Film Summary

Transformation: The Life & Legacy of Werner Erhard

Werner Erhard, pioneer of the multi-billion dollar personal growth industry, breaks his long silence about his ideas, his life and the controversial program est that became the ‘thing to do” among celebrities and middle America and made him a cultural icon of the 1970's and 80's. With exclusive and rare footage, you'll step inside est seminars, and hear provocative interviews with peers, naysayers, family members, participants and experts. The seminars exploded out of San Francisco when Erhard introduced the notion of “transformation” which would become a worldwide phenomenon. 

Two-time Emmy winner Robyn Symon offer viewers a rare insider view into the life and ideas of Werner Erhard. Erhard speaks candidly about the early days of est, the adulation and media attacks, and the ideas themselves that underpin his work. The documentary doesn't shy away from the hard questions about his controversial program, his past, his enemies, nor the "60 Minutes" expose that prompted him to leave the US in 1991. Viewers will be surprised at how Erhard’s course and ideas have permeated the very fabric of society today - in our language, advertising campaigns and in personal growth seminars around the world.  The film premiered at the Palm Beach film festival to a Standing Room Only crowd and went on to break the box office record during its opening week at the Quad Cinema in New York. The film was acquired by Screen Media Films and has screened all over the world and is now available on DVD.