The Challenge of – a documentary film by acclaimed director Jonathan Stedall, showing at The Glasshouse in the Ruskin Glass Centre on Monday 23 rd at 7.00 pm Part One and Monday 30 th 7.00 pm Part Two

A screening of Jonathan Stedall’s documentary film ‘The Challenge of Rudolf Steiner’ will take place at The Glasshouse, Wollaston Road, Stourbridge, DY8 4HF, Tel: 01384 399 430. Donations at the door.

Over 18 months in the making, and involving filming in 5 countries and 3 continents, the two part documentary ( Part One runs for 90 minutes, Part Two 105 minutes) gives a historical overview of Steiner’s life as well as including a number of visits to organisations around the world inspired by Steiner’s ideas and spiritual philosophy.

18 months in the making

Filming took place during 2011 in Austria, Switzerland, India, the USA and in Britain. As well as relating the story of Rudolf Steiner’s life, the film looks at some of the current work inspired by his indications and insights – in particular the Waldorf School movement, , Camphill communities and Ruskin Mill, Weleda, and at the worldwide network of anthroposophical medical work, including the Hiscia Institute in Arlesheim.

In addition, filming took place at the AGM in London of Triodos , at a Biographical Counsellor’s training course at Emerson College, at a conference in Hyderabad of the Asia Pacific Region of the , and at an international medical conference at the .

Also looked at are moves to take Waldorf educational ideas into mainstream schooling through the Charter School movement in the USA, and Academies in Britain .

Future Developments

Cupola Productions Ltd. www.rudolfsteinerfilm.com has been set up specifically to enable the making of the film and its distribution. Television broadcasters, independent cinemas and film festivals worldwide are being approached.

Highlights from the filming include interviews with a number of key individuals working in the above organisations. Cupola Productions also plans, if funds are forthcoming, to make available – including as downloads from the internet – some of these interviews at length.

Jonathan Stedall

Jonathan’s previous films include documentaries on Tolstoy, Gandhi and Carl Jung and his book ‘Where on Earth is Heaven?’ was published in 2009. The year 2011 marked his 50th year as a documentary film-maker, 27 of those at the BBC. He lives in Stroud, Gloucestershire.

He says:

“The two parallel threads in my life have been my work as a documentary film-maker and my deep interest in the work of Rudolf Steiner. Having made a number of films for the BBC about Camphill Schools and Village Communities in the UK, , Switzerland and the USA, and in 1994 a promotional film for the Steiner Schools Fellowship in Britain, I have now, at last, had the opportunity to explore the broader picture - the life and legacy of someone whose ideas and insights are, I believe, ever more relevant. Filming during 2011 - the 150th anniversary year of Steiner's birth - I realised that quite by chance (if you believe there is such a thing as chance) it was my fiftieth year as a film-maker. And although I have on a number of occasions in the past tried to launch such a project, I am in fact grateful that I have had to wait so long; for although there is much that I could still learn about film-making - and certainly a great deal more about Steiner's extraordinary life and gifts - I am at least marginally more experienced than I was ten or twenty years ago - or even yesterday! However, I met someone recently who was a fellow student at Emerson College over forty years ago. Her memory of me, she said, was of someone always asking questions. In that sense, I hope that I haven't changed!”