Naked In Ashes
Paula Fouce’s beautiful, illuminating documentary “Naked in Ashes” takes the viewer into the profoundly spiritual world of India’s yogis, who see their taking on the sins of humanity as a source of healing and redemption for others.”
- Kevin Thomas
LA Times
Naked in Ashes
The bearers of a 5,000-year-old legacy, the yogis give up everything to seek self-realization. A young boy undergoes a secret initiation. On pilgramige through the Himalayas, he journeys to the holiest festival on earth.
Reviews
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Paula Fouce's beautiful, illuminating documentary "Naked in Ashes" takes the viewer into the profoundly spiritual world of India's yogis, who see their taking on the sins of humanity as a source of healing and redemption for others…
Los Angeles Times
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"LIVING FOR GANESH" Living in the presence of Mother Ganges is heaven for the holy men of India…
The Desert Sun
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"Naked in Ashes" is a respectful, illuminating appreciation of a few of the estimated 13 million yogis in India…
Variety
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Watching these yogis pursue their faith with such devotion -- especially in a world preoccupied with temporal pursuits -- can't help but provide inspiration…
Las Vegas Review Journal
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NAKED IN ASHES does so much of what we want from documentary -- it teaches us new ways that lives can be lived. And religion or no, that always expands the spirit...
Denver Post
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Even in a nation of 1 billion, 13 million is a pretty respectable minority - and that is the estimated number of yogis currently traveling a 5,000-year-old spiritual path in India. Paula Fouce's documentary trains its somewhat loose yet engaging focus on about twenty individuals around the nation…
San Francisco Bay Guardian
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Travel into the lives of the ascetic yogis of India. The film includes fantastic footage from the Kumbha Mela festival.
Kripalu Online
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Holy Shiva! Thirteen million yogis taking a bath together sounds like a messy proposition.
E-Online
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The clash of ancient traditions and modern civilization is at the center of "Naked in Ashes," an inspirational and cautionary film that documents the hermetic lives of a handful of Indian yogis…
San Francisco Chronicle
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The film focuses on and honors an eccentric community of some 15 million Yogis residing amongst India’s estimated population of one billion. Naked in Ashes is created with honest simplicity, offering a palpable and captivating experience of the eastern Yogi…
Vision Magazine
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Naked in Ashes offers a colorful and nonjudgmental glimpse into India’s ascetical branch of spirituality…
Traditional Yoga Studies Interactive
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"One day we will die and merge with the earth, with Mother Ganges. Why wait until death?" So asks one of India's holy men…
Yoga Journal
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An award-winning team of filmmakers came together to produce NAKED IN ASHES. This documentary film serves up a slice of life — the ascetics of the Hima-layas — who walk away from everything worldly in their quest for the Divine. Beautifully shot on location throughout India…
Awareness Magazine
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You become a voyeur into the lives of Indian Yogis, getting a raw, candid observation of their daily activities, soaking up their wisdom, and watching them prepare for their pilgrimage.
Yogi Times
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The spiritual quest of the yogi in India is certainly no easy path, as we see in the often riveting documentary "Naked in Ashes." The hard work and dedication is the point, of course. “Naked in Ashes” is a lively, vibrant study of culture and practice, always fascinating and sometimes astonishing.
North County Times
About the soundtrack
“This is a very impressive album that I highly recommend for world music enthusiasts who enjoy nicely thought out pieces that are arranged around various ragas.”
The soundtrack for Naked In Ashes accompanies the unique story of the search for enlightenment by various yogis of India as told by film director Paula Fouce. In keeping with the spirit of the quest, composers Tony Humecke and Stephen Day have created music that takes you on a journey that simultaneously excites and soothes, marches and soars, and inspires and awakens. Indian classical, Western classical, world percussion, and more combine to create a sound that calls to the spirit. This dynamic disc is packed with performances, compositions and recordings by musicians from Bombay, London and L.A. and features such well known musicians as bassist John Leftwich (Riki Lee Jones, Lyle Lovett), guitarist Ant Glynn (Rick Wakeman, Asia, Mike Oldfield), Anand Murdeshwar (Indian Flute) and members of the London Symphony. Tony Humecke contributes percussion, bowls, and various sampled instruments while Stephen Day contributes sarod and guitars. Katharina Day's violin can be heard on numerous tracks.