About the film
This documentary presents the basis of Gurdjieff’s teaching largely in his own words and includes historic material relating to the Gurdjieff Movements, his music composed with Thomas de Hartmann, and his work in Paris toward the end of his life.
This is Part 1 of The Seekers of Truth, made by Jean-Claude Lubtchansky, a close associate of Madame de Salzmann, with the support of the Gurdjieff Institute in France.
Background
George Ivanovitch Gurdjieff was born in 1867 in Gyumri, Armenia (formerly Alexandropol). His father Ivan was Greek and his mother Yeva Armenian. From an early age, Gurdjieff set out in search of knowledge that he believed had once been known to humanity but had been forgotten.
His travels took him to sacred places and monasteries in Central Asia, Tibet, India, and Egypt, in pursuit of ancient sources of wisdom.
Core themes
One of the clearest written introductions to the teaching is In Search of the Miraculous by P. D. Ouspensky. A central theme is that human beings often live mechanically—caught in habitual thoughts, emotions, and reactions—and that it is possible to become more conscious through sustained inner work.
Works
- Beelzebub’s Tales to His Grandson
- Meetings with Remarkable Men
- Life Is Only Real, Then, When “I Am”
Additional materials
A copy of In Search of the Miraculous is available as a free PDF download at gurdjieff.am, where the film can also be viewed in French, Spanish, and Portuguese.
The film on this page is narrated in English with Armenian subtitles.
