A wide-eyed American on a journey of self-discovery across Israel, gets caught between war and beauty, the natural and unnatural, the old and new and tries to find balance amongst it all.
Over the last four thousand years, Israel has evolved to become the focus of millions of people seeking spiritual meaning in their lives, but the so called Holy Land meant little to Mark Blacknell, an agnostic, thirty-something, environmental policymaker from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Everything changed in 2006 when Israeli naturalist and peace advocate Yossi Leshem encouraged Blacknell to come to Israel. "Woke Up Alive" begins as Mark Blacknell leaves America for a three-month road trip across this mysterious Middle Eastern country he knows little about.
From the very beginning, "Woke Up Alive" moves beyond the politics, religious zeal and violence of Israel towards something deeper: the land that pilgrims, politicians, filmmakers and journalists often miss. Instead of searching for war, death, and man-made chaos, Blacknell gravitates toward those things he needs most in his own life: peace, music, friendship, and most all, the openness of the world. This doesnt mean war and chaos dont find him, but the obstacles along the way are what help turn a brief excursion across Israel into a deeper process of self-examination.
Over one hundred hours of footage taken from all over Israel has been edited together with producer Eyal Bartov's award-winning wildlife cinematography and an exceptional soundtrack by Israels Digital Samsara to provide a fresh sense of the beauty and spirit of the Holy Land in all of its living diversity. With no budget or direct support whatsoever, a cooperative group of first-time filmmakers took nearly four years to create this extraordinary independent experience.
