Iyengar: The Man, Yoga, and the Student’s Journey, directed by award-winning filmmaker Jake Clennell, focuses on the life and teachings of B.K.S. Iyengar, widely considered to have been instrumental in popularizing yoga in the Western world. An Official Selection of the Vancouver International Film Festival, this illuminating documentary was made with the support and cooperation of B.K.S. Iyengar and the Iyengar family, the Iyengar Yoga National Association of the United States, and students and supporters worldwide.
Built around compelling and unique verité footage of one of the world’s most influential spiritual leaders of the modern era, Iyengar: The Man, Yoga, and the Student’s Journey is both an intimate look at B.K.S. Iyengar’s personal yoga practice, and an exploration of how his students — an orphan, a priest, a murderer — use yoga to transform their lives.
Iyengar: The Man, Yoga, and the Student’s Journey will have a Theatrical On Demand® release via Gathr Films , a label of Kino Lorber, starting April 19. TOD® releases allow passionate individuals to become Movie Captains™ and set up premieres at a theater near them. Requests to host premieres will open on February 26 on Gathr. A portion of the proceeds from the release will go to B.K.S. Iyengar’s Bellur Trust continuing humanitarian efforts started by B.K.S. Iyengar in his birth village of Bellur, India.
The film will be available simultaneously for the educational market, day and date TVOD pre-orders, and 90 day window to ancillaries including Kanopy.
Iyengar: The Man, Yoga, and the Student’s Journey presents an intimate portrait of B.K.S. Iyengar, widely recognized throughout the world as one of the masters of yoga. This documentary explores the legacy and influence of his teachings, his wide-reaching influence among yoga practitioners, and explores how his teachings have been adopted for the social good, including programs for orphaned children, and rehabilitation groups aiding in the addiction recovery journey.
Through interviews with Iyengar’s family, students, and Iyengar himself, director Jake Clennell reveals the spiritual commitment and power of Iyengar’s teachings. Iyengar passed away in August 2014. His daughter Geeta, who picked up the mantle after his death, passed away in December 2018. Both are featured prominently in the film.