Customer Reviews

Living Goddess

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Living Goddess examines the Hindu tradition of Kumaris, or living goddesses, young girls who are believed to be incarnations of a deity until they reach puberty. The filmmakers travel to Nepal to examine this phenomenon, taking a look at the life of Sajani, an 8 or 9 year old girl believed to be the incarnation of the Goddess Taleju.

If it seems to be a bit slow paced at first, with its long takes of daily routine, it's for good reason: Nepal is a country with a way of life, a politics, and a culture that is utterly unfamiliar to most of this film's viewers, and to move any faster would be to miss a great deal. The Kings of Nepal have traditionally relied on the goddesses as justification of their rule by divine right. In the midst of a Maoist insurgency against an autocratic King, the role of the living goddess has only come under greater scrutiny. Lengthy takes of protests and riots are interspersed with religious ritual and the Sajani's daily life. The filmmakers go to great lengths to point out that despite her status as a deity, Sajani is just a normal girl; she loves playing with toys, running around with her friends, and pestering her parents. Her life is extraordinary and rather mundane at the same time, and the film draws you in through the travails of its charming main character.

Nepal recently abolished its monarchy and became a republic, so it is possible that this tradition may die out as politics and religion begin to disentangle. Living Goddess is an informative and thoughtful portrait of an unusual element in Hinduism, a faith already alien to most Westerners. The film has stunning visuals, making full use of the colorful traditions and natural beauty of Nepal. By taking a look at an unorthodox part of Hindu South Asian culture, Living Goddess examines the conflict between tradition and modernity, religion and politics.

This is a good documentary about the phenomenon of child goddesses in Nepal, focusing on the intersection of politics and religion during the final days of the monarch Gyanendra Shah's reign. The filmmakers' sympathies with the people of Nepal are clear, but they are also very close to their subjects whose loyalties are torn and who express some trepidation about the role religion will play in a democratic Nepal. The result is a film that's balanced, objective and sensitive even as it raises critical issues.

Of the three goddesses portrayed, the portrait of the young Sajani Shakya is particularly intimate. We see her interact with her family as a child, and we also see her fulfilling her duties as a goddess. Some of the scenes are humorous and endearing. The movie, however, is not for children.

Graphic scenes of animal sacrifice will be shocking to Western audiences, especially young children, as will scenes of violence in the streets. For older children who may be interested, adult supervision is recommended.

Okay, after the first few minutes, I got the message. But stuck with it to see if anything else would happen. Interesting to see an unfamiliar part of the world and its beliefs, but slow. Left after the animal beheadings.

What a messed up documentary. We get to see cows, goats, and chickens beheaded *with no warning*. Also, is the idiot documentary about the civil war or the little girls? Neither story line is well represented, much less blended together to form a nice flow.