There is rare footage of actual est seminars, which at the time were controversial, and now seem somewhat quaint to those of us who have done so many transformational courses over the years.

In those days, Werner was characterized as a brash, always “on task” confident leader, with piercing blue eyes that caught you like a laser, and smooth skin that made him appear unflawed, knowing, and somewhat robotical in demeanor. It was impossible to find the humanity beneath the smooth glassy surface. That he was super-successful as a businessman was often noted with distrust in the press, and once the major media opened fire on him, he was an easy target for parody.

Symon chronicles his undoing, which centered around a 60 Minutes expose in which his character was pretty much relegated to the media catchall dustbin of another charismatic “Cult Leader.” The connection is drawn from his early Church of Scientology connections and proceeds to the all-out attack by that organization upon the man who had changed his real name and left his family - even as his trainings espoused personal responsibility and integrity. I would love to have seen more on the trouble with the Church of Scientology and their attack on Erhard, as well as the real reasons for it, but, as neither Symon nor Erhard name names, that may be another story completely,

Symon interviews Erhard’s family members, his peers, est seminar participants and some experts and fills in details most do not know. Much is revealed about this man’s character, and we see that perhaps he had not ultimately strayed so far from his own philosophy after all. Her interviews with Erhard, now 70 years old, are his first since leaving the US 15 years ago just before the 60 Minutes expose. With a face that still looks younger than his years of pain - and its partner wisdom - have accrued, Erhard’s reveals he is still involved with his passion for transformation on this planet; still involved in work which he continues to do under the radar of the media, which he distrusts. We see him working with people on both sides of the Irish Catholic and Protestant conflict in Northern Ireland, as well as the Israeli/Palestinian conflict. Could this man have just possibly made his life about ensuring the ever-elusive dream of World Peace?

In the end, Symon’s film left me wanting to know more about his personal relationships. There is no mention of anyone close to him in whatever country he now calls home, and he comes off a bit like a wandering monk, albeit an updated well-dressed and professional-looking one. Due to his past experiences, he probably wants to protect anyone close to him from the media glare. Yet it makes him seem like the proverbial island that no man ever really is.