Joseph Campbell (1904-1987) was an American mythologist, writer and lecturer, best known for his work in comparative mythology and comparative religion. His work is incredibly vast, covering many aspects of the human experience, and his philosophy is often summarized by his phrase: “Follow your bliss.” When Campbell published his 1949 iconic book The Hero With A Thousand Faces, almost instantly it became the bible for anyone interested in the connection between religion, mythology, and story. Inspired heavily by the work of psychologist Carl Jung and his insights into archetypes, Campbell’s unparalleled contribution was his lifting of the veil that separated the greatest stories from around the world and throughout history, proving them all to be expressions of the same tale which he named “The Hero’s Journey”, also known as the “monomyth”. His groundbreaking work has since served as the inspiration for some of the most famous stories of the twentieth century, including Batman, Star Wars, The Matrix, The Lion King, Indiana Jones, and countless others.
Now Campbell’s life has inspired a film of its own. In the film Finding Joe, the viewer is given a glimpse of the concepts of Joseph Campbell and his philosophies regarding “The Hero’s Journey”. The film aims to show the audience how this philosophy is not only relevant today, but also provides an incredible “narrative for how to live a fully realized life.” PSFK recently sat down with producer and director Patrick Takaya Solomon for an interview, and the following is an excerpt.
This movie is a tailored fit for anyone who has a shred of creativity in their bones! There is a lot on information packed in there. I think the big intellectual lesson is that you are on the same journey as every hero and heroine from every story ever told and every story that will ever be told. However, it’s not so much what you learn, it’s more about what you feel. It galvanizes your courage and makes you feel like you can do anything.
You can read the rest of the interview by visiting PSFK, and be sure to watch the trailer below as well as an interview I discovered where Joseph Campbell speaks on the nature of myths and their pedagogical function for society. To learn more about the film you can also visit their website at FindingJoeTheMovie.com. The film opens on September 30, 2011.
