Buddhist films
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- DirectorSangeeth SivanStarsMohanlalSiddharth LamaMadhooFate brings a young man from rural Kerala to be the protector of a young Lama in Nepal, who is being chased by a dangerous cult.
- DirectorPrasanna JayakodyStarsThumindu DodantenneSachini AyendraNilua HeenkendaarachchiYoung Buddhist monk Ananda, arrives at a temple in order to restore its paintings. These paintings depict Thelapaththa Jathakaya, a moral story where Lord Buddha said that a man with a big target in life must not be swayed by passion (Keles), the five senses and especially beautiful women. One day, Ananda picks up a hair pin belonging to a young woman. While attempting to return this object to its owner, his repressed feelings are awoken by the beauty and sensuality of the woman. The young monk's inner spiritual world is plunged into turmoil. Then one day the paintings are destroyed. While restoring them for the second time Ananda begins to realize that he is trapped in a web of his worldly desires and attachments.
- DirectorIm Kwon-taekStarsAhn Sung-kiJeon Moo-songMichelle Okkyung LeeA story that follows the lives and interactions of two Buddhist monks living in South Korea.
- DirectorJiajun QianDai TielangStarsXiaohua ChengJianhua DingChengchun YangA fairy deer is betrayed by people that he saved before.
- DirectorRitu SarinTenzing SonamStarsJampa Kalsang TamangTenzin Chokyi GyatsoTenzin JigmeKarma, a young Tibetan woman from New York City comes to Dharamsala, the exile headquarters of the Dalai Lama in India, in search of her roots. She is making a documentary film about former political prisoners who have escaped Tibet. One of her interviewees is Dhondup, who has recently fled to India. He reveals to her that his dying mother had made him promise to deliver an old charm box to an exile Tibetan named Loga, and appeals to her for help in locating the man. Their enquiries reveal that Loga, a former CIA-trained resistance fighter, has been missing for the past fifteen years and is presumed to be dead. But is he really dead? As they set out to unravel the mysterious circumstances of his disappearance, Karma finds herself unwittingly attracted to Dhondup even as she is sucked into the vortex of his search, which takes them through the world of the exile Tibetan community in India and becomes a journey of self-discovery.
- DirectorNati BaratzStarsTenzin ZopaIn Nepal, a venerable monk, Geshe Lama Konchog, dies and one of his disciples, a youthful monk named Tenzin Zopa, searches for his master's reincarnation. The film follows his search to the Tsum Valley where he finds a young boy of the right age who uncannily responds to Konchog's possessions. Is this the reincarnation of the master? After the boy passes several tests, Tenzin takes him to meet the Dalai Lama. Will the parents agree to let the boy go to the monastery, and, if so, how will the child respond? Central to the film is the relationship the child develops with Tenzin.
- DirectorIm Kwon-taekStarsKang Soo-younYeong-mi JinIn-chon YuSun Nyog struggles after joining a Buddhist temple as a nun for lack of discipline. She saves an alcoholic from suicide but he later rapes her and she is forced out of the temple. Still, she grows fond of him. Another nun, Jin Song, is a grim ascetic who does well at the temple. She goes to the mountains to do a long retreat in a cave, but a brutal old monk who is there rapes her. Meanwhile, Sun Nyog returns to the nunnery to attend to the dying abbess and shows her spiritual superiority.
- DirectorMasayuki SuôStarsMasahiro MotokiHonami SuzukiKen OhsawaYohei, a punk rocker, has to become a Buddhist monk in order to inherit a mountain temple. Yohei though initially rebelling against the tough monastic discipline learns to adjust. Then his girlfriend shows up, enticing him to return to his rock 'n' roll roots.
- DirectorHugo LatulippeFrançois PrévostStarsThe Dalai LamaKalsang DolmaA Tibetan-Canadian returns to her homeland to smuggle a secret message from the Dalai Lama and to document the occupation and cultural genocide of Tibet by China.
- DirectorNonzee NimibutrStarsPhoovarit PhumpuangJeeranan ManojamAttaporn TeemakornOn hearing the news of the death of his sister, a Buddhist monk leaves the temple where he has lived since childhood and struggles to adjust to life on the outside as an uncle to a young niece and as a businessman running a hair salon in a small Thai town in a southern province. He even must learn to ride a bicycle and zip up his trousers without injuring himself. He is confronted by a flood of feelings - sexual, for a woman and family friend across the street; as well as fear and hatred for the Muslims, who he believes is responsible for his sister's death and other sorrows in his life.
- DirectorRichie MehtaStarsRupinder NagraNaseeruddin ShahSeema BiswasWhen Amal impresses an eccentric millionaire with his humility and humanity, he unknowingly becomes the old man's beneficiary.
- DirectorGita DesaiStarsAjay MehtaYoga scholars, teachers and medical experts explore the history of yoga from ancient times to recent history as well as its therapeutic potential.
- DirectorTom PiozetStarsEdward EdwardsEd HarrisShirley KnightA film about the state of Chinese occupied Tibet and its history of oppression and resistance.
- DirectorEmma HindleyStarsDan CruickshankThe Dalai LamaThrough vintage amateur movies as well as archival Communist propaganda documentaries, this program turns back the clock to see what Tibet was like from the 1930s to 1950.
- DirectorEilona ArielAyelet MenahemiStarsKiran BediThis is the story of an ancient meditation technique named Vipassana, which shows people how to take control of their lives and channel them toward their own good.It is the story of a strong woman named Kiran Bedi, the former Inspector General of Prisons in New Delhi, who strove to transform the notorious Tihar Prison and turn it into an oasis of peace. But most of all it is the story of prison inmates who underwent profound change, and who realized that incarceration is not the end but possibly a fresh start toward an improved and more positive life. These people have shown that reform can work if it is self-reform. Their success has been so dramatic that recently the Indian Government decided to apply Vipassana in all the country's prisons. Other countries are becoming interested as well. The filmmakers spent about two weeks inside Tihar Central Prison in New Delhi and Baroda Jail in the Indian state of Gujarat. They interviewed inmates and jail officials, and filmed in places rarely accessible to film crews, whether Indian or foreign.
- DirectorAndrew KukuraJenny PhillipsAnne Marie SteinStarsGrady BankheadRon CavanaughJonathan CrowleyEast meets West in the Deep South. An overcrowded maximum-security prison-the end of the line in Alabama's correctional system-is dramatically changed by the influence of an ancient meditation program. Behind high security towers and a double row of barbed wire and electrical fence dwells a host of convicts who will never see the light of day. But for some of these men, a spark is ignited when it becomes the first maximum-security prison in North America to hold an extended Vipassana retreat, an emotionally and physically demanding course of silent meditation lasting ten days. The Dhamma Brothers tells a dramatic tale of human potential and transformation as it closely follows and documents the stories of the prison inmates at Donaldson Correction Facility who enter into this arduous and intensive program.
- StarsPeter Owen-Jones
- DirectorJean-Raphaël DedieuStarsLucinda Mason BrownV. GanesanDavid GodmanThe life and teachings of Sri Ramana Maharshi, the man regarded by many as the greatest spiritual master of modern times. His teachings, all of which lead to self knowledge, are clearly explained by foremost experts and writers on the sage's philosophy, such as David Godman, Michael James and Sri V. Ganesan, the great-nephew of Sri Ramana Maharshi.
- DirectorMarcus RobbinStarsGoa GilCleo OdzerFrancisco C. Sardinha"Last Hippie Standing" is a video clip style portrait about the hippie generation. Thirty years ago, this was a movement which came to Goa to find something they couldn't find at home. Many returned, a few stayed. Goa, the hippie paradise of the 60's is our point where we start to search for "the last hippies". This former Portuguese colony in the south of India was for many the final destination after adventurous travels through Greece, Turkey, Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan. Dreamlike untouched beaches promised to be a new holy land, which was also the spritual basis for Alex Garland's novel "The Beach". After viewing historical Super8 material we started searching for the famous beaches and found a new youth culture which seemed to be similar to the old hippie culture. Raver, Part-Time-Hippies, Backpacker und "normal" people enjoyed the beaches. We met people from Japan, Israel, Australia and the UK. Anjuna Beach is the center of the infamous Goa parties. Here, the millenium celebrations promised the best of all Goa parties. This is where the youth of the world demonstrated their understanding of fun.
- DirectorMaurizio BenazzoNick DayStarsJasper JohalJustin DavisSwami KrishnanadEvery 12 years over 70 million pilgrims gather at the meeting of India's holiest rivers, the Ganges and the Yamuna, for a spectacular spiritual festival: the Kumbh Mela. This documentary takes a voyage of discovery through this colorful event through the eyes of several Westerners and an ebullient young Hindu monk, Swami Krishnanand. Featuring encounters with some of India's most respected holy men and exclusive footage of His Holiness the Dalai Lama.
- DirectorEzequiel GuerisoliStarsD.C. DouglasThe film portrays a pilgrimage, starting at the Bay of Bengal where the Ganges enters the sea, to Gangotri in the Himalay where the Ganges appears. Along the journey, one can see images from significant places on Ganges.
- DirectorJang Sun-wooStarsMi-kyeong WonOh Tae-kyungKim Hye-seonSeon-jae, a teenage boy mourns the death of his father, and begins a quest to find his mother who abandoned him as a baby. He encounters many people on the way who quote Buddhist precepts: an eccentric monk, a girl who grows up into a young woman, a prison inmate, a foul-mouthed doctor and the young son of a hard drinking astronomer. Each of them tell the boy to seek someone to help him find the truth and his mother.
- DirectorRob FarquharStarsRichard LinternRam Bahadur BomjonSudhir ShahThis is a documentary about Ram Bomjon, aka the Buddha Boy who burst onto the world news in late 2005 / early 2006 for his feat of sitting in one place for months / long periods of time without eating or drinking or going to the bathroom. Also the ability to survive in cold weather without moving or wearing any clothing of note.
- DirectorPaula FouceStarsKahlil JosephSanjay MadhavRajeev Chhibber
Among India's one billion people exists a passionate and (to Western minds) eccentric community of 13 million Yogis. They live in a world never seen on film.
Paula Fouce?s NAKED IN ASHES is a groundbreaking documentary; which offers an unprecedented look at the Eastern Yogi. These mystics leave everything material to embark on a spiritual quest. With honest simplicity;NAKED IN ASHES provides a magical glimpse into the world of these sages who find deep meaning in a life of chastity; austerity; and utter devotion.From covering themselves for warmth in the ashes of the dead; to pulling automobiles by their genitalia; the film's candid portraits of ascetics whose only quest is to experience the Divine captivates both the eye and mind.
- DirectorPan NalinStarsNicolos KostopoulosVaidya Narayan MurthyBrahmanand SwamigalAyurveda is science of life and art of healing; where body, mind and spirit are given equal importance. This voyage of thousands of miles across India and abroad takes you on a unique poetic journey, where we encounter remarkable men of medicine or simply a villager who lives in harmony with nature. "Hope is nature's way of enabling us to survive so that we can discover nature itself."
- DirectorMark VerkerkStarsPhra Khru Bah Neua Chai KosittoKhun EadPan SeanBuddha's Lost Children is a feature-length documentary film about a Thai Buddhist monk who - armed only with his faith and skills and master boxer skills - wages an inspirational battle to help orphaned children, fight drug abuse, and preserve a vanishing way of life.
- DirectorUlrike KochStarsMargenPargenZoponIn Tibet's Changtang region, nomads harvest salt to buy barley. A clan prepares four of its men for an annual trek to Lake Tsento, where they rake salt from shoals into piles, then into bags, and onto their yaks to return, 90-days in all. After picking an auspicious day to depart, they feast, sing, tell stories, and race horses. Women are forbidden on this sacred trip. All is ritualized: Margen cooks, Pargen prepares burnt offerings and distributes meat, Zopon cares for the caravan of 160 yaks, Bopsa bends his strong back to arduous work. To each other they speak the secret language of saltmen; they pray and observe exemplary behavior. The goddess of the lake smiles upon them.
- DirectorLuc SchaedlerStarsThomas SarbacherLoten NamlingPhil HayesA road-movie and a time-travel in the footsteps of the rebellious Tibetan monk Gendun Choephel - revealing a face of old & present-day Tibet that goes against popular clichés.
- DirectorPaul WagnerStarsDadonJampa KelsangRichard ChangThree young Tibetans struggle for freedom against the Chinese communist regime. Windhorse was filmed clandestinely inside Tibet and in Nepal. It was the first digital feature film, shot in 1996 on a Sony DVW-700WS and a consumer Sony DCR-VX1000 and edited on avid with digital finishing and color correction at RolandHouse in Washington, DC.
- DirectorG.V. IyerStarsSarvadaman BanerjeeM.V. Narayana RaoManjunath BhattThe first Indian movie to be made in Sanskrit. The movie follows the life and times of Adi Shankaracharya - the founder of the non-duality (Advaita) school of Indian philosophy. The Jiv-Atman or Individual Self is a mere reflection or limitation of Singular Atman in a multitude of apparent individual bodies.
- DirectorJohn ByrumStarsBill MurrayTheresa RussellDenholm ElliottHe had everything and wanted nothing. He learned that he had nothing and wanted everything. He saved the world and then it shattered. The path to enlightenment is as sharp and narrow as a razor's edge.
- DirectorJohn BushStarsSharon Stone
- DirectorJeffrey M. PillStarsJeffrey GibsonGeshe Yeshi ChophelThe Dalai LamaFor the first time, the reclusive and secretive Tibetan monks agree to discuss aspects of their philosophy and allow themselves to be filmed while performing their ancient practices.
- DirectorEdward A. BurgerA journey exploring the practices of Chinese hermits living in the Zhongnan Mountains.
- DirectorGraham ColemanFrom a portrait of the Dalai lama as a spiritual and temporal leader, to an unprecedented revelation of the mystical inner world of monastic and an unflinching depiction of the moving response to a death in the community, the film takes the viewer on a journey deep into the heart of an ancient Buddhist way of life and brings you face to face with the unbroken continuity of Tibet's unique culture.
- DirectorHall BartlettStarsJames FranciscusJuliet MillsPhilip AhnA skilled flyer but very rebellious young seagull is kicked out of his clan. However, instead of being sad or lonely, he decides to enjoy and explore his newfound freedom.
- DirectorSoo-il JeonStarsChoi Min-sikHamo GurungNamgya GurungA Korean executive ventures into the Himalayas to visit a family in a small mountain village, where time seems to have stood still for 100 years.
- DirectorNote Chern-YimStarsPongsak PongsuwanSavika ChaiyadejNote Chern-YimBrother Theng, a young monk, moves to a temple in a village where villagers still foolishly believe in ghosts and spirits. Thinking of how to develop the better way of life for the villagers, he intends to renew the villagers' belief to more reasonable ways with the help from his followers like Song and Pian. But it's not so easy to convince these kind of villagers, Brother Theng has to deal with tough situations that come along with humor.
- DirectorKhyentse NorbuStarsTshering DorjiSadon LhamoThinley DorjiSomewhere deep in a forest of Bhutan, there is a gathering every twelve years of men and women chosen by the Old Man to enjoy a few days of anonymity. Masked silhouettes participate in rituals, performances and dances. Faceless, the men and the women allow themselves to be lascivious, playful and daring. One man attends this event for the first time and enters the experience like a new born. He stumbles clumsily through the first days, but quickly adapts, and when he spots Red Wrathful, he becomes totally intoxicated with her. But his desire will lead him down a dangerous path.
- DirectorShamboo FalkeStarsBridgit MendlerDwayne TanThe story of how Prince Siddharth Gautama came to be Buddha, The Enlightened One.
- DirectorJennifer FoxStarsYeshi Silvano NamkhaiChögyal Namkhai NorbuTibetan Buddhist Master Choogyal Namkhai Norbu watches as his western-born son, Yeshi, who was recognized at birth as the reincarnation of a famous spiritual master, considers departing from tradition to embrace the modern world.
- DirectorKhyentse NorbuStarsOrgyen TobgyalNeten ChoklingJamyang LodroWhile the soccer World Cup is being played in France, two young Tibetan refugees arrive at a monastery/boarding school in exile in India. Its atmosphere of serene contemplation is somewhat disrupted by soccer fever, the chief instigator being a young student, the soccer enthusiast Orgyen. Prevented by various circumstances from seeing the Cup finals on television in a nearby village, Orgyen sets out to organize the rental of a TV set for the monastery. The enterprise becomes a test of solidarity, resourcefulness and friendship for the students, while the Lama, head of the monastery, contemplates the challenges of teaching the word of Buddha in a rapidly changing world.
- DirectorLiz ThompsonStarsJetsunma Tenzin PalmoKhamtrul RinpocheThe Dalai LamaJetsunma Tenzin Palmo, English born Diane Perry, spent twelve years in a Himalayan cave, then found herself thrust into advocating full ordination of women in the Tibetan tradition and eventually began a nunnery, Dongyu Gatsal Lin.
- DirectorWerner HerzogStarsThe Dalai LamaLama Lhundup WoeserTakna Jigme SangpoWheel of Time is Werner Herzog's photographed look at the largest Buddhist ritual in Bodh Gaya, India.
- DirectorDavid LoweryStarsCasey AffleckRooney MaraMcColm Cephas Jr.In this singular exploration of legacy, love, loss, and the enormity of existence, a recently deceased, white-sheeted ghost returns to his suburban home to try to reconnect with his bereft wife.
- DirectorApichatpong WeerasethakulStarsThanapat SaisaymarJenjira PongpasSakda KaewbuadeeDying of kidney disease, a man spends his last, somber days with family, including the ghost of his wife and a forest spirit who used to be his son, on a rural northern Thailand farm.
- DirectorEmma BalnavesStarsShandor RemeteManmath GharoteYogi NarinathOffering an experiential collage of action and stillness, light and darkness, sound and silence, AGNIYOGANA explores the richness of traditional Hatha Yoga teachings and the deeply connected states of heart, mind, and freedom these practices deliver to sincere truth seekers. AGNIYOGANA takes the viewer on a journey through time and space to rediscover the inner dimensions of Hatha Yoga and reconnect the human spirit to the true meaning of "yug," the connecting root of all yogas. The film begins with a visual and aural initiation. The journey inward then explores the key requirements of Hatha Yoga: FIRMNESS of mind; The importance of FAITH; The necessity of a qualified TEACHER; The benefits of MODERATION; The methods to RESTRAIN the senses; and The practice of universal EQUANIMITY. Throughout the film, the microcosm of the internal self in relation to the macrocosm of the elements, seasons, time of day, and other external forces of nature are examined. The narrative is woven together through commentary, wisdom, and insight from those who continue to uphold and live by the ancient ways of yoga. Throughout, AGNIYOGANA offers rarely seen glimpses of traditional Hatha Yoga practices as expressed by modern day yogins. AGNIYOGANA is a meditation. An offering for those who lower the head and invoke the fire.
- DirectorCheol-kwan ParkStarsShin-yang ParkJung Jin-youngPark Sang-MyeonLaughs and thrills go hand-in-fist in this Korean action comedy, as a band of criminals fleeing a violent gang war hides out in a monastery. The monks in residence quickly tire of the goons' distressing behavior and manufacture a series of activities to get even. Shin-yang Park, Jin-yeong Jeong star.
- DirectorLaurie AndersonStarsLaurie AndersonArchieJason BergMultimedia artist Laurie Anderson reflects on her relationship with her beloved terrier Lolabelle.
- DirectorXin ZhangStarsSiqin GaowaChun LiFengbin MouJapanese monk Hui'e royal quest to find the fabled figurine of Bodhisattva Guan Yin during the Tang Dynasty (618-907 CE) sets off a chain of events that transformed Mount Putuo into a historical holy site in today's China.
- DirectorKunio WatanabeStarsKazuo HasegawaTakashi ShimuraShintarô KatsuLegendary Buddhist monk Nichiren (Kazuo Hasegawa) returns from his studies to lead Japan out of moral crisis and prepare to fight the Mongol invaders during the 1200's by creating a new form of Buddhism. He runs afoul of the existing Buddhist sects and their government supporters and is persecuted. Can Nichiren persevere before the Mongol fleet reaches Japanese shores?
- DirectorBrian GibsonStarsAngela BassettLaurence FishburneRaéVen KellyThe story of singer Tina Turner's rise to stardom and how she gained the courage to break free from her abusive husband, Ike Turner.
- DirectorHana MakhmalbafStarsAbbas AlijomeAbdolali HoseinaliNikbakht NoruzIn Afghanistan, a young girl wants to go to school and learn to read and write, but is met with hostility or indifference.
- DirectorJira MaligoolStarsThidarat ChareonchaichanaNoppadol DuangpornBoonchai LimathibulMore than 100,000 people gather by the Mekong River in North-East Thailand on November Full Moon every year. After sunset, mysterious fireballs rise up from the river and disappear into the sky. Where do the fireballs come from? While the locals still adhere to the traditional myth that they are the dragon, Great Naga, making a sacred offering to Buddha, the Western visitors take a more skeptical stance: Dr. Norati sets out to prove that the fireballs are natural while Dr. Surapol wants to prove the phenomenon a hoax. Meanwhile, temple-custodian Abbot Loh believes his monks have been responsible for the "miracle" for the past 30 years.
- DirectorAnna WildingStarsAnna WildingPhra SathuwandaChalerm ChanaphanBuddha Wild Monk in the Hut is the story of a group of Thai and Sri Lankan monks, living around their temple in a country far far from home.Anna Wilding gives the commentary in this unpretentious but original and illuminating film with a well-judged mixture of seriousness and humor which is in important contrast to the monks words. An enjoyable cinematic experience.A fascinating film"
- DirectorKyung-jung JooStarsTae-jin KimKim Min-kyoKim Ye-ryeongA nine-year old monk, Do-nyum, has lived most of his lonely life in a quiet mountain monastery under his elderly master. Though put under a strict regimen of Buddhist teachings, meditation and chores, the child cannot help but to think of his mother, whom he cannot remember but misses dearly and hopes to be reunited with one day. He also wishes that he could be like the other children who live nearby and play games and attend school. Do-nyum's other companion is an older monk named Jung-sim, who is also struggling with staying on the path of enlightenment. The temple's groundskeeper keeps reassuring Do-Nyum that his mother will come back someday. But Do-nyum, sick of waiting for a mother who may never return, agrees to be adopted by the monastery's benefactor, a wealthy widow who visits the temple every year to mourn her late son.
- DirectorArto HalonenStarsThe Dalai LamaXiaoming ZhuShamar RinpocheKarmapa - Two Ways of Divinity is a unique, award-winning documentary on the Karmapa and how China has used him as a springboard in its politics that have lead to violation of religious rights. On another level the film tells the story of the existence of two rival candidates for Karmapa and how the situation of the two Karmapas has lead to an internal crisis of the Buddhist denomination as proponents split into different camps.
- DirectorDechen RoderStarsJamyang Jamtsho WangchukSonam Tashi ChodenChencho DorjiIn remote Bhutan, an undercover detective investigates the case of a missing Buddhist nun and falls into a risky alliance with his only suspect - an alluring young woman known as the village "demoness".
- DirectorTetsuo ShinoharaStarsEnnosuke Ichikawa IVAoi MorikawaKiichi NakaiHow about conducting battle, but with flowers in lieu of weapons? There were monks who did ikebana, or Japanese flower arrangement, following a war. There was once an actually famous monk in Kyoto, Japan circa 1594 with exemplary ikebana skills. A shogun, or lord, invites him to do ikebana for him. Responding to the request the monk goes to Gifu castle, but a below average performance leads to shogun's wrath.
- DirectorBijukumar DamodaranStarsUday ChandraMaster GovardhanSantosh VermaSet in a beautiful Himalayan valley, it's a journey of a neglected and abandoned mute boy, who loses his mother at birth and is furiously neglected by his father. When his father goes behind bars, the boy stares at a lonely and deserted life ahead. His relationship with an elderly Buddhist monk helps him to detach from his voiceless suffering and to explore the bond that each creation shares with nature. With nowhere to go, he joins a Budhist monastery even as he fights an inner battle of unrequited love.