Apocalypse, Man

In the last part of our documentary, we talk with Michael C. Ruppert at Yeshe Rangsal Retreat in Crestone about how to survive the impending apocalypse.

The final shot of the production employs the kind of drone camera that was recently declared illegal by the Federal Aviation Authority. If you look closely in the final shot, you can see Mike waving up at the sky.

Feeling uncomfortable that we were staging what he called "a Cecil B. DeMille moment," Mike looked to the heavens for guidance. As he did, a Golden Eagle flew over us, indicating "the spirit is blessing us."

Here's Mike, communicating with the eagle as the drone flies over him.

Most people were first exposed to Michael C. Ruppert through the 2009 documentary Collapse, directed by Chris Smith. Collapse was one of the scariest documentaries about our world and the fragile the state of our planet. It was also one of VICE's favorite films of the past ten years.

Michael was forced to leave the LAPD after claiming that the CIA was complicit in selling drugs across America, and he quickly became one of the most original and strident voices to talk about climate change, government corruption, and peak oil through his website, “From the Wilderness.”

Following the release of Collapse, Michael’s personal life underwent something of a collapse itself, and he paid off all his debts, left behind all his friends, and moved with his dog Rags to Colorado, planning to commit suicide.

VICE caught up with Michael in the middle of the epic beauty of the Rocky Mountains at the end of last year. We found a man undergoing a spiritual rebirth—still passionate about the world and with a whole new set of apocalyptic issues to talk about.

Apocalypse, Man is an intimate portrait of an individual convinced of the imminent collapse of the world, but with answers to how the human spirit can survive the impending apocalypse.

Apocalypse, Man is a feature-length documentary to be released over the next few weeks. 

Soundtrack by Sunn O))), Flaming Lips, Big Noble, Michael C. Ruppert, and more.

Directed by Andy Capper.