The Flow is a feature-length documentary designed to translate the timeless wisdom of Tao into “…a form that is accessible to the modern world,” a form that director Louis Fox calls a “…ride through the mysterious phenomenon known as ‘being in the zone,’ or ‘flow.’”

The director will illustrate the ancient traditions that cultivated this phenomenon as he travels to many locations, including China’s Wu Yi mountain range.  A Taoist master there describes “the flow” as the act of aligning oneself with nature’s way.  For the ancients, one path to this alignment was through contemplation of the natural world coupled with physical practice.  In the film, scenes of traditional artistry from calligraphy to archery will be interwoven with breathtaking footage of the natural world, illuminating their common essence.

As Fox describes it: “If we’re open to it, we can find ‘flow’ in anything from making tea to pro basketball to the migration of Monarch butterflies.”  A range of individuals from celebrated artists and professional athletes to bike messengers and window washers will demonstrate how to achieve high levels of performance by “getting out of their own ways.”  When Zen swordsmen in Japan passed their knowledge on to students, Fox observes, it was through direct experience.  Little talking took place.  The Flow will convey its message through visual and aural experiences rather than narration, in the style of films such as Baraka.

The Flow is in production.