The search for enlightenment brings ecstasy to the world.
SYNOPSIS
THE PROPHET OF ECSTASY explores themes of art, politics and consciousness through the improbable life of Michael Clegg, the former Catholic priest who introduced MDMA to the world - a drug he would later dub ‘Ecstasy’. The documentary will take viewers on a wild ride, from Clegg’s life as an MDMA drug kingpin, to his present-day transformation as an enlightened yogi. It also examines how the destinies of Michael Clegg, chemist Carina Leveriza, and psychedelics advocate Rick Doblin, are inexorably bound with that of the socio-cultural explosion of MDMA through its epic journey of discovery, criminalization, and re-emergence from the shadows.
THE CHARACTERS
MICHAEL CLEGG, THE PROPHET
MICHAEL CLEGG, former seminarian turned MDMA drug dealer. The Prophet of Ecstasy. We follow his journey, from priest, Ecstasy kingpin to enlightened yogi. We interview him from his home in the foothills of Blue Ridge Mountain outside of Georgia, Atlanta.
CARINA LEVERIZA, THE CHEMIST
Filipina-American chemist and one of the biggest underground producers of MDMA in the 80s. She managed to upscale production of MDMA up to 50 KG a month, whereas other chemists failed. Her mass production provided the prevailing source of MDMA around the globe for nearly half a decade. Her MDMA was considered the best in the world and was highly sought after. She considers her special relationship with the molecule key to her success.
Modern advocates including Rick Doblin and scientists today (some even from within the DEA) have heralded Carina’s MDMA as the purest they have ever encountered.
RICK DOBLIN, THE ADVOCATE
MDMA researcher and crusader. Doblin has been fighting to protect MDMA and psychedelics from the DEA since 1985. Doblin founded MAPS (Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies) in 1984 to document the incredible benefits of psychedelics as well as to protect psychedelics from being made illegal by the DEA. Because Doblin’s trials had phenomenal success in treating PTSD with MDMA, the FDA in 2009 labeled it a “breakthrough drug,” expediting human trials in bringing it to market as quickly as possible.
DEBBY HARLOW, THERAPIST
Debby Harlow was part of the psychedelic therapeutic underground of the 1970s, and a graduate of Harvard. She also introduced MDMA to Rick Doblin. As MDMA became popular in the 1980s she was concerned the DEA would move to criminalizing MDMA, so she along with Rick and a few others started a nonprofit in 1984, the Earth Metabolic Design Lab. They filed a lawsuit to prevent the DEA’s effort to classify MDMA as a Schedule I substance. Unfortunately, the DEA rejected the recommendation to keep the therapeutic use of MDMA legal.
BOB MCMILLEN, THE DISTRIBUTOR
Bob McMillen is a marine life activist and retired marijuana distributor. Bob is best known for being cured of his coke addiction from a single MDMA therapy session with Michael Clegg, in 1983. This session sparked a conversation that would bring about MDMA’s new name, Ecstasy. It also motivated Bob to come out of retirement and become Clegg’s MDMA distributor at a time when MDMA was still legal and exploding onto the 80’s club scene. Bob felt like his purpose in life was to get MDMA out in the world to replace cocaine as the drug of choice. He believed this could change the world for the better.
DAVID CARLSON, ORGANIC CHEMIST
While studying pre-med, David Carlson, after reading an article about chemistry, realized he was more interested in the mind and its molecular connection to consciousness than becoming a medical doctor. So, he became a chemist instead. Michael Clegg approached David Carlson when Clegg decided to expand his MDMA operation to include Europe. In 1988, Clegg hired Carlson to build and run a MDMA manufacturing plant out of Panama with product aimed for European markets. However, after the 1989 U.S. invasion of Panama, Carlson had to flee the country and established yet another lab, this time in Brazil. Unfortunately, the lab was closed down by the DEA, bringing his dream of creating an MDMA retreat to an end.
THE DIRECTORS
ELIAS C. VAROUTSOS
ELIAS C. VAROUTSOS comes from a unique background of athletics, psychology and film. He obtained his Bachelor’s degree in Psychology, with a minor in Theatre, on an athletic scholarship at the University of Pittsburgh. Elias has worked both in front of and behind the camera since 2000. Elias helped run The Gemini Theatre in the late 90’s, a children’s theatre in Pittsburgh. At the same time, he consulted with T.H.A.T. which stands for The Healing Arts Theatre, a cutting-edge project experimenting with the importance of set and setting during healing.
KAREN CHO
Karen Cho has nearly 20 years’ experience working in the film and television industry as a Producer, Writer & Director of documentary films, TV and web series.Known for her Socio-political documentaries, Karen has written and directed award-winning films about everything from the Chinese Head Tax, to refugees, and women’s rights. Through her television work she has touched on subjects like Indigenous health, Japanese Canadian Internment, Vancouver’s Downtown East Side, ferry pilots, Quebecois cuisine, Canadian biographies, and artist activists around the world.
THE PRODUCERS
LORI BRAUN, EXECUTIVE PRODUCER
Lori Braun is the owner of Laurus Productions, a boutique award-winning film and television company based in Montreal, producing premium documentary and comedy content. She has produced, written and directed over 100 + hours of television and film. Notable credits include THE MILE ENDERS, ABSOFREAKINGLUTELY, IMPOSTERS, and MAPLE SYRUP MAYHEM. Her films and series have aired on CBC, Discovery Channel, Corus, Radio Canada, and Canal D. Laurus Productions is committed to pushing the boundaries of original creative programming.
SERGEO KIRBY, PRODUCER
Sergeo Kirby has been producing, directing and filming award-winning feature films and documentaries for two decades. Notable credits include THE FORBIDDEN REEL, ABU, THE DEATH TOUR, SHINERS, PATSY, H2Oil, ROADSWORTH, WAL-TOWN, and FENNARIO: THE GOOD FIGHT. Sergeo is the founding member of Loaded Pictures, a Montreal based film company with a special emphasis on complex social documentaries. His films have been seen on CBC, TV5, Al Jazeera, the Documentary Channel, GlobalTV, Canal D, Discovery, the Sundance Channel, and Bravo! among others and have been screened at hundreds of film festivals around the world. In 2020 THE FORBIDDEN REEL won the Audience Award at Hot Docs. In 2018 ABU won the best documentary prize at 14 film festivals and SHINERS, released in the same year, won best documentary at 5 film festivals.
