Tony Robbins, up close and personal
Netflix documentary offers behind-the-scenes view of the motivational speaker and life coach
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› Tony Robbins: I Am Not Your Guru Now streaming, Netflix
TORONTO — His name may be in the title, but the director of a new Netflix documentary on motivational speaker Tony Robbins says the film is anything but a standard biography.
In Tony Robbins: I Am Not Your Guru, acclaimed filmmaker Joe Berlinger (Metallica: Some Kind of Monster) offers a fly-on-the-wall glimpse of the self-help expert at work. Berlinger and his crew were given unprecedented access into his annual Date With Destiny seminar.
“My focus on the film was taking you into that room, into that world, almost like a concert film, like a concert of human emotions so that people could just experience what it’s like … and to think about your own life,” Berlinger said.
“This is not a Tony Robbins biopic. There is a lot of stuff about his life that I didn’t include. I really just wanted to take the audience … into that world, make it as immersive as possible.”
Date with Destiny is an intensive six-day event held in Boca Raton, Fla., described as a place for attendees to uncover their true selves. More than 2,500 people shell out nearly US$5,000 apiece to take part, steeping themselves in an environment that flows from quiet moments to a rollicking spiritual revival.
At the centre of it all is Robbins, whose high-energy persona — and towering 6-foot-7 frame — loom large over the proceedings.
Robbins is seen in lighter moments bouncing on a trampoline backstage to get amped up between appearances. Offstage he works virtually non-stop with his team to get updates on and gain greater insight into the attendees.
Berlinger admitted to earlier misconceptions about Robbins. His opinions changed after meeting him and taking part in the event prior to pursuing the film.
Berlinger recalled completing a guided memory exercise where he was challenged to go back to his earliest childhood recollection in hopes of breaking free from an experience that may still be inflicting pain.
“I remember opening my eyes in tears, bawling like a baby — and I’m not a crier, either,” he said. “I haven’t cried like that since I can’t remember when, and I felt this weight lift.”
The film also reveals that Robbins is not one to sugar-coat his advice as he dispenses tough talk — and even a few expletives — to convey his messages.
Berlinger said he sees the ability by Robbins to sift through surface issues to address the root of a problem among the life coach’s most notable traits.
“It’s interesting to me that he, without fear, just goes right for what needs to be said, even if in that moment it feels like it could backfire.”