Of Other Spaces
A Review of Wild Wild Country
FILM REVIEW by JAIRAN GAHAN
The grand experiment of the controversial Indian guru, Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh, also known as Osho, to build a self-sustained spiritual commune in the 1980s in the United States is a contentious but almost forgotten part of contemporary American history. This thought-provoking and gripping account of the wild life and the subsequent fall of Rajneeshpuram, a utopian city that was built from scratch on remote rugged heaths of Wasco County, Oregon, will keep you on the edge of your seat for six hours. With the unlikely amalgamation of events, including armed struggle, wire-tapping, an FBI raid, a massive bio-attack, collective immigration fraud, and plotted assassinations, you are in for a surreal ride. The strongest element of this six-hour docuseries lies in the skillful unfolding of the story from a multitude of perspectives. The documentary moves against the grains of the archives of collective memories of Americans, and demands the audience to confront their own prejudice. Critics see the series as a timely production, as it exposes the limits of freedom of religion on American soil, and reveals how the fear of the Other drives Americans and their politics.
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