I have to stipulate that I have never seen a movie filmed in the Himalayas (or Mongolia)—documentary or fiction film, made by natives or foreigners—that has not fascinated me. I have no wish to go there or follow the religion or other lifeways, but am interested in seeing them from sea level (OK 75 feet above sea level!).

The DVD does not provide any information about Israeli documentary film-maker Nati Baratz, who filmed the quest by Tenzin Zopa, who had been a disciple of  Geshe Lama Kochog since childhood (21 years, beginning when he was seven). He was sent to find the rinpoche (high lama's) reincarnation, a task to which he did not feel himself worthy, though no one knew the previous incarnation better.

The camera follows Tenzin around through spectacular scenery in Nepal, northern India, and even southern India. The challenge of recognizing someone he knew from ages 63 to 84 as a boy of a year or year and a half is daunting. Tenzin considers his responsibility far more important than his own life.

Astrologers provide some assistance (a 95% likelihood is that the child's father's given name starts with "A", and the likely site of the reincarnation is in the area where Tenzin grew up, the Tsum [Vivid] Valley of the Budi Gandaki river in northeastern Nepal, near the Tibet border). Also a footprint pointing east in the cremains is discerned, and I think the cremation smoke blew that way. Tenzin carries a rosary that belonged to his master. One particularly fat baby (with a double chin and cheeks that might make a chipmunk feel self-conscious and long. Buddha-like ears) refuses to give up the rosary. Two senior lamas test the child with half a dozen choices of belongings of the deceased Geshe-la (bells, another rosary, etc.). The Daila Lama does some calculations and accepts that this is the reincarnation before meeting and blessing him.

The scenery and very alien-to-me beliefs and practices are interesting, but what is really riveting is watching the parents giving up their child to "benefit all sentient beings."This is the phrase with which the father talks himself into the sacrifice. The mother has already agreed, wordlessly. But her look of pained regret is deeply affecting.

After the child lama is installed in a monastery and the parents are leaving, their looks back of resignation are also very raw.

The DVD includes deleted scenes, but nothing about the making of the film and the co-operation from everyone from the Dalai Lama down. Or why a disciple who has served Geshe-la is fluent in English. Tenzin Zopa is engagingly modest and very candid (and breaks down on-camera revisiting the lama's high-mountain hut/retreat).

The movie itself shows rather than tells I'm not sure it would make sense for those without some familiarity with Tibetan Buddhist beliefs about reincarnated lamas, but it might. (Those who have seen "Kundun" will be familiar with much of this.)

The portents don't convince me, though I have no doubts about the sincerity of Tenzin et al. Nor do I doubt that the child is being socialized into the role, for which he seems to have had some aptitude even at the age of 3-4. Over the course of the documentary, we see Tenzin mature into a spiritual guide for the child he believes is his master's reincarnation.

Without accepting the PRC annexation of Tibet, I thought that the number of monks the (in this case Nepalese) population supports very high (It's not my surplus! Just noticing, OK?)

©2009, Stephen O. Murray

4 lean-n-mean VIII

Recommended:
Yes

Viewing Format: DVD