BUDDHISTDOOR IN SPANISH
You can read the first part of this filmography here
Title: Daughters of Dolma (“Daughters of Dolma”)
Diretor: Adam Miklos
Year: 2013
Country: Nepal
Language: English, Tibetan
Genre: documentary
Length: 67 minutes
Tradition: Buddhism
Theme: Female monastic life, spirituality, Tibetan culture.
Synopsis: This documentary provides an up-close perspective on the life of Buddhist nuns in Nepal, highlighting their spiritual practices, the personal challenges they face and the rich Tibetan culture that surrounds them. Through their experiences, the strength and dedication of these women in their spiritual quest is demonstrated.
Title: Daughters of Wisdom
Diretor: Bari Pearlman
Year: 2007
Country: United States
Language: English, Tibetan
Genre: documentary
Length: 68 minutes
Tradition: Tibetan Buddhism.
Theme: female empowerment, female monastic life, Tibetan tradition.
Synopsis: The documentary chronicles the life of nuns in an isolated Tibetan monastery, underlining their importance in the preservation of Buddhist culture and practices. Issues related to women's empowerment and their commitment to monastic life are addressed in a context that has historically been dominated by men.
——————————————————————————
Title: Enlightenment Guaranteed (“Guaranteed Lighting”)
Diretor: Doris Dörrie
Year: 1999
Country: Germany
Language: German
Genre: film; comedy, drama.
Length: 108 minutes
Tradition: Zen Buddhism
Theme: spiritual search, self-discovery, culture shock.
Synopsis: The film tells the story of two German brothers who head to Japan with the goal of finding enlightenment in a Zen monastery. During their adventure, they experience funny and transformative situations, face personal challenges and acquire new visions about life and spirituality.
Title: Fancy Dance (“Fantastic Dance”).
Diretor: Masayuki Suô
Year: 1989
Country: Japan
Language: English
Genre: film, drama
Length: 101 min.
Tradition: Zen Buddhism
Theme: The struggle between the punk rock lifestyle and monastic discipline.
Synopsis: Yohei, a punk rocker, must become a Buddhist monk to inherit a mountain temple. Although at first Yohei rebels against harsh monastic discipline, he learns to adapt. Then his girlfriend shows up, who urges him to return to his rock 'n' roll roots.
——————————————————————————
Title: “For the Benefit of All Beings”
Diretor: Christina Lundberg
Year: 2011
Country: USA
Language: English
Genre: documentary
Duration: Information not available
Tradition: Buddhism
Theme: The life and teachings of Garchen Rinpoche, a Tibetan Buddhist teacher.
Synopsis: The documentary explores the life of His Holiness Garchen Triptrul Rinpoche, a prominent Buddhist teacher, and his impact on the community through his teachings and his dedication to the well-being of all beings.
———————————————————————————
Title: Golden Kingdom (“Golden Kingdom”)
Diretor: Brian Perkins
Year: 2015
Country: United States, Myanmar
Language: Burmese
Genre: Drama
Length: 104 minutes
Tradition: Buddhism
Theme: Childhood, Spirituality, Isolation
Synopsis: The film follows four young monks who must take care of themselves when their abbot leaves his monastery in Myanmar. Through their experience, children face both spiritual and practical challenges, in an environment that mixes reality with the mystical.
Title: Hannah: Buddhism's Untold Journey (“Hannah: Buddhism's Untold Journey”)
Diretor: Marta György-Kessler, Adam Penny
Year: 2014
Country: United Kingdom, Poland
Language: English
Genre: documentary
Duration:
Tradition: Buddhism
Theme: Dissemination of Buddhism, life of Hannah Nydahl, cultural transformation.
Synopsis: This documentary chronicles the life of Hannah Nydahl who, together with her husband Ole, was a pioneer in the dissemination of Tibetan Buddhism in the West. Their efforts to bring Buddhist teachings to new audiences, as well as their cultural and spiritual impact, are explored.
Title: Happiness (“Happiness”)
Diretor: Thomas Balmès
Year: 2013
Country: France, Finland
Language: Dzongkha
Genre: documentary
Length: 100 minutes
Tradition: Buddhism
Theme: Modernity, Tradition, Pursuit of Happiness
Synopsis: The film follows a young monk in Bhutan who experiences the impact of modernity when his remote village receives electricity and television for the first time. Through her perspective, the tensions between Buddhist tradition and technological advancement are explored.
——————————————————————————
Title: Hector and the Search for Happiness (“Hector and the Secret of Happiness”)
Diretor: Peter Chelsom
Year: 2014
Country: United Kingdom, Germany, Canada
Language: English
Genre: film, comedy-drama
Length: 114 minutes
Tradition: Philosophy.
Theme: Pursuit of Happiness, Self-Exploration, Adventures.
Synopsis: The film follows Hector, a psychiatrist who embarks on a journey around the world to discover the true meaning of happiness. Through his experiences and encounters with diverse people, Hector learns valuable lessons about life.
—————————————————————————
Title: Hema Hema: Sing Me a Song While I Wait (“Hema Hema: Sing me a song while I wait”)
Diretor: Khyentse Norbu
Year: 2016
Country: Bhutan, Hong Kong
Language: Dzongkha
Genre: film, drama
Length: 96 minutes
Tradition: Buddhism
Theme: Identity, Anonymity, Cultural Rituals
Synopsis: Set in a remote forest in Bhutan, the film explores a mysterious ritual in which participants wear masks to hide their identities. Through this ritual, issues of identity, desire and human nature are addressed.
———————————————————————-
Title: How to Cook Your Life
Diretor: Doris Dörrie
Year: 2007
Country: Germany
Language: German, English
Genre: documentary
Length: 100 min.
Tradition: Buddhism in general, Zen Buddhism
Theme: Cooking, Spirituality, Mindfulness
Synopsis: This documentary features Zen master and chef Edward Espe Brown, who teaches how cooking can be a spiritual practice. Through his teachings, the connection between food preparation and mindfulness in daily life is explored.
Title: Origins (“Origins”)
Diretor: Mike Cahill
Year: 2014
Country: United States
Language: English
Genre: science fiction, drama
Length: 106 minutes
Tradition: science/philosophy
Theme: Science and Spirituality, Reincarnation, Search for Truth
Synopsis: The film follows a molecular biologist who studies the evolution of the human eye. His research leads him to discoveries that challenge the boundaries between science and spirituality, exploring issues of identity and reincarnation.
——————————————————————————-
Title: Jews and Buddhism: Belief Amended, Faith Revealed (“Jews and Buddhism: Amended Belief, Faith Revealed”)
Diretor: Bill Chayes
Year: 1999
Country: United States
Language: English
Genre: documentary
Length: 40 minutes.
Tradition: Judaism, Buddhism
Theme: religious syncretism, spirituality, interreligious dialogues
Synopsis: This documentary examines the fascination of some Jews with Buddhism and how they integrate Buddhist teachings with their Jewish heritage. Through interviews and personal stories, the reasons behind this spiritual and cultural connection are explored.
Title: Kûkai [also known as “Legend of the Demon Cat”] (“Kukai”)
Diretor: Chen Kaige
Year: 2017
Country: China, Japan
Language: Mandarin, Japanese
Genre: movie. fantasy, mystery
Duration:
Tradition: Chinese and Japanese culture
Theme: mystery, history, fantasy
Synopsis: The film follows Japanese monk Kûkai, who teams up with a Chinese poet to investigate a series of supernatural events involving a demon that takes the form of a cat during the Tang Dynasty. The story combines historical elements with fantasy and mystery.
——————————————————————————-
Title: Kundun (“Kundun”)
Diretor: Martin Scorsese
Year: 1997
Country: United States
Language: English, Tibetan
Genre: film, biography, drama
Length: 134 minutes
Tradition: Tibetan Buddhism
Theme: The life of the 14th Dalai Lama, history of Tibet
Synopsis: The film chronicles the life of the 14th Dalai Lama from his childhood to his exile in India. Through stunning images and music, themes of spirituality, leadership and cultural resistance are explored.
Kwaidan (“Strange Tales”)
Diretor: Masaki Kobayashi
Year: 1964
Country: Japan
Language: Japanese
Genre: horror, fantasy
Length: 183 minutes
Tradition: Japanese culture
Theme: Folklore, ghost stories
Synopsis: This four-story anthology is based on traditional Japanese ghost stories. Each segment explores different aspects of Japanese folklore, with a focus on the supernatural and mysterious, presented with impactful cinematography.
Title: La Vie de Buddha (“The Buddha's Life”)
Diretor: Martin Meissonnier
Year: 2003
Country: France
Language: French, German, English
Genre: Documentary
Running time: 90 minutes (confirmed)
Tradition: Buddhism
Theme: Life of the Buddha, Buddhist teachings
Synopsis: This documentary explores the life of Siddhartha Gautama, known as the Buddha, and his teachings. Through dramatizations and narratives, the significant events that led to his enlightenment and the development of Buddhism are presented.
——————————————————————————-
Title: Little Buddha (“Little Buddha”)
Diretor: Bernardo Bertolucci
Year: 1993
Country: United Kingdom, France, Italy, Liechtenstein
Language: English
Genre: drama
Length: 120 minutes
Tradition: Buddhism
Theme: Reincarnation, Buddhist teachings, cultural connection
Synopsis: It tells the story of an American boy who could be the reincarnation of a Tibetan lama. In parallel, the life of Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha, is narrated. Through these intertwined stories, themes of spirituality and cultural connection are explored.
——————————————————————————-
Title: Looking for a Lady with Fangs and a Moustache (“Looking for a lady with fangs and a mustache”)
Diretor: Khyentse Norbu
Year: 2019
Country: Nepal
Language: Nepali and Tibetan with Spanish subtitles
Genre: Drama, Fantasy
Length: 117 minutes
Tradition: Tibetan Buddhism
Theme: Spirituality, Personal Search, Mysticism
Synopsis: The film follows Tenzin, a young businessman in Kathmandu who begins to have disturbing visions. While searching for answers, he meets a monk who tells him that he will die in a week unless he finds a woman with fangs and a mustache. Through his journey, Tenzin explores themes of spirituality, destiny and the meaning of life, while immersing himself in the rich culture and mysticism of Nepal. This film combines elements of the supernatural with an in-depth exploration of Buddhist spirituality and culture, offering a unique and visually captivating narrative.
Title: Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom
Diretor: Pawo Choyning Dorji
Year: 2019
Country: Bhutan
Language: Dzongkha
Genre: film, drama
Length: 110 minutes
Tradition: Tibetan Buddhism, Bhutanese culture
Theme: education, rural life, self-exploration
Synopsis: The film follows a young teacher who is sent to a remote school in the mountains of Bhutan. Despite difficulties, he discovers the value of community and teaching, and experiences significant personal growth.
———————————————————————-
Title: Mandara (“Mandara”)
Diretor: Akio Jissoji
Year: 1971
Country: Japan
Language: Japanese
Genre: drama, experimental
Length: 101 minutes
Tradition: Japanese culture
Theme: Existentialism, Sexuality, Social Criticism
Synopsis: Two university students from Kyoto decide to exchange partners and spend the night in a secluded motel. However, one of the couples is attacked. Desperate for answers, they search for the attackers and stumble upon a cult that promotes sexual freedom.
