A Fire in the Forest: The Life and Legacy of the Ba'al Shem Tov

Rabbi Israel ben Eliezer (1698-1760), known as the Ba'al Shem Tov ("Master of the Good Name"), is one of the most beloved and celebrated, yet elusive, figures in Jewish history. Today, Jews worldwide – and even non-Jews – revere him as the founder of the Hasidic movement, a 18th-century offshoot of Judaism that promotes a mystical interpretation of the Bible, and as a model of piety and spirituality. The documentary A FIRE IN THE FOREST explores the life and legacy of the Ba'al Shem Tov through interviews with religious leaders and scholars, and on-location footage. The title derives from a tale about rabbis finding a hidden fire in the forest where they could appeal to God for help and have their prayers answered.

2012-07-26 | en

Treasure Under the Bridge: Pilgrimage to the Hasidic Masters of Ukraine

Conservative Rabbi Marc Soloway invites us on his personal journey to modern day Ukraine to visit the graves of the Hasidic Masters as he tries to establish a connection with the famous names that have so long occupied a place in his imagination.

2015-04-28 | en

The Way of the Heart

The Way of the Heart is the story of a spiritual master who brought the wisdom of Sufism to the West in 1910. Today the message of love, harmony, and beauty that Hazrat Inayat Khan gave to a troubled world is more urgently needed than ever. Award-winning filmmaker Mischa Scorer weaves a tapestry of music, sound, and compelling images together with the testimony of many contemporary Western Sufis to evoke the magical atmosphere of a consummate mystic.

2010-01-01 | en

Padre Pio

BBC TV movie about the life of the late Francesco Forgione, widely known as Padre Pio.

1968-11-01 | en

Merton: A Film Biography

In his lifetime, Thomas Merton was hailed as a prophet and censured for his outspoken social criticism. For nearly 27 years he was a monk of the austere Trappist order, where he became an eloquent spiritual writer and mystic as well as an anti-war advocate and witness to peace. Merton: A Film Biography provides the first comprehensive look at this remarkable 20th century religious philosopher who wrote, in addition to his immensely popular autobiography The Seven Storey Mountain, over 60 books on some of the most pressing social issues of our time, some of which are excerpted here. Merton offers an engaging profile of a man whose presence in the world touched millions of people and whose words and thoughts continue to have a profound impact and relevance today.

1984-01-01 | en

The Sacred Art of Tibet

An accurate depiction of the basic tenets of northern Mahayana Buddhism, cast into living or "experiential" form, consistent with powerful mantras heard on the soundtrack of the film. Tarthang Tulku, a Tibetan Lama, was the advisor.

1972-06-01 | en

Songs of the madmen

The Bauls of West Bengal are nomad musicians who practice a traditional form of concert challenged by the increasing modernization of India. The term "Fous" here refers to those inspired and wandering musicians of Bengal known as Baül. The word Baül is derived from the Sanskrit word "vatul," which means "mad" in the sense that it commonly connotes a more or less frenetic behavior in French. The Baül are peculiar individuals, particularly in their mannerisms, customs, and practices. Although they may belong to either the Hindu or Muslim religion, the Baül refuse to be guided by any social or religious conventions. Freedom of spirit is their only guide. They thus move against the tide of habits, preconceived notions, and general theories. "Le chant des fous" (The Song of the Mad) is a film made by Georges Luneau.

1979-07-05 | en

Faya Dayi

A spiritual journey into the highlands of Harar, immersed in the rituals of khat, a leaf Sufi Muslims chewed for centuries for religious meditations – and Ethiopia’s most lucrative cash crop today. A tapestry of intimate stories offers a window into the dreams of youth under a repressive regime.

2021-09-03 | om

Out of Darkness: Heavy is the Crown (Vol. 1)

An examination of how Africa's mythological stories have served as the basis for the world religions that came after, especially in Western civilization.

2022-04-22 | en

DIVINE MYSTICS: ANOTHER SIDE OF ISLAM

A documentary on sufism

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Awake: The Life of Yogananda

An unconventional biography by Oscar nominee Paola di Florio and Sundance winner Lisa Leeman about Hindu mystic Paramahansa Yogananda who brought yoga and meditation to the West in 1920 and authored the spiritual classic "Autobiography of a Yogi," which became the go-to book for seekers from George Harrison to Steve Jobs.

2014-10-10 | en

The Art of Meditation

This VHS video includes two short documentaries by Elda Hartley. In the first, THE ART OF MEDITATION, Alan Watts gives us techniques and advice for meditating. Elda Hartley herself narrates the second film, MEDITATION: THE JOURNEY INWARD, which exposes viewers to different cultural approaches to meditation. Hartley then discusses how meditation enriches one's life, and what it can reveal to us.

1971-11-11 | en

Rumi: The Dance of Love

A dramatised documentary about the life of Rumi, a Persian mystical poet whose images of universal love and divine mystery continue to be celebrated more than 700 years after his death.

2008-04-25 | tr

God and Buddha: A Dialogue

In this fascinating and unusual conversation, writer and physician Deepak Chopra talks to religion professor Robert Thurman about the connections and differences between two of India's most important philosophical beliefs: Vedanta and Buddhism. Chopra explores the foundation of Vedanta, while Thurman -- the father of actress Uma Thurman -- provides the Buddhist point of view in this meeting held in 1999 at New York City's Tibet House.

1999-01-01 | en

Nazis: The Occult Conspiracy

This documentary examines how Adolf Hitler and the Nazi regime made use of ancient mysticism, occultism, and mind-control techniques in their efforts to win the war.

1998-01-01 | en

Adios Amor

In Adios Amor, the discovery of lost photographs sparks the search for a hero that history forgot—Maria Moreno, a migrant mother driven to speak out by her twelve children’s hunger. Years before Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta launched the United Farm Workers, Maria picked up the only weapon she had—her voice—and became an outspoken leader in an era when women were relegated to the background. The first farm worker woman in America to be hired as a union organizer, Maria’s story was silenced and her legacy buried—until now.

2022-11-13 | en

Power of Chi

The mysterious chi is presented as a force that can be produced by the master and defies all explanation.

2022-01-01 | en

Les dieux de Molenbeek

2019-08-09 | fr

The Sufi and the Scientist

The Sufi and the Scientist is the collective story of Sufi healer Sayyid Arif Hussain, the medieval Sufi Sheikh Haji Ali, and Dr. Thornton Streeter, a scientist working in the realm of human consciousness.

2006-04-09 | en

gOD-Talk

Explores the lives of seven Black Millennials – Atheist, Buddhist, Christians, Muslim, Ifa, and Spiritualist – and the challenges and discoveries with faith and spirituality.

2023-10-23 | en