Customer Reviews

Sastun - My Apprenticeship With A Maya Healer

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3 star:		(1)
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As an herbal studies student, Sastun provided me with insight into the dedication of those that have gone before me. Don Elijo Panti was an incredible healer and the devotion of Rosita Arvigo to support, learn and continue the healing in his honor...both were captured perfectly in this timely documentary by Guido Verweyen. Their dedication(Don Elijo, Rosita & Guido) to the people and the herbs crossed previous boundaries enabling much good..which, thanks to the documentary, still is spreading the word!

A beautiful ode to Don Elijio Panti, a legendary Maya Medicine Man who lived in Belize, Central America. This story is a gift to those of us seeking a spiritual context for our healing work. A reminder of the powerful healing held in the lives of so many dedicated herbalists who care for the majority of the world's people.

Rosita Arvigo, ND apprenticed with Don Elijio for many of his final years. From him, she learned to identify and use native plants and herbs of the Belize rainforest. Her journey to him and with him was not an easy one. Coming from Chicago, she and her husband had to figure out how to live in this vast, wild, remote forest while they raised a family and started their own healing clinic.

Sastun is an intimate portrayal of two very dedicated healers. Rosita honors the vast knowledge and compassion of her teacher, Don Elijio beautifully. At the same time she shares her thoughts and emotions as she herself is transformed by the Maya Spirits, the plants of the rainforest, and the people who live there.

Reading her book by the same title, convinced me to go study with Rosita in Belize. This DVD is great because it brings you right into Belize, and to both Rosita and Don Elijio. This is a beautiful documentary- I highly recommend it.

SASTUN directed by Guido Verweyen is a wonderful film made by a talented filmmaker. I had the pleasure of meeting Rosita Arvigo in San Ignacio, Belize along the Panti Medicinal Rainforest Trail many years ago. A few years later, I came across Guido's Verweyen's amazing film about Rosita's journey with the Maya healer, Elijio Panti, at a film festival. I was taken by Guido's passion and superb direction bringing visual insights into the Maya medicinal plants and healing practice. His film was invited into the Big Bear Lake International Film Festival and won the Documentary Award.

- Monika Skerbelis, Programming Director, Big Bear Lake International Film Festival; Co-Author, "I Liked It, Didn't Love It: Screenplay Development from the Inside Out"; Co-Founder, ESE Film Workshops Online

The film is incredibly powerful and insightful. It's heartbreaking to see the loss of tropical rainforests around the world--over 50% have fallen to deforestation. And people don't know yet about the hidden medicinal treasures that might cure many deadly diseases.

Go see "Sastun" it'll change the way you think about the world.

While it is indeed a very beautiful video and a wonderful story, just be aware that this DVD is only 20 minutes long. Twenty dollars is a lot to pay for 20 minutes worth of video... is it worth it to you?