Photo credit: Neshan H. Naltchayan
“The best day of my life was when I realized I was insane,” says author, filmmaker John Viscount. We’re not sure if that realization took place over an early morning coffee, afternoon latte or a nightcap, but Viscount explains it this way: “I realized that I had an undisciplined mind,” he told Hollywood on the Potomac, “and that was making me crazy with worry, stress and the like. It was also giving me cluster migraine headaches and so at that point I started searching out spiritual teachings like Buddhism with which to learn better ways to look at the world. It happened in my late twenties. That is when it finally dawned on me that I couldn’t trust my mind to think the right things or to see the world in a way that would bring me peace. It was at that moment that I realized that it was up to me, and only me, to train my mind to be an asset, rather than a hinderance. Otherwise, it was going to continue to make my life extremely difficult.”
John Viscount grew up in the Bethesda, MD – next to WMAL tower field to be exact – and is a graduate of Walk Whitman High School. For most of his life, Viscount has always wanted to start a conversation that heals – so he did: That conversation was captured in his book: Mind What Matters: A Pep Talk for Humanity, “an inspiring collection of stories and writings that eloquently illustrate how to remain in the peaceful sanctuary of our higher mind no matter what the world serves up.” Book notes
After 9/11, Viscount moved on to a higher playing field in the quest for everlasting peace. That quest took the form of the film “Admissions” – a 20-minute film dedicated to the creation of peace departments in governments worldwide starring James Cromwell “who plays an enlightened clerk who works in the admissions room for the afterlife. He is called on to guide an Israeli couple and a Palestinian who go through admissions together because they have suffered similar tragic endings. As the details of their deaths and how their fates are intertwined become clear, the clerk attempts to teach them the wisdom required to find everlasting peace.” Viscount also wrote the theme song.
“Admissions” was screened at the home of philanthropist Shahin Mafi – Trustee of The Azar Foundation for Children of the World – in Potomac, Maryland with guest of honor actress Sharon Stone….we’ll get to her next, so hang on. In the meantime, here is the trailer…..it’s daunting:
“Admissions”
“This is an AMAZING FILM. Easily my favorite film of the year.” – Sharon Stone Actress/Activist/Mother
“It’s true that I just met Shahin last night, but it’s also true that today I asked them to adopt me into their family,” said Stone at the gala fundraiser for The Principle – another film by Viscount currently in the making due to Stone’s admiration for Admissions. But most of all, the evening was about the journey to peace and how each and every one of us is responsible for the ending. “You know, I was very very excited when I saw John Viscount’s short movie Admissions. I was so touched by this movie. It talks about a way to look at the conflicts in the Middle East and peace overall.” Stone has recently gotten together with Simon Peres (former President of Israel) even though he is ninety years old. She considers him a modern thinker. “Together, we started this peace movement on Facebook to get people to get up and go. On July 2nd of this year, we became the largest peace movement and the largest humanitarian movement in the world.”
John Viscount introduces Sharon Stone before the screening
“So when I saw Admissions,” she added, “and Admissions was also connected to Peace Now where John was doing this gigantic effort to get a billion signatures and to creative actual peace departments in countries around the globe I thought – ‘I’ve got to be on board with this and on the board of this’ – because our own country doesn’t have a peace department. How nuts is that when we have nothing but chaos all over the planet? So I got very very excited about this and called John. We’ve been working together ever since.”
Sharon Stone and John Viscount
Admissions was played during the dinner so that guests could see what John has done and his format. “Now John has written a second script,” said Stone, “The Principle, and this is about bullying. I really want this to be made and I will star in it when you guys pay for it. We need the money to make it and once you see Admissions, I think you’ll want to be a part of it. Being in show business is really the gasoline in my car, but it is not the journey that I am driving.”
Sharon Stone, Shahin Mafi and Sister Jenna, spiritual leader and talk show host
“I’m honored to be here on this journey with you. I can tell you that I am so grateful for the work that each and everyone of you in this room does. Coming from your country to this country doing what you do around the globe – the profound efforts that you make on behalf of our nation and yours to create a better world – is so meaningful to me. I’m the adoptive mother of three boys – nine, ten, and fifteen so it is incredibly meaningful to me that you are making a better world for my children and I thank you for coming here and I thank you for your efforts and desires to make this a better world for all of us.”
The Principle’s Executive Producer Sharon Stone
