BUDDHISTDOOR IN SPANISH
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Title: A Buddha
Diretor: Diego Rafecas
Year: 2005
Country: Argentina
Language: Spanish
Genre: drama
Length: 1 hour 55 minutes
Tradition: Zen Buddhism
Theme: The conflict between modern life and the spiritual quest
Synopsis: The story revolves around a boy from the city who persistently shuns his deepest existential crisis: the desperate need to find his true self. Life's setbacks, including disappointments and painful events, lead him inexorably to enter the world of the most severe asceticism. His radical transformation involves the total abandonment of his previous life, including his personal relationships and eating habits, which generates a dramatic impact on the people in his closest circle.
Title: Unmistaken Child (“The Unmistakable Child”)
Diretor: Nati Baratz
Year: 2008
Country: Israel
Language: Tibetan
Genre: documentary
Length: 102 minutes
Tradition: Tibetan Buddhism
Theme: Explores faith, tradition and the master-disciple bond in Tibetan Buddhism.
Synopsis: A Tibetan Buddhist monk sets out on a four-year quest to find the reincarnation of his late teacher Lama Konchog. The documentary follows the physical and spiritual journey of the monk Tenzin Zopa as he searches for the boy who could be the reincarnation of his teacher.
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Title: Valley of Flowers (“Valley of Flowers”)
Diretor: Pan Nalin
Year: 2006
Country: India
Language: Hindi
Genre: drama
Length: 155 minutes
Tradition: Buddhism
Theme: Spirituality
Synopsis: An epic love story that spans centuries, about a bandit and a martial arts teacher whose romance takes place in the Himalayas. The narrative explores themes of love, karma, and the nature of existence across multiple lives.
Title: Vara: The Blessing (“Vara: The Blessing”)
Diretor: Khyentse Norbu
Year: 2013
Country: Bhutan
Language: Dzongkha
Genre: drama
Length: 1 hour and 36 minutes
Tradition: Buddhism
Theme: Spirituality
Synopsis: In rural India, Lila and her mother Vinata, a temple dancer dedicated to a Hindu god, live in marginalization and poverty. Lila's life takes a turn when Shyam, a young low-caste sculptor, asks her to be her model. Despite the risk that this poses to both of them due to strict social and religious norms, Lila accepts, and a story of forbidden love develops between them that puts spiritual devotion in conflict with the desires of the heart.
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Title: Why Has Bodhi Dharma Left for the East? (“Why did Bodhidharma go to the East?”)
Diretor: Bae Yongkyun
Year: 1989
Country: South Korea
Language: Korean
Genre: drama
Length: 175 minutes
Tradition: Zen Buddhism
Theme: Buddhism
Synopsis: The film follows the lives of three Zen monks in a remote mountain temple: an elderly teacher, an adult monk, and a young novice. Through its interaction, the film deeply explores the principles of Zen Buddhism and the search for enlightenment.
Title: Windhorse (“Wind Horse”)
Diretor: Paul Wagner
Year: 1998
Country: USA
Language: English, Tibetan
Genre: drama
Length: 97 minutes
Tradition: Tibetan Buddhism
Theme: human rights
Synopsis: In a remote Tibetan Himalayan town, three cousins—Dorjee, her sister Dolkar, and Pema—witness the murder of their grandfather by Chinese soldiers. Years later, in Lhasa, their lives have taken different paths: Dolkar becomes a pop singer and embraces Chinese culture, Dorjee develops a deep hatred for the Chinese government, and Pema becomes a Buddhist nun. Their destinies cross again when Pema is arrested for participating in protests against the Chinese government, dragging her cousins into the dangerous world of Tibetan resistance.
Title: Zen (“Zen”)
Diretor: Banmei Takahashi
Year: 2009
Country: Japan
Language: Japanese
Genre: drama
Length: 127 minutes
Tradition: Zen Buddhism
Theme: dramatic biography of Zen master Dogen,
Synopsis: A dramatic biography of Zen master Dogen, founder of the Soto Zen school in Japan. The film follows his journey to China in search of true dharma and his subsequent efforts to establish Zen Buddhism in Japan during the 13th century.
