A most unusual documentary from a most unusual filmmaker is set to receive, appropriately enough, a most unusual release, The Hollywood Reporter has learned.
The Man Who Saves the World?, the latest doc from award-winning filmmaker Gabe Polsky (2014’s Red Army, 2018’s In Search of Greatness and 2022’s Butcher’s Crossing), follows an eccentric American peace activist, Patrick McCollum, who believes that he has been chosen to fulfill an ancient prophecy — that one man will unite the indigenous tribes of South America and save the Amazon — and who then goes to extreme measures to do just that.
In this stranger-than-fiction film, which I have seen a loved, Polsky, a Werner Herzog protege who has made a film no less wild, crazy and captivating than Herzog’s best, treks all over the world with McCollum, like Sancho Panza with Don Quixote. He seems to waver — as I think most audiences will — between suspecting that McCollum may be nuts and believing that he may actually be on to something. And there is undeniably something fascinating about the man: Jane Goodall, who appears in the film, calls him “probably the most extraordinary person I’ve ever met.”
The Man Who Saves the World? already has a wide range of supporters — EPs include Danny McBride, David Gordon Green and Jody Hill of Rough House Pictures and Oscar winner Peter Farrelly. “I love this movie and I wish everybody could see it because it’s life-affirming and timely,” Farrelly tells THR. Adds McBride, Gordon Green and Hill, “Only a film this bizarre, inspiring and human could feel right at home with Rough House Pictures. This is the kind of film that makes you laugh, think and question everything — including why you’re suddenly rooting for a jungle prophet with a machete and a dream.”
At a time when all documentaries except those that center on celebrities are struggling to find traditional distribution, Polsky has teamed up with Area 23a (a company known for distributing films like Fantastic Fungi and Common Ground) and planned a hybrid release for his film. A series of sneak previews in the Bay Area in late September, with Polsky and McCollum in attendance, will be followed by an awards-qualifying theatrical run in LA kicking off on Oct. 17, after which Polsky and McCollum will tour extensively with the film.
“I’ve made movies featuring many extraordinary characters,” Polsky tells THR, “but Patrick McCollum is truly one of a kind. You can’t make up a story this strange. I went on one hell of a journey and am excited to bring audiences along for the ride.”
An exclusive first look at the film’s poster appears below.
