“One for the masters, two for the sea,
Three for the winds, and four for the trees.
Five for the Brother and his followers true,
Six for his writings and the visions of truth.
Seven for the members of the Great White Lodge,
Eight for the power of assembled gods.
Nine for the prophets of the world of old,
Ten for Osiris, eleven for the gold,
Twelve for the truth that has never been told.
”
The Strange Trial of Brother XII explores multiple angles of the Brother XII story as seen through the eyes of members of his cult, the Aquarian Foundation, active in the late 1920’s and 30’s. While rooted in historical fact, the film will be a work of creative non-fiction, capitalizing on the occult and metaphysical elements in Brother XII’s history to create a startling portrait of the enigmatic cult leader, who was either a charlatan or mystic, depending on which version of the story you accept. Taking the form of a trial set deep within the moody woods that surround his settlement on Decourcy Island, the film drops the viewer in the middle of the action, offering multiple interpretations of life in the Aquarian Foundation, leaving the viewer, ultimately, in the role of the judge, free to make up their own minds as to Brother XII’s true nature.