Disturb the Peace to Find Healing with Stephen Apkon: Critically-Acclaimed Film Maker

Humanizing the other - challenging narratives of violence - practicing peace and forgiveness - finding commonality with our enemies - Stephen travels through the West Bank filming the stories of former militants on both the Israeli and Palestinian sides who have transformed their lives and chosen not only to walk peacefully but also to walk peacefully with other former militants from the opposing side, as a unified force to end occupation, bring love, compassion, and peace to a region of consumed with hatred and violence. His film, Disturbing the Peace, was critically-acclaimed by the New York Times and Robert Ebert, receiving the Ebertfest Humanitarian Award amongst numerous other awards by various film festivals around the world

 

Stephen and his partner, Marcina, are also well known for the acclaimed film "Fantastic Fungi" and have created a beautiful center devoted to healing, psychedelics, and community building only 15 minutes from my house in the Catskills called Reconsider. My sound healing group, Dream Seed, has been a regular music guest at their retreats offering immersive sound meditation experiences for first-responders, student groups, therapists, and members of MAPS - multi-disciplinary association of psychedelic studies

 

This was one of my favorite podcasts to date - Stephen's humanitarian work, films, and philosophical understanding of conflict, peace, and healing is profound and revelatory - recommended for anyone who looks out at the world today and wonders how we can steer humanity back on track. Fortunately, it begins with ourselves

Stephen Apkon is an award-winning filmmaker, and social entrepreneur. He is the Founder and former Executive Director of the Jacob Burns Film Center, a non-profit film and education center located in Pleasantville, NY. Stephen is the Director and Producer of Disturbing the Peace. He is also an Executive Producer of Fantastic Fungi and Planetary, and Producer of I’m Carolyn Parker, and Enlistment Days, and Co Producer of Presenting Princess Shaw.

He is the author of The Age of the Image: Redefining Literacy in a World of Screens, published by Farrar, Straus & Giroux – foreword by Martin Scorsese.

Stephen lives in the Hudson Valley with his partner Marcina, their dog Osa, and the flora, fauna and fungi they share this corner of the planet with.