Buddhism-themed Movies/Documentaries
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- DirectorAndreas HartmannKyaw Kyaw pursues the dream of seeing the punk scene take off in Myanmar, while raising awareness about persistent violations of human rights. His philosophy: A symbiosis of Buddhism and punk that rejects religious and political dogma.
- DirectorClaus MikoschStarsJanna AljetsAlex BerzinAngela HopkinsAnicca is a very personal, honest and inspirational documentary about key issues regarding our struggle with change: fear, courage, trust and the big challenge of accepting reality as it is.
- DirectorDoris DörrieStarsUwe OchsenknechtGustav-Peter WöhlerPetra ZieserTwo very different brothers get together for a temporary stay in a Japanese Zen monastery. The trip from Germany to Japan brings up some unexpected quests they need to manage. Soon both really must leave their ordinary lives behind to embark on a voyage to themselves.
- DirectorDoris DörrieStarsEdward Espe BrownDoris DörrieA Zen priest in San Francisco and cookbook author use Zen Buddhism and cooking to relate to everyday life.
- DirectorMarc J. FrancisMax PughStarsBenedict CumberbatchThich Nhát HanhPháp De'Walk With Me' is a meditative film about a community of Zen Buddhist monks and nuns who have dedicated their lives to mastering the art of mindfulness with their world-famous teacher Thich Nhat Hanh.
- DirectorWerner PenzelStarsSabine TimoteoMuho NölkeYudai HiramaZEN FOR NOTHING tells of the experiences of Sabine Timoteo from Switzerland, as a "Zen novice" in Antaiji in Autumn, Winter and Spring.
- DirectorDoris DörrieStarsRosalie ThomassKaori MomoiNami KamataA young German woman bonds with an elderly Japanese woman while touring the Fukushima region of Japan in the aftermath of the 2011 earthquake.
- 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.
- DirectorBernardo BertolucciStarsKeanu ReevesBridget FondaRuocheng YingAfter the death of Lama Dorje, Tibetan Buddhist monks find three children - one American and two Nepalese - who may be the rebirth of their great teacher.
- DirectorStefan LudwigJános Orsós is of Romani descent, a teacher, and a Buddhist. Inspired by the history of the Dalits or "untouchables" in India, birthplace of both Romani culture and Buddhism, he founded a school in a small Hungarian village with the goal of enabling teenagers from the poorest Romani ghettos to attend universities. The Angry Buddha documents János' resolute battle against the difficulties he faces over three years, while simultaneously painting affectionate yet honest portraits of the Romani youth who use humour and their own vitality to survive in a world of poverty and prejudice.
- DirectorGeorgia WyssWari OMStarsAngelika BaumbachGaura Vani BuchwaldKrishna DasA feature-length documentary, exploring the new music and social phenomenon of chanting, that focuses on the everyday people who are finding healing and a sense of inner peace by singing mantras together with others just like them; it also features the artists who are the focus of this new music-based movement. It's a film about spirituality, not religion, it's about people reconnecting with their true selves and with others.
- DirectorDavid GrubinStarsRichard GereBlair BrownThe Dalai LamaAfter 400 BC, a new philosophy was born in South east Asia, generated from the ideas of Buddha, a mysterious Prince from Nepal who gained enlightenment while he sat under a large, shapely fig tree.
- DirectorDaniel SchmidtStarsPatrick SweeneyThere is one vibratory field that connects all things. It has been called Akasha, Logos, the primordial OM, the music of the spheres, the Higgs field, dark energy, and a thousand other names throughout history.
- DirectorPraveen DamleStarsGeeta AgrawalJyoti BagatGautam DhengareThis movie traces the journey of Gautam Buddha's miraculous birth, marriage & his path towards enlightenment. Based on Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar's book, 'The Buddha & His righteousness.
- DirectorKenji MisumiStarsKôjirô HongôCharito SolisShintarô KatsuAn Indian prince leaves his world of comfort and riches behind to wander and meditate for six years in search of spiritual enlightenment. Siddartha turns his back on the old religion when people are starving needlessly.
- DirectorChandran RutnamSaman WeeramanStarsGagan MalikAnchal SinghRanjan RamanayakeThis is an extraordinary tale from over 2600 years ago, of a Prince who is endowed with everything he needs and more. Luxury, palaces, and all heart's-desires are provided to him by his father, a warrior King of the kingdom of Sakya. The story unfolds dramatically with the Prince leaving all his luxuries and possessions as well as his caring parents, loving wife, and newborn son, to embark on a journey through the unknown to find the end to human sorrow and suffering.
- DirectorFranz OstenHimanshu RaiStarsHimanshu RaiPrafulla Roy GhoshDevi. SitaThis adaptation of Arnold's 1861 Orientalist epic opens with documentary shots of tourists in Bombay watching street performers. Then a white-bearded old man sitting under the bodhi tree tells the tourists the story of Gautama (Rai), son of King Suddodhana (Ukil) and Queen Maya (Bala), who left his consort Gopa (Seeta) and became a wandering teacher credited with founding Buddhism. The religious epic, with its idealized figures, takes up the narrative in flashback and ends with Gopa kneeling before Gautama asking to become his disciple.
- DirectorConrad RooksStarsShashi KapoorSimi GarewalRomesh SharmaThe story of a young Indian who embarks upon a journey to find the meaning of existence. Based on the novel by Hermann Hesse.
- DirectorToshiaki KomuraStarsKiyokazu KanzeKen'ichi MatsuyamaNana Mizuki2500 years ago, in India, Siddhartha was born as a prince of the Shakya clan, but he gives up his position as a prince to see the world. He meets a strange boy named Assaji, who can predict the future, a monk with only one eye and Depa. Siddhartha continues traveling. Siddhartha is overwhelmed by the sufferings he witnesses around him. Meanwhile, Prince Ruri of Kosara begins his attack on the Shakya clan.
- DirectorBanmei TakahashiStarsKankurô NakamuraYuki UchidaRyushin Tei'Zen' Buddhist teacher Dogen Zenji is a very important religious person during the Kamakura period, 750 years ago. After his mother died, he decides to move to China and settle as a Buddhist teacher. One bright morning, enlightened, Zenji returns to Japan as a devoted evangelist of the 'new' Buddhism. However, this new form of Buddhism is not accepted in all communities.
- DirectorEdward A. BurgerA journey exploring the practices of Chinese hermits living in the Zhongnan Mountains.
- DirectorNeten ChoklingStarsOrgyen TobgyalKelsang Chukie TethtongJamyang LodroMilarepa is a tale of greed and vengeance - demons, magic, murder and redemption. It is the story of the man who became Tibet's greatest mystic.
- DirectorPan NalinStarsShawn KuChristy ChungNeelesha BarthelA spiritual love-story set in the majestic landscape of Ladakh, Himalayas. Samsara is a quest; one man's struggle to find spiritual Enlightenment by renouncing the world. And one woman's struggle to keep her enlightened love and life in the world. But their destiny turns, twists and comes to a surprise ending...
- DirectorYukari HayashiBarrie McLeanStarsLeonard CohenThe Dalai LamaRam DassDeath is real, it comes without warning and it cannot be escaped. An ancient source of strength and guidance, The Tibetan Book of the Dead remains an essential teaching originating in the spiritual cultures of the Himalayas. Narrated by Leonard Cohen, this enlightening two-part program explores the sacred text and boldly visualizes the afterlife according to its profound wisdom. Part 1: A Way of Life reveals the history of The Tibetan Book of the Dead and examines its traditional use in northern India, as well as its acceptance in Western hospices. Shot over a four-month period, the film contains footage of the rites and liturgies for a deceased Ladakhi elder and includes an interview with the Dalai Lama, who shares his views on the book's meaning and importance. Watch The Tibetan Book of the Dead - Part 2: The great Liberation
- DirectorYong-Kyun BaeStarsYi Pan-YongSin Won-SopHae-Jin HuangAbout three monks in a remote monastery; an aging master, a small orphan and a young man who left his city life to seek Enlightenment.
- DirectorKhyentse NorbuStarsTshewang DendupGup Kado DubaDasho KadoThe two men embark on parallel, if separate, journeys. Their yearning is a common one--for a better and different life. Dondup, delayed by the timeless pace of his village, is forced to hitchhike through the beautiful wild countryside of Bhutan to reach his goal. He shares the road with a monk, an apple seller, a papermaker and his beautiful young daughter, Sonam. Throughout the journey, the perceptive yet mischievous monk relates the story of Tashi. It is a mystical fable of lust, jealousy and murder, that holds up a mirror to the restless Dondup, and his blossoming attraction to the innocent Sonam. The cataclysmic conclusion of the monk's tale leaves Dondup with a dilemma--is the grass truly greener on the other side?
- DirectorDaniel SchmidtSamadhi Part 1 is the first installment in a series of films exploring Samadhi, an ancient Sanskrit word which points toward the mystical or transcendent union that is at the root of all spirituality and self inquiry.
- DirectorPeter BrookStarsDragan MaksimovicTerence StampMikica DimitrijevicG.I. Gurdjieff is a spiritual teacher and mystic who, after a lifetime study, developed a form of meditation incorporating modern dance.
- DirectorPan NalinStarsMilind SomanMylène JampanoïNaseeruddin ShahA great Asian love story, an unforgettable tale about passion, death and reincarnation. A mesmerizing Himalayan epic that spans two centuries, from the Silk Route of the early 19th century to the bustling metropolis of modern-day Tokyo.
- DirectorPaola di FlorioLisa LeemanStarsMarc BenioffBrother ChidanandaDeepak ChopraUnique biopic about Yogananda, telling the story of his life and influence on yoga, religion and science, combining re-enactment, interviews, and verité.
- DirectorMickey LemleStarsRam DassWilliam AlpertLarry BrilliantAfter Richard Alpert was fired from Harvard in 1963 for conducting psychedelic drug research, he journeyed to India, found a guru and was renamed Ram Dass ("Servant of God").
- DirectorRajbans KhannaThe Buddha rises from a humble priest to a religious icon.
- DirectorShamboo FalkeStarsBridgit MendlerDwayne TanThe story of how Prince Siddharth Gautama came to be Buddha, The Enlightened One.
- DirectorTim GrafJakob MontrasioStarsTomonori AbeThe Dalai LamaTaio KanetaThe Japanese population's reaction to the catastrophe of March 2011 has been described as "stoic" by the Western media. The Japanese code of conduct is indeed deeply rooted in their Buddhist traditions.
- DirectorRick RayStarsThe Dalai LamaTenzin BagdroBob DoleHow do you reconcile a commitment to non-violence when faced with violence? Why do the poor often seem happier than the rich? Must a society lose its traditions in order to move into the future? These are some of the questions posed to His Holiness the Dalai Lama by filmmaker and explorer Rick Ray. Ray examines some of the fundamental questions of our time by weaving together observations from his own journeys throughout India and the Middle East, and the wisdom of an extraordinary spiritual leader. This is his story, as told and filmed by Rick Ray during a private visit to his monastery in Dharamsala, India over the course of several months. Also included is rare historical footage as well as footage supplied by individuals who at great personal risk, filmed with hidden cameras within Tibet. Part biography, part philosophy, part adventure and part politics, "10 Questions for The Dalai Lama" conveys more than history and more than answers - it opens a window into the heart of an inspiring man. If you had only one hour, what would you ask?
- 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.
- 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.
- DirectorGesar MukpoStarsGesar MukpoDylan HendersonAshoka MukpoEnlightened Tibetan masters return as recognized "tulkus" -- reincarnated buddhas. In the 1970s, tulkus began to be born in the West, confusing both the Tibetan system and the lives of the Western children involved.
- DirectorTina MascaraGuido SantiStarsThe Dalai LamaKhyongla RinpocheNicky VreelandNicholas Vreeland walked away from a worldly life of privilege to become a Tibetan Buddhist monk. Grandson of legendary Vogue editor, Diana Vreeland, and trained by Irving Penn to become a photographer, Nicholas' life changed drastically upon meeting a Tibetan master, one of the teachers of the Dalai Lama. Soon thereafter, he gave up his glamorous life to live in a monastery in India, where he studied Buddhism for fourteen years. In an ironic twist of fate, Nicholas went back to photography to help his fellow monks rebuild their monastery. Recently, the Dalai Lama appointed Nicholas as Abbot of the monastery, making him the first Westerner in Tibetan Buddhist history, to attain such a highly regarded position.
- DirectorBill ChayesIsaac SolotaroffStarsSharon Stone
- DirectorMakoto SasaMasako TsumuraA look at the life of Tibetan monk Palden Gyatso, who spent 33 years in prison as his nation was seized by China.
- DirectorChristian FreiStarsTaysir AlonySayeed Mirza HussainPeter MettlerA filmmaker's investigation into the destruction of giant Buddha statues in Afghanistan.
- 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.
- DirectorAdam MiklosDaughters of Dolma takes you on a riveting journey revealing a distinctively female experience of Tibetan Buddhism in the Kathmandu Valley. This feature-length documentary brings to the screen not just Buddhist spirituality, but also the fun and unexpected eccentricities of living an ancient form of monastic life in a crazy, modern world.
- DirectorKhashyar DarvichStarsThe Dalai LamaHarrison Ford'Dalai Lama Awakening,' which was a 15 year realization of a cinematic dream, presents the profound and life-changing journey of innovative Western thinkers who travel to India to meet with the Dalai Lama to solve many of the world's problems. The result was an inner transformation of the participants, as well as what audiences report is a personal transformational experience for those who watch the film. Narrated by Harrison Ford and featuring His Holiness the Dalai Lama.
- DirectorKhashyar DarvichStarsThe Dalai LamaHarrison FordAmit GoswamiIn 1999, the Dalai Lama meets with a self-titled "Synthesis" group, made up of 40 Western "renaissance" thinkers who hope to change the world and resolve many of the world's problems, but actually end up transforming themselves.
- DirectorKhashyar DarvichStarsThe Dalai LamaOpen your heart, and become the change. What truly brings us happiness? What are the essential problems facing our world today, and how can we solve them? A new film and sequel to 'Dalai Lama Awakening' from the Director of the award-winning 'Dalai Lama Renaissance' (narrated by Harrison Ford). Illuminating insights from the Dalai Lama and other revolutionary thinkers Fred Alan Wolf and more...
- DirectorOlaf de Fleur JohannessonFilmed for over ten years, a monk visits the normal world by disrobing, marrying, divorcing and becoming a monk again.
- 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.
- DirectorTom PiozetStarsEdward EdwardsEd HarrisShirley KnightA film about the state of Chinese occupied Tibet and its history of oppression and resistance.
- 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.
- DirectorSudipto SenStarsVikrant ChandolaOp DimriJimeesh GandhiStory THE LAST MONK is the journey of a young newly-married woman from the world of the newly-rich, 30-something IT engineers and corporate managers in New Delhi, to the vast, stark beauty of Ladakh in the Indian Himalayas. It is a journey from the superficial materialism of the new young Indian middle class to the universal mysticism of Buddhism. The otherworldly landscape becomes inseparable from the cosmic power of the physical and mystical universe as she discovers her own spirituality and a sexuality beyond the physical, led and mentored by a young khempo, or lay Buddhist monk vital, verbose, funny, and a fountain of cosmic truths. The Last Monk is part of a growing movement in Indian cinema, approaching the societal and spiritual issues raised by todays rapidly-changing India. It is also one of a growing number of Indian films made not in Hindi but in English. The Last Monk not only raises issues about contemporary India, but will have a lot of resonance and appeal to European audiences, where the search for spiritual values and the interest in Buddhism are growing rapidly Key Themes THE LAST MONK tries to address several issues which are both relevant to the New India and to the lives of everyone. The number of newly-rich, 30-something IT engineers and corporate managers in India is growing at a phenomenal rate. Material wealth and acquisitions are becoming the hallmarks of a successful and happy life, to the exclusion of more traditional, age-old values of the inner self and spirituality. The lead character, a young newly-married woman comes from this new young Indian middle class and its superficial materialism. She has to go to Ladakh in the Indian Himalayas, to take some final notes on her studies on cultural Buddhism. Buddhism has become very popular and fashionable in the west, probably in a search for spiritual values which established religions can no longer give, and for the answer to basic questions about our inner selves, universal truths and the spirit which they cannot answer Most people associate Buddhism with Tibet, but Tibetan Buddism actually came from India, and all of the original Buddhist writings were translated into Tibetan from Sanskrit. Ladakh is a predominantly Buddhist region with temples and monasteries through which Buddhism is kept alive. The film tries to highlight that Buddhsm is not confined to temples, rituals and artefacts, and only really takes on its true meaning in its mountainous home, with its stark, beautiful, otherworldy power. It is this physical and mystical universe which gradually infuses the young woman as she discovers not only her own spirituality, but a transcendant sexuality beyond the physical, led and mentored by a young kempo, or lay Buddhist monk vital, verbose, funny, and a fountain of cosmic truths.
- DirectorMartin ScorseseStarsTenzin Thuthob TsarongGyurme TethongTulku Jamyang Kunga TenzinFrom childhood to adulthood, Tibet's fourteenth Dalai Lama deals with Chinese oppression and other problems.
- DirectorJohnnie ToKa-Fai WaiStarsAndy LauCecilia CheungEddie CheungA monk turned body-builder, with the gift to see into people's lives, befriends a female cop, and uses his gift to change the force of Karma and her destiny.
- DirectorKim Ki-dukStarsKim Ki-dukOh Yeong-suJong-ho KimA boy is raised by a Buddhist monk in an isolated floating temple where the years pass like the seasons.
- DirectorRentarô MikuniStarsJunkyu MoriyamaMichiyo YasudaAkoIn the 12th century, a young man explores the different schools of Buddhism.
- DirectorJean-Jacques AnnaudStarsBrad PittDavid ThewlisBD WongHeinrich Harrer, an Austrian climber, breaks out of prison and travels to the holy city of Lhasa. He is employed as an instructor to the 14th Dalai Lama and soon becomes his close confidante.
- 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.
- DirectorNabendu GhoshStarsNana PatekarPallavi JoshiAlok NathThe film is set in a Central Asian desert in the 1st Century B.C. A sandstorm strikes the Buddhist town of Sariput, leaving just four survivors - two monks and two children - in the upper floor of a monastery.
- DirectorJianqi HuoStarsXiaoming HuangZheng XuPurba RgyalDuring the Tang Dynasty's during the era of "Zhen Guan" (era name during rule of Emperor Taizong), the young Xuan Zang monk, in his quest for the knowledge in Buddhism, embarked on a journey to India, that is fraught with perils and dangers, natural disasters, and sees the sufferings of the common people. Soldiers gets in his way, his disciples betrays him, he struggles through deserts, runs short of food and water, all in the quest for Buddha's teachings. He finally arrives in India, and studies Buddhism in earnest. By the time he returns to China, he is already 50 years old.
- 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.
- DirectorFrancis Ford CoppolaStarsTim RothAlexandra Maria LaraBruno GanzA love story wrapped in a mystery. Set in World War II Europe, a professor is changed by a cataclysmic event and explores the mysteries of life.
- DirectorMarc RosenbushStarsDuane SharpKim ChanDebra MillerA nameless 'noir' detective, still mourning the loss of his wife, investigates a mysterious death in a Buddhist temple, but his logical, left-brained crime-solving skills are useless in the intuitive, non-linear world of Zen.
- DirectorRick DargeStarsKyle GallnerAdam HerschmanCelia DianeTrapped by daily routine, a man experiences complete freedom by dreaming himself across the country in a psychedelic Volkswagen with the guiding words of philosopher Alan Watts.
- DirectorBrandy YuenStarsTung-Shing YeeChi-Shing ChanSung-Young ChenBiography of legendary Damo Monk, the master of Zen and founder of Shaolin Kungfu.
- DirectorVijay BhattStarsNimmiBharat BhushanAnita GuhaA scholar is compelled to live up to his astrological prophecy of being a brutal killer.
- DirectorSutape TunnirutStarsNopachai ChaiyanamStella MalucchiJohn RattanaverojArhingsaka was born in India to a noble family. Despite his noble birth, his horoscope showed to be born under the sign of thieves, and thus was preordained for a wicked life. On his 16th birthday his father sent him to complete his education and Arhingsaka became the teacher's favorite; the other jealous students told the master that Arhingsaka was flirting with the teachers wife. Deciding to punish his former star pupil, he told Arhingsaka : "You have almost completed your training; there is just one thing left to do. Once you finish your life of suffering will be over, and you will become a Bodhisattva. You must single-handedly kill 1,000 people" Arhingsaka changed: once he was bright and his mind light; he was tall, handsome and muscular. Now he turned grim and ugly, hunched over and plodding. He no longer laughed or spoke and he haunted the forests like a wild animal. He endeavored to complete his task, until an enlightening encounter with the Buddha halted his bloody quest. His new name, Angulimala, meant "garland of fingers", which he wore around his neck.
- DirectorSantosh SivanStarsShah Rukh KhanKareena KapoorDanny DenzongpaThe epic tale of King Asoka's life is recounted.
- DirectorLekh TandonStarsVyjayanthimalaSunil DuttPremnath MalhotraA victory over neighboring state Vaishai has always eluded Magadh Samrat Ajaatshatru despite being winning and taking control over all neighboring states. He attacks Vaishali only get defeated again. Wounded, lost and on the run, Ajaatshatru dons the guise of a Vaishali soldier and takes shelter with a woman named Amrapali and they fall in love with each other. Ajaatshatru finds an ally in Senapati Balbadhra Singh and both start a plot to gain control of Vaishali. Vaishali Samrat comes to know about Ajaatshatru and Amrapali's liaison with him, he sentences her with a death penalty. Ajaatshatru is enraged at this, he gathers together his armies and storms the unsuspecting Vaishali and virtually burns the city down, killing almost everyone in it. This accomplished, he rushes to free his beloved from the dungeons. He does set her free but it is not the same Amrapali; this Amrapali is quite different. She is not at all thrilled to be in the presence of her conqueror lover. She teaches him what he won in the battle ground but what he lost in reality.
- 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.
- DirectorJee-woon KimPil-sung YimStarsLee Bong-gyuChoi Deok-moonMa Dong-seokThe First Chapter of The Anthology Film- In A Brave New World, a mysterious virus brings the city to ruins and zombies flood the streets of Seoul. The Chapter 2, The Heavenly Creature, a robot reaches enlightenment on its own while working at a temple. Its creators regard this phenomenon as a threat to mankind and decide to terminate the robot. The Last Chapter- Happy Birthday, a little girl logs into a strange website and puts in an order for a new pool ball for her billiards-obsessed father. Soon an unidentified meteor heads toward Earth and all human beings flee to underground bomb shelters.
- 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.
- DirectorJohn BoormanStarsPatricia ArquetteU Aung KoFrances McDormandLaura is trying to pick up the pieces of her life after the murder of her husband and son, and goes on vacation with her sister to Burma. After losing her passport at a political rally, she is left on her own for a few days, during which time she falls in with students fighting for democracy. She and their leader, U Aung Ko, travel through Burma, whilst witnessing many bloody acts of repression by the dictatorship, in an attempt to escape to Thailand. Based on a true story.
- DirectorKihachirô KawamotoStarsKyôko KishidaTetsuko KuroyanagiRie MiyazawaThe story takes place as Buddhism is being introduced to Japan from China. Iratsume, a woman of noble descent, one night sees a luminous vision that she believes to be the Buddha, compelling her to leave home and journey to a sacred temple.
- DirectorTony KernStarsBaozhen ChenLama Thubten Namdrol DorjeMaster Zhiwang LeeIn parts of Asia each year, during the seventh lunar month, it is believed that the gates of Hell are opened and all the souls are set free to wander the Earth. At this time, many spirits roam around trying to fulfill their past needs, wants and desires. These are the "hungry ghosts".
- 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.
- DirectorIm Kwon-taekStarsAhn Sung-kiJeon Moo-songMichelle Okkyung LeeA story that follows the lives and interactions of two Buddhist monks living in South Korea.
- 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.
- 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.
- DirectorSang-Hyo YookStarsJung Jin-youngShin Hyeon-junLee Won-jong3 monks make every effort to help the temple by promoting it to the public and raising funds through donations. A team of 4 gangsters reach the temple indicating their need to reclaim it for an urban redevelopment project.
- DirectorBrian PerkinsStarsShine Htet ZawKo Yin Saw RiKo Yin Than MaungStory of four young monks left alone in their remote monastery in Myanmar. Shot entirely in newly-opened Myanmar with non-actors, the film bridges spirit, cinema, and traditional Burmese storytelling to open a view onto an unseen 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.
- DirectorDiego RafecasStarsAgustín MarkertCarolina FalDiego RafecasUn Buda follows two brothers orphaned as children when their parents were taken by military.
- DirectorMarc JohnStarsBrian BlessedSameera StewardA mysterious aristocrat sails around the world for 7 years looking for the meaning of life and spiritual enlightenment. Suddenly he finds it. He returns home to perform a one-man show to a live audience, sharing his mystical insights.
- 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.
- DirectorAlejandro JodorowskyStarsAlejandro JodorowskyHoracio SalinasZamira SaundersIn a corrupt, greed-fueled world, a powerful alchemist leads a messianic character and seven materialistic figures to the Holy Mountain, where they hope to achieve enlightenment.
- DirectorJesco PulujThe Odd Monk is a personal journey through modern day Buddhism. German first time Filmmaker Jesco Puluj travels around the world, meeting a variety of monks and nuns to discover the essence of Buddhism.