty Demons of Dirt. I started Finding Joe in February 2009 and, even though it’s not yet completed, it has been the best experience of
my professional life by a mile.
Joseph Campbell’s work has influenced every major turning point in my life, including my decision to become a director. I owe my good fortune to the concepts and ideas that I discovered in his books. The Hero with a Thousand Faces put me on a path years ago that led me here, to my present film Finding Joe.
One day in 2009 I saw The Power of Myth again and though I love that program I felt I could better understand the material if there was more visuals to help describe the concepts. Like story re-enactments or simple visual icons that related more to modern living. That was the “aha” moment. I knew I had to make this film.
This is not entirely a biography of Joe Campbell. It is an exploration of what all stories tell us about what it means to be human. The film will dive deep into what Campbell calls “The Heroes Journey”.
What is it? and most importantly, what does it mean for me? It is a contemporary look at mythology and the lessons we can learn from stories: both ancient and modern.
