A Dramatic Feature Film (100min)

_{^{[In script development. Developed with the Assistance of Te Tumu Whakaata Taonga New Zealand Film Commission]}}

”Life is, all at one and the same time, far more mysterious, and far simpler than we know.” Mansfield

Suffering advanced tuberculosis, acclaimed New Zealand writer Katherine Mansfield (1888-1923) embarks on a courageous quest for Life (with a capital L) when she enters a nature commune in a forest near Paris with the mystic George Gurdjieff and his troupe of Russian refugees, bohemians, theosophists, writers and farm animals. She comes to terms with her imminent death & learns the power of presence.

“Our task is to die to personality, which is a false thing, not our own; it may be necessary to melt it down in the fires of great suffering.” Gurdjieff

Genre: Biography, Esoteric, Period (1922)

Dying from advanced tuberculosis, famous New Zealand writer KATHERINE MANSFIELD is enthusiastic about the consciousness development work promoted by Russian PIOTR OUSPENSKY, Armenian GEORGE GURDJIEFF and English critic ALFRED ORAGE. Mansfield spends the last three months of her life (1922) in Gurdjieff’s ‘Institute for the Harmonious Development of Man’, a crumbling mansion on extensive grounds in the forests of France. She was determined to find physical, or at least spiritual healing, through the unconventional methods undertaken in his bohemian nature retreat.

Her end-of-life mystical search unfolds with experts across the world who are willing to ‘find the pearls in the manure’ as we discover the strange little book “Cosmic Anatomy and the Structure of the Ego”; her final short story “The Canary”; and understand why she chose to spend her last days in the presence of cows. This dramatic feature film, with documentary elements embedded, peeks inside the veil of the esoteric and challenging work that appealed to Katherine Mansfield – a way of spiritual expression that is still very much alive today. In this film we hover in the crossroads of fact and fiction; in the realm between living and dreaming; as we fully identify the hard-to-define character of Katherine Mansfield and the people that influenced her in her final hours.

“All these years, I have been looking for someone who agreed with me. I have heard of Gurdjieff, who seems not only to agree but to know infinitely more about it. Why hesitate?” Mansfield

Written by Gaylene Barnes

"One element that is absolutely gorgeous and important to the story is the attention to detail in setting the scene once at Gurdjieff’s retreat... it will all look stunning on screen and stand out from other period stories." Screencraft, 2021. Score: 7-8/10

"The setting in the forest is well drawn, and one can sense why Katherine would seek to redefine herself there - amid such an idyllic bohemian place. Dialogue reinforces the concepts at play, and at times breaks some of the more dense ideas with moments of needed levity." Black List Reader Evaluation, 2021.

“To act and not to dream.” Mansfield

"...an emotionally-charged period drama that leaves audiences with thought-provoking lessons about what it means to have a life well lived. The script explores relatable themes including acceptance, death, self-discovery, and reconciliation." Black List Reader Evaluation, 2021.

"Combining genres and themes - it’s a project one could easily imagine attracting interest from directors and production designers eager to put their visual stamp on things. It’s a heady mix of philosophy and visual intrigue." Black List Reader Evaluation, 2021

“Why does one live so far away from all these things?” Mansfield