BUDDHISTDOOR EN ESPAΓOL
This article presents an additional selection that complements the filmography published in the “Resources” section of the Dharma-Gaia Foundation website. The objective is to expand the cinematographic map of Buddhism with works that enrich the panorama: documentaries and films that explore meditation practices, monastic life, lineages and contemporary dialogues with global culture.
Unlike the main guideβwhich organizes the reference base corpusβthis installment functions as a curatorial appendix: it incorporates titles, recovers less widespread pieces and adds entries that complete traditions, periods and formats. The selection maintains the same editorial criteria as the mother filmography: clarity of information, diversity of schools (Zen, TheravΔda, Tibetan, Buddhism in the West), and attention to narrative and documentary quality.
In practice, each work listed here will be individually integrated into the main βResourcesβ filmography, organized by alphabetical sections, ensuring coherence and ease of consultation for readers, teachers and practitioners. The purpose is to continue building a living and accessible archive that serves both research and inspiration.
Title: Amongst White Clouds
Director: Edward A. Burger
Year: 2005
Country: USA
Language: English/Chinese
Genre: documentary
Duration: 86 minutes
Tradition: Chan Buddhism (Chinese Zen)
Theme: hermit life and search for enlightenment in the mountains.
Synopsis: The documentary explores the lives of Buddhist hermit monks in China’s Zhongnan Mountains, capturing their daily routines, meditations, and reflections on simplicity and enlightenment in isolation.
βββββββββββββββββββββββββ-
Title: Awake: The Life of Yogananda
Director: Paola di Florio and Lisa Leeman
Year: 2014
Country: USA
Language: English
Genre: documentary
Duration: 87 minutes
Tradition: Buddhism and Hinduism (influence on meditation)
Theme: diffusion of Eastern spirituality in the West.
Synopsis: Biography of Paramahansa Yogananda, author of βAutobiography of a Yogi,β highlighting his role in introducing yoga and Buddhist-inspired meditation to the U.S., with interviews and archival material.
βββββββββββββββββββββββββ-
Title: Becoming Nobody
Director: Jamie Catto
Year: 2019
Country: USA
Language: English
Genre: documentary
Duration: 81 minutes
Tradition: contemporary Buddhism (Zen influence)
Theme: ego, detachment and personal transformation.
Synopsis: Explores the life and teachings of Ram Dass, focusing on his journey from psychologist to spiritual guru, with an emphasis on dissolving the ego through Buddhist and psychedelic practices.
ββββββββββββββββββββββββββ-
Title: Bodhidharma
Director: Sangeeth Sivan
Year: 2011
Country: India
Language: Tamil
Genre: film (historical drama)
Duration: 145 minutes
Tradition: Zen Buddhism (origins)
Theme: spiritual journey and foundation of Zen.
Synopsis: tells the legendary life of Bodhidharma, the Indian monk who brought Buddhism to China, founding Shaolin and Zen, with scenes of martial arts and teachings on discipline and enlightenment.
βββββββββββββββββββββββββ-
Title: Buddha Wild: The Monk In A Hut
Director: Anna Wilding
Year: 2006
Country: USA/Sri Lanka
Language: English
Genre: documentary
Duration: 60 minutes
Tradition: TheravΔda Buddhism
Theme: monastic life in the jungle.
Synopsis: Follow a Western monk in the forests of Sri Lanka, exploring ancient Buddhist practices, the connection with nature and the challenges of ascetic life in a wilderness environment.
βββββββββββββββββββββββββ-
Title: Crazy Wisdom: The Life & Times of Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche
Director: Johanna Demetrakas
Year: 2011
Country: USA
Language: English
Genre: documentary
Duration: 86 minutes
Tradition: Tibetan Buddhism (Shambhala)
Theme: controversial teachings and legacy in the West.
Synopsis: Portrait of Trungpa Rinpoche, a Tibetan teacher who introduced Buddhism to the US in an eccentric style, including his personal struggles and influence on the counterculture.
βββββββββββββββββββββββββ-
TΓtle: Doing Time, Doing Vipassana
Director: Eilona Ariel and Ayelet Menahemi
Year: 1997
Country: Israel/India
Language: English/Hindi
Genre: documentary
Duration: 52 minutes
Tradition: TheravΔda Buddhism (vipassana)
Theme: rehabilitation through meditation in prisons.
Synopsis: Documents a vipassana meditation program in an Indian prison, showing how it transforms prisoners, reducing anger and encouraging introspection and inner peace.
ββββββββββββββββββββββββββ-
TΓtle: Footprint of the Buddha
Director: Ronald Eyre
AΓ±o: 1977
PaΓs: Reino Unido
Idioma: inglΓ©s
GΓ©nero: documental
DuraciΓ³n: 50 minutos
TradiciΓ³n: budismo general
TemΓ‘tica: sitios sagrados y peregrinaciones.
Sinopsis: explora los lugares clave en la vida del Buda en India y Nepal, con narraciΓ³n histΓ³rica y visitas a templos, destacando la evoluciΓ³n de las enseΓ±anzas budistas.
ββββββββββββββββββββββββββ-
TΓtulo: Happy (Β«FelizΒ»)
Director: Roko Belic
AΓ±o: 2011
PaΓs: EE. UU.
Idioma: inglΓ©s
GΓ©nero: documental
DuraciΓ³n: 75 minutos
TradiciΓ³n: budismo contemporΓ‘neo
TemΓ‘tica: felicidad y mindfulness global.
Sinopsis: examina la ciencia de la felicidad a travΓ©s de culturas, incluyendo prΓ‘cticas budistas en ButΓ‘n y EE. UU., con entrevistas a expertos sobre cΓ³mo la compasiΓ³n genera bienestar.
ββββββββββββββββββββββββββ-
Title: Headspace: Guide to Meditation
Director: Andy Puddicombe
Year: 2021
Country: USA
Language: English
Genre: documentary (series)
Duration: 8 episodes of 20 minutes
Tradition: contemporary Buddhism (mindfulness)
Topic: daily meditation practices.
Synopsis: Andy Puddicombe, former monk, guides meditation sessions inspired by Buddhism, explaining benefits for stress and mental clarity, with animations and testimonies.
βββββββββββββββββββββββββ-
TΓtle: In the Footsteps of Buddha
Director: Rajiv Mehrotra
Year: 2005
Country: India
Language: English
Genre: documentary
Duration: 90 minutes
Tradition: General Buddhism
Theme: historical journey through the life of the Buddha.
Synopsis: Journey through the sacred Indian sites where Siddhartha Gautama lived, combining archaeology, teachings, and modern accounts of his lasting impact.
TΓtle: Journey to Mindfulness
Director: Paul Quigley
Year: 2013
Country: USA
Language: English
Genre: documentary
Duration: 60 minutes
Tradition: TheravΔda Buddhism
Theme: personal transformation through meditation.
Synopsis: Follows a Western man’s journey to Thailand to learn mindfulness at a monastery, exploring how he overcomes trauma and finds inner peace.
βββββββββββββββββββββββββ-
Title: Letters from the East
Director: Andrew Grieve
Year: 1996
Country: United Kingdom
Language: English
Genre: documentary
Duration: 50 minutes
Tradition: Tibetan Buddhism
Theme: exile and cultural preservation.
Synopsis: Based on letters from Tibetans in exile, it explores the struggle to maintain Buddhist traditions in the face of Chinese occupation, with testimonies and archival material.
βββββββββββββββββββββββββ-
Title: Living Buddha
Director: Clemens Kuby
Year: 1994
Country: Germany
Language: German/English
Genre: documentary
Duration: 90 minutes
Tradition: Tibetan Buddhism
Theme: reincarnation and spiritual lineages.
Synopsis: Follows the search and recognition of a boy as the reincarnation of a lama, highlighting Tibetan rituals and the impact on his family and community.
βββββββββββββββββββββββββ-
Title: Mindfulness Goes Mainstream
Director: Max Lewkowicz
Year: 2017
Country: USA
Language: English
Genre: documentary
Duration: 60 minutes
Tradition: contemporary Buddhism
Theme: integration in society and business.
Synopsis: Examines how Buddhist mindfulness has become popular in corporations and schools, with critiques of its commercialization and real benefits.
βββββββββββββββββββββββββ-
Title: My Reincarnation
Director: Jennifer Fox
Year: 2011
Country: USA
Language: English/Tibetan
Genre: documentary
Duration: 82 minutes
Tradition: Tibetan Buddhism
Theme: father-son relationship and spiritual inheritance.
Synopsis: Follows a Tibetan lama and his Italian son, exploring cultural tensions in recognizing the son as reincarnation and his reluctance to take on the role.
βββββββββββββββββββββββββ-
Title: On Meditation
Director: Rebecca Dreyfus
Year: 2014
Country: USA
Language: English
Genre: documentary
Duration: 60 minutes
Tradition: Zen Buddhism
Topic: daily practices and benefits.
Synopsis: Series of short films with celebrities and experts sharing Buddhist meditation experiences, emphasizing its role in creativity and well-being.
βββββββββββββββββββββββββ-
Title: Ram Dass: Fierce Grace
Director: Mickey Lemle
Year: 2001
Country: USA
Language: English
Genre: documentary
Duration: 93 minutes
Tradition: contemporary Buddhism
Theme: illness, acceptance and wisdom.
Synopsis: Portrays Ram Dass after a stroke, reflecting on Buddhist suffering and how he transforms pain into spiritual grace.
βββββββββββββββββββββββββ-
Title: Sacred Journey of the Heart
Director: Cynthia Lukas
Year: 2012
Country: USA
Language: English
Genre: documentary
Duration: 80 minutes
Tradition: Buddhism and indigenous people (syncretism)
Theme: heart and global compassion.
Synopsis: Explore spiritual practices from diverse traditions, including Buddhism, focused on the heart as a center of healing and human connection.
βββββββββββββββββββββββββ-
Title: Spirit of Tibet
Director: Matthieu Ricard
Year: 1992
Country: France
Language: French/English
Genre: documentary
Duration: 45 minutes
Tradition: Tibetan Buddhism
Theme: culture and resistance in exile.
Synopsis: Photographer and monk Ricard documents Tibetan life in India, highlighting rituals, meditation and the preservation of traditions in the face of adversity.
βββββββββββββββββββββββββ-
Title: The Last Dalai Lama? (“The last Dalai Lama?”)
Director: Mickey Lemle
Year: 2016
Country: USA
Language: English
Genre: documentary
Duration: 82 minutes
Tradition: Tibetan Buddhism
Theme: future of the lineage and political challenges.
Synopsis: Reflect on the life of the 14th Dalai Lama and the possibility that he may be the last, with an emphasis on compassion and peace in a changing world.
βββββββββββββββββββββββββ-
Title: The Zen Mind
Director: Jon Braeley
Year: 2006
Country: USA/Japan
Language: English/Japanese
Genre: documentary
Duration: 60 minutes
Tradition: Zen Buddhism
Theme: practices in Japanese monasteries.
Synopsis: Explore zazen meditation and life in Zen temples in Japan, with interviews with teachers and scenes of daily routines to understand the enlightened mind.
βββββββββββββββββββββββββ-
Title: The Zen of Bennett
Director: Unni StraumeYear: 2012
Country: USA
Language: English
Genre: documentary
Duration: 84 minutes
Tradition: Zen Buddhism (applied to music)
Theme: creativity and mindfulness in art.
Synopsis: Follow singer Tony Bennett as he records an album, revealing how Zen principles influence his approach to life and music.
βββββββββββββββββββββββββ-
Title: Tibetan Warrior
Director: Dodo Hunziker
Year: 2015
Country: Switzerland
Language: English/Tibetan
Genre: documentary
Duration: 84 minutes
Tradition: Tibetan Buddhism
Theme: nonviolent activism.
Synopsis: Profile of Loten Namling, Tibetan musician and activist, who uses art and Buddhism to protest against the Chinese occupation, combining spirituality and resistance.
