Backdrop image for movie The Man Who Drank the Universe

The Man Who Drank the Universe (2005)

It is late 2004, and 34-year-old Englishman Alistair Appleton is about to fly from London to the Brazilian coast, where he will drink ayahuasca for the first time. With wit, insight, and sensitivity, Alistair shares this experience with us, and chats with some fellow participants before and after the ayahuasca ceremonies. For the past few years, Alistair had been working as a television presenter. In 2000, he started making trips to the Centre for World Peace and Health in Scotland to learn how to meditate. When clinical psychologist Silvia Polivoy opened an ayahuasca healing center in Bahia in 2004, Alistair faced his fears and seized the opportunity to attend.

  • Documentary

Top billed cast

  • Photo of Alistair AppletonAlistair AppletonHimself
  • Photo of Amanda FidlerAmanda FidlerHerself
  • Photo of Fiona MacottyFiona MacottyHerself
  • Photo of Sue MinnsSue MinnsHerself
  • Photo of Silvia PolivoySilvia PolivoyHerself
  • Photo of Gary ReichGary ReichHimself

Similar to The Man Who Drank the Universe

Backdrop image for movie The Sound of Identity

The Sound of Identity (2020)

In the spotlight of global media coverage, the first transgender woman ever to perform as Don Giovanni in a professional opera, makes her historic debut in one of the reddest states in the U.S.

  • Documentary
Backdrop image for movie Filhos de João, O Admirável Mundo Novo Baiano

Filhos de João, O Admirável Mundo Novo Baiano (2011)

A panorama of Brazilian popular music from the 60s and 70s through the musical group Novos Baianos. A retrospective of the community lifestyle adopted by its members and the influence inherited from singer João Gilberto.

  • Documentary
  • Music
Backdrop image for movie Sunny Night

Sunny Night (2017)

On 25th December 2011 the Georgian Patriarch Ilia II described his 34 year-long leadership as head of the Georgian Orthodox Church as a ‘sunny night’. Beginning in 1989, and going up to the present, the film essay Sunny Night tells of political and social events since Georgian Independence. A variety of formats and sources, disparate images and voices report on protests, recommencements, uproars and wars, and religious identity that centres around the dominant religion of the nation. In the midst of the ongoing shifts and the various state of affairs, the patriarch stands out as the only constant figure. Meanwhile the sermonised religion begins to take on radical forms, going as far as priests forming front row human-chains, leading protests of several thousand orthodox believers chasing a handful of LGBT activist throughout the streets of Tbilisi in May 2013.

  • Documentary
Backdrop image for movie Synonymous With

Synonymous With (2021)

A student's increasingly intimate line of questioning causes his interview with a local horror host to take a vulnerable turn.

  • Horror
  • Drama
  • Documentary
  • Comedy
  • History
Backdrop image for movie Boys on Film 23: Dangerous to Know

Boys on Film 23: Dangerous to Know (2023)

Boys on Film presents ten encounters from across the globe, where the dangerous allure of a risky attraction yields emotional results — proving that the age-old adage of taking the plunge is as relevant — and sexy — as ever before. The 10 short films are: My Uncle's Friend [O Amigo do Meu Tio] (2021); Budapest, Closed City [Budapest, zárt város] (2021); Eden (2020); Chaperone (2022); Break Me [Knus meg] (2018); By His Will [שעשני כרצונו] (2021); Red Ants Bite (2019); Jim (2022); Hornbeam (2022); Too Rough (2022).

  • Drama
  • Thriller
  • Documentary
Backdrop image for movie Chavela

Chavela (2017)

Inspired by an exclusive interview and performance footage of Chavela Vargas shot in 1991 and guided by her unique voice, the film weaves an arresting portrait of a woman who dared to dress, speak, sing, and dream her unique life into being.

  • Documentary
Backdrop image for movie Metallica: Some Kind of Monster

Metallica: Some Kind of Monster (2004)

After bassist Jason Newsted quits the band in 2001, heavy metal superstars Metallica realize that they need an intervention. In this revealing documentary, filmmakers follow the three rock stars as they hire a group therapist and grapple with 20 years of repressed anger and aggression. Between searching for a replacement bass player, creating a new album and confronting their personal demons, the band learns to open up in ways they never thought possible.

  • Documentary
  • Music
Backdrop image for movie We Feed the World

We Feed the World (2005)

A documentary that exposes the shocking truths behind industrial food production and food wastage, focusing on fishing, livestock and crop farming. A must-see for anyone interested in the true cost of the food on their plate.

  • Documentary
Backdrop image for movie A Farra do Circo

A Farra do Circo (2013)

This documentary highlights the evolution of Brazil's Circo Voador venue from homespun artists' performance space to national cultural institution.

  • Documentary
Backdrop image for movie The Battle of Normandy: 85 Days in Hell

The Battle of Normandy: 85 Days in Hell (2019)

On the morning of June 6, 1944, thousands of ships reached the French coast of Normandy as part of an Allied operation to take back France from the Germans. For the next 85 days, U.S., British, and Canadian soldiers engaged in conflicts of unimaginable violence, conquering and liberating the region's cities, but at the cost of hundreds of thousands of lives. From the D-Day invasion to the final Nazi surrender in Argentan, this is the definitive story of the three-month Battle of Normandy as it's never been seen before.

  • Documentary
  • War
Backdrop image for movie Lil Nas X: Long Live Montero

Lil Nas X: Long Live Montero (2023)

A remarkably intimate portrait of an artist on tour navigating identity, family, expectations, and acceptance, all while reflecting on his place within the legacy of Black, queer performers.

  • Music
  • Documentary
Backdrop image for movie Bones of Contention

Bones of Contention (2018)

A history of the political and social repression carried out by the ruthless regime of Spanish dictator Francisco Franco between 1936 and 1975 that focuses on the lives of gays and lesbians during those dark years and the death of the Spanish gay poet Federico García Lorca.

  • History
  • Documentary
Backdrop image for movie Dream Boat

Dream Boat (2017)

A cruise ship and 3,000 men – it is a universe without heteros and women that usually remains a mystery to the outside world. Once a year the Dream Boat sets sail for a cruise exclusively for gay men where most passengers are united by the wish to live life authentically as themselves in a protected place.

  • Documentary
Backdrop image for movie Deep Blue

Deep Blue (2003)

Deep Blue is a major documentary feature film shot by the BBC Natural History Unit. An epic cinematic rollercoaster ride for all ages, Deep Blue uses amazing footage to tell us the story of our oceans and the life they support.

  • Documentary
Backdrop image for movie Trans

Trans (1983)

Trans is a 1982 Venezuelan documentary short film that offers an intimate look into the lives of a group of trans women and drag performers in Caracas, exploring their experiences in a society marked by transphobia and homophobia. Through interviews and performances, the documentary highlights the resilience and dignity of these women in the face of widespread discrimination and violence. Premiering at the Venezuelan National Cinematheque in 1982, Trans is considered a pioneering work in the representation of the trans community in Latin American cinema.

  • Documentary