Portrait or Bust

Documentary that tells the story of Steiner’s remarkable life (1861-1925), as well as exploring the influence of his ideas and insights on a whole range of contemporary activities – education, agriculture, medicine, social and financial issues, and the arts. PART ONE describes Steiner’s childhood as the son of a humble railway official, growing up in the Austrian countryside, and his student years in Vienna towards the end of the 19th century. Hugely influenced by Goethe’s scientific writings, he was gradually able to reconcile the powerful spiritual experiences he had had since childhood with his interest in science and philosophy. PART TWO looks initially at the subject of reincarnation and karma, with film at a prison in South Wales, at Ruskin Mill in Gloucestershire – a college for disadvantaged youngsters. In the USA there are scenes at a biodynamic winery in California. Also featured are examples of Waldorf educational ideas being introduced into mainstream schooling.

To mark his 70th Birthday, the Poet Laureate, Sir John Betjeman, recalls key moments from his childhood and adolescence.