"Other Worlds is an intriguing and well-lensed first-person introduction to the parallel universe that some Amazonian indigenous peoples consider to be ‘reality.’ Jan Kounen (Blueberry) went through more than 100 sacred-plant elixir sessions with a shaman during four years. Blending talking heads with heady imagery, film makes an excellent case for the meeting up of contemporary science and ancient wisdom.” - Variety
“My film Dobermann allowed me to express my visceral anti-establishment convictions with a joy usually reserved for bad, little kids. After that, I started thinking that the time had come for me to examine the reality of my joyfully chaotic existence and to ponder my place in the universe.
While researching Blueberry in the jungles of Peru I met Questembetsa; the Master Shaman for 45,000 Shipibo Conibo Indians. Under his protective watch, I participated in ceremonies and experienced what can be characterized as a ‘near death experience.’ Once my initiation began, it would continue for over a year. Other Worlds shows the therapeutic power of the Shamans and their plants. This power is a type of ancestral psychoanalysis or human psychotherapy backed by thousands of years of experience and practice. It shows how their cultures and their belief systems culminate from their knowledge of the Invisible. CGI sequences reproduce the recurring visions brought about by the sacred plants.
In conclusion, I personally guarantee this film will not turn out to be a new age Sermon on these Indians and their culture. - Jan Kounen