“Superb, compelling, definitive. I thought I was clued in to this subject. I was not. Now I am.”

E. O. Wilson
Harvard University

"A thoroughly captivating journey into the heart of the rainforest in pursuit of the Shaman's secrets...an unusual and successful blend of the shamanic and the scientific."

Dr. Tom Lovejoy
Biodiversity Adviser, The World Bank

"Dazzling visuals, cutting edge science and a compelling story make The Shaman's Apprentice a feast for the eyes, the heart, and the mind...one of the most stunning rainforest films ever made."

Ken Cook
President, Environmental Working Group

"One of the most profound and inspiring films you are likely to see, The Shaman's Apprentice is a documentary no one should miss."

Simeon Herskovits
Taos Talking Picture Festival

**** Highly recommended!

Library Journal
May 15, 2002

“The caliber of excellence and intelligence shown in The Shaman's Apprentice is exactly the kind of film we want to champion. Keep up the good work!”

Elizabeth Rogers
Executive Director, Tahoe International Film Festival

"The entire film is incredibly well done. Since few people will ever have the opportunity to intermingle with native Amazonian peoples, or for that matter, even visit the Amazonian rain forest, the film can instill a good sense of the actual experience. The photography is absolutely first class, the sounds of nature, the music and other audio effects are wonderful, and the overall script is very logical in terms of content and temporal sequence. Plotkin himself, frequently on screen, is a likable character who is reasonably photogenic and a surprisingly good actor. It is easy to identify with the courage and dedication that is required to perform such work."

John M. Pezzuto
Pharmaceutical Biology, 2002, Vol. 40, No. 1

"No one has done more to popularize the field of ethnobotany than Mark Plotkin. Plotkin takes the viewer into an exotic landscape where only the shamans, or medicine men, have the cures for a variety of tropical ailments. This film will surely introduce countless viewers to an area of immense interest within ethnobotany: the study of medicinal plants."

John R. Stepp
founding editor, "Journal of Ecological Anthropology"

"Interspersed with mythical, dream-like folktales, splendidly retold by Susan Sarandon, this film is a pleasant blend of the mystique and the reality of the pursuit and understanding of indigenous medicinal plant usage...It illustrates a success story about a man who recognized the importance of what he was doing not only for his own benefit but for the benefit of those from whom the information originates."

Dr. Patricia S. De Angelis
Ph.D. Ethnobotany

"Rarely does one find a documentary that has such universal appeal and applicability. At the same time this film is educational, inspiring, thought-provoking and entertaining--a true gem of the new millennium."

Joseph D. Hoffman Ph.D.
Professor of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Arizona