Unwittingly stumbling onto outrageous global fraud, this is a whimsical, humourous and unexpected journey into “enlightenment”.

Directionless film grad David Sieveking hears that David Lynch, his idol, is heading up a conference on creativity in Fairfield, Iowa at the Maharishi University. Sieveking arrives in Iowa to find the conference is really about the teachings of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi (of Beatles fame). Confused, but still game, Sieveking seeks an audience with his idol and Lynch, sniffing a useful convert, grants Sieveking unprecedented access to this highly profitable spiritual empire.

Naive and enthusiastic, Sieveking throws himself into the task, but once the Yogi dies, duped and disgruntled benefactors reveal that all is not well, nor as it seems, in the seductive world of transcendental meditation. When it is clear that Sieveking is not a convenient marketing tool, Lynch turns nasty.

Courtesy of the Goethe-Institut.

Sieveking is a Guest of the Festival and will attend Q&As in Cape Town (Saturday 18, 8.15pm) and Johannesburg (Monday 20, 8pm).