Lionel Friedberg's career has exposed him to the extraordinary wonders of our planet and many unforgettable personalities from maverick scientists to politicians, entertainers and people who survived near-death experiences.
Lionel Friedberg's career has exposed him to the extraordinary wonders of our planet and many unforgettable personalities from maverick scientists to politicians, entertainers and people who survived near-death experiences.
Film & video (general), Republic of south africa, Shamanism
Emmy Award-winning producer and New York Times bestselling author Lionel Friedberg has spent 50 years making films as diverse as full-length theatrical features and television documentaries. After growing up in South Africa during the troubled era of apartheid he began his career during the dying days of colonialism in Central Africa. He eventually settled in Los Angeles where his work took him to the sound stages of Hollywood and to the most remote regions of the Earth. His career exposed him to the extraordinary wonders of our planet and brought him into close contact with many unforgettable personalities from maverick scientists to politicians, entertainers and people who survived near-death experiences.
His observations have taught him that life is far more complex and infinitely stranger than we can imagine. When he was struck by an unexpected life-threatening illness his efforts to find a way to save his life took him back to Africa where he encountered the age-old rituals and powerful healing methods of African shamans. Their mysterious ways have much to teach us and are as relevant today as they were in ancient times.
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I loved this book. It’s full of adventure, taking the reader to far-flung places in times that now seem far, far away. Lionel is a great storyteller and so visual that this could easily be turned into a film. The quest for healing has moments that really made me stop and read what I’d just read again. Magic to make us rethink how the world actually looks! ~ In The Light- Growing Your Soul, Review
Bringing a unique and ultimately heartfelt string of thoughtfulness and and honesty, all bonded together with a deeply probing perspective to all these experiences, the book also details the early history of South Africa, the events and political turmoil of the Apartheid era, and the author’s interesting life and career curve that took him to the four corners of earth. A page-turner of the most distinctive highest order, Forever in My Veins will have you (or at the very least, should have you questioning our very existence on this planet we call Earth. Full Review: https://annecarlini.com/ex_books.php?id=240 ~ Exclusive Magazine, Review
This is the extraordinary autobiography of an award-winning filmmaker who grew up in South Africa and emigrated to Hollywood. It is a rollercoaster ride, and the main interest for readers of this journal will be his encounter with African shamans and healers following his diagnosis with a life-threatening illness in the late 1990s (his documentaries also include experiences around death). He subjects himself to major cathartic herbal enemas and a drumming ceremony (femba) that puts him in touch with his grandfather partly through a condition in his foot that resonates with the grandfather’s health challenge when he was alive. The shaman is seemingly taken over by a wild beast and he seems to extract some kind of toxin from the author’s diseased kidney and promptly vomits. He is to receive healing from his ancestors while at the same time helping his grandfather. The next day, his friend PH astonishes him by saying that his grandfather had spoken to him and instructed him to find a walking stick. PH had carved one only two weeks before, commenting that he also needs a blue cloth and recommending him to find a signet ring – these items turn up as if miraculously and are to be used in his ritual meditation sessions. In the West, we have almost no regard for relating to our ancestors apart maybe from All Souls Day on November 2. This gives pause for thought as healing may be transgenerational and our ancestors may be looking after us without us being remotely aware of this. He then receives another remarkable herbal treatment that completely cures him and restores his energy levels. The shamans understand the intrinsic connectedness of the web or grid of life through space and time, and penetrate to depths largely ignored and denied by sophisticated modern science. We really need to find means of reconciling these complementary ways of knowing. ~ David Lorimer, Paradigm Explorer
This is a 75-year story, filled with experiences of healing and gaining insight into the world of the southern African Sangoma or shaman. This is not a self-centred autobiography but a humble and open-minded account of the experiences he had while discovering African culture with a clear and respectful description of the shamanic world. Progressive Voices 37 - June 2021 ~ Progressive Voices , Review
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars. So many stories to tell! An amazing account of the Author’s upbringing in Africa, the introduction and abandonment of Apartheid and his constant desire to return to his homeland even after he emigrated to the U.S.A. He grew up in Africa when slavery was prevalent and the whites thought they were the superior race. An only child, lacking friends his own age, he would often visit the homes of the slaves and discover for himself the disparity between the blacks and whites. As a child his parents took him to see many drive in movies and shows at the cinema and he became so fascinated with the movie industry he started making 8mm movies at the age of 11. His delight in film making led him to a life long career producing motion pictures. His love and experience in Africa provided him with many opportunities to film there in so many regions and various situations. His stories keep you turning page after page, unforgettable adventures that involve so many mysteries of the African culture. A must read. ~ Margaret Wilkins (Reviewer), NetGalley
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars. What an amazing read! I didn’t really know what to expect from this book, and I had no clue about Lionel Friedberg’s life before this. I’m so happy I read this book! His life and awesome documentary work are fascinating, but I absolutely loved his stories and reflections about South Africa. I am fascinated about Southern Africa, it’s people, history, and wildlife, and so is Lionel. He tells so many great, and mostly heartbreaking stories, but they are very important so that we can understand what has happened in the past, and what is going on now. The book feels very honest, and I’m sure it was not easy to write emotionally. You can see that he knows what he is talking about, the dark past of South Africa, and I believe living abroad for years really makes you see it. If you’re living within the system you must shield yourself from seeing it all in its full brutality. I am a vegan as well, and I loved reading about Lionel’s love and compassion for wildlife. I believe we would have so much fun if we would meet. I could endlessly listen to his experiences and stories. His health problems have only made him stronger as he has connected with the earth in a wholesome way. Such a fascinating read! Highly recommended! ~ Tove R (Reviewer), NetGalley
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars. The ancestors are part of our lives. Today even. I have heard that before but didn't understand the importance that many people place on how we treat those who have passed on. Those we loved and loved us. I found this book to be so very fascinating because I love reading about tribal peoples and their unbroken customs. Africa has many groups that have survived the colonial period of apartheid and its horrors. Mr Friedberg starts his story off with an accurate portrayal of life for those who lived in the heart of Tribal lands. When he became ill his doctors asked him about what could have been the cause of his sickness. Then it came to him. It had been predicted to him before when he lived in Africa that this would happen. From that point on this tremendous story tells the tale of going back to Africa and making peace with what he needed to do to become well again. Interesting and revealing stories of the healers and Sangomas he encountered add to this remarkable journey. I felt like I was there as he tells about his youth and the many people he loved that have passed on. I enjoyed and learned a lot from this story. ~ Patrick Carmen (Reviewer), NetGalley
A captivating, unforgettable journey of life-transforming production adventures from an Emmy award-winning filmmaker. A mind-expanding filmic trek leading to professional acclaim and personal tragedies that stir the soul. ~ Paul Davids, Executive Producer of Showtime's Roswell
Forever In My Veins is a fascinating description of a middle-class white man’s experiences in South Africa during the late forties and early fifties. Later in his life as a film maker he describes developing a chronic disease that, in the world of allopathic medicine, had no obvious cause or treatment. It's a compelling story of returning to his roots in Africa where he was able to find shamans who helped him deal with his illness. This is an intriguing weave of the connections between white and black cultures, ancient shamanic ways and natural healing contributing to the evolution of consciousness. ~ Dr. Gabriel Cousens, M.D., (M.D. (H), D.D., Director, Tree of Life Foundation, Arizona
Intensely Patriotic. A thrilling ride into the rich culture and diversity of Africa, its spiritual dimensions and alternative healing methods. It is also the story of one man’s struggle with the immorality of apartheid. A prophetic and cautionary tale. ~ Corey Feldman, Actor, singer, bestselling author, environmental activist
What a story! What a journey! What a glass so full of life and love, and not half-full of fear and regret! I will read it again to cry, laugh, gasp and celebrate - Pieter-Dirk Uys, South African political satirist ~ Pieter-Dirk Uys. , South African political satirist, international bestselling author
