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WHAT IF THE WORLD WAS PEACEFUL?
Imagine a world without war, poverty, or hunger. A planet where freedom and prosperity are shared by all, and nature flourishes. Sounds like a fantasy? Waking Up is a story that dares to dream of such a future—a future where humanity thrives in harmony with itself and the environment.
From Screenplay to Novel: A New Chapter for Waking Up
For over a decade, Waking Up has been a vision of hope and transformation. What began as a screenplay capturing the imagination of audiences evolved into an award-winning short film, Waking Up In Paradise, which has garnered 63 awards and 114 official selections at film festivals worldwide. Now, this inspiring story takes on a new life as a novel.
The novel Waking Up expands on the original screenplay, offering readers a deeper dive into its themes of unity, collaboration, and the boundless potential of humanity. While the screenplay and short film laid the foundation, the novel gives the story room to grow, providing vivid details and character insights that will transport readers into a world reimagined.The novel is now available for digital pre-order. CLICK ON THE IMAGE BELOW TO PRE-ORDER THE EBOOK:
Whether you’ve followed Waking Up from its early days as a screenplay or are discovering it for the first time, this novel promises to reignite the hope and curiosity at the heart of the story.
As Waking Up takes its next step, I’d love for you to join me on this journey. By signing up for my mailing list, you’ll be the first to hear about exclusive updates, behind-the-scenes insights, and the upcoming release of the novel. Don’t miss your chance to be part of this hopeful vision for humanity’s future!
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Film freeway statistics for the short film Waking Up In Paradise 2024:
The Journey of Waking Up
Waking Up began as a dream—a vision of humanity’s potential to create a better future. Harald Neslein Sandø, the founder and creator of the project, first envisioned this dream in the late seventies, when he was in his early teens. Inspired by a desire to see a world where everyone could thrive on a healthy planet, this dream gained new clarity in 2008 when Harald discovered The Venus Project—a system closely aligned with what he had imagined.
The idea for *Waking Up* began to take shape when Harald met Jacque Fresco and Roxanne Meadows from The Venus Project in Stockholm in 2010. Although they didn’t pursue collaboration, Harald’s passion for creating a story that captured humanity’s potential for unity and transformation only grew. Drawing from his experience in film and his connections within The Venus Project and The Zeitgeist Movement, he developed the story of *Waking Up*, which evolved over years of collaboration and creativity.
To bring this vision to life, Harald created proof-of-concept short films. The first was made in 2011 with no budget, showcasing the essence of the story and earning recognition with an Official Selection at the Cinema Out Of Your Backpack festival. Building on this, the project reached new heights with the short film *Waking Up In Paradise* in 2023, based on scene 62 of the screenplay. Shot in Sweden and completed in Spain, the film has won 63 awards and over 100 selections globally, reflecting the story’s universal resonance.
Novel
Pre-order the novel here:
Now, Waking Up enters its most ambitious chapter as a novel, providing readers with an immersive exploration of its themes and characters. This journey—from dream to screenplay, short films, and now a novel—embodies the transformative power of storytelling and the belief that a better world is within reach.
“The journey of adapting Waking Up from screenplay to novel has been an incredible experience, made possible with the invaluable assistance of ChatGPT, my steady creative partner throughout the process”, Harald says.
Watch the full award-winning short film here: