Customer Reviews

Short Cut To Nirvana

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

Kumbh Mela, although a religious festival, could also be compared to 100 Burning Man Festivals happening in the same place (or 1000 Woodstocks). This documentary, the first to capture the taste and flavour of this remarkable gathering of humans (watch others jump on the bandwagon...) is really quite superb. No attempt is made to deliver a judgement of the event. Film-makers Benazzo and Day, who are never seen or heard during the movie, cleverly let the images and participants themselves define the experience for the viewer. In front of their camera, spiritually-minded folks from India and all round the world, mix with wide-eyed Westerners to create a fascinating juxtaposition of worldviews. Universal truths, beyond dogma and doctrine, bubble below the surface of the movie, surfacing occasionally, as when the Dalai Lama chats to a hushed audience in a large tent. There are other moments of high comedy. A young Indian devotee accompanies the film-makers, enthusiastically explaining what is going on. They meet an attractive spiritually curious blonde nurse from New York, and as the days roll on, and the young guru answers her questions on the Vedanta, they strike up a strong friendship. He confesses privately to the camera just how deeply touched he is by her inner light. She, meanwhile, works to distinguish the holy from the more worldly facts of male attention. This exemplifies the success of the movie: the eternal mixes with mundane, as one shaman sings beautifully to the lord, another hauls a car by his foreskin. A mother loses her child, and finds it again...someone is buried alive as a religious stunt... the crew stumbles across a bizarre Indian transvestite theatre. All of this is played out in the lush backround of the Ganges, the air thick with a depth of colour that seems to only exist on the subcontinent. The layers of the visual (it is really most beautifully filmed), are complimented by a haunting soundtrack. Day's editing establishs the perfect pace, relaxing the viewer slowly into a sublime state where they can almost smell the fires and incense. And when, at the end, everyone runs into the Ganges, in a flow of ecstatic human joy that can actually be seen from space, the viewer's heart and soul seems to leap along with the mass of jumping, splashing Kumbh Melans. I can't recommend this movie too highly. I found it deeply touching and more "real" than any attempt to "sell a story" of why humans are on earth and what it all means. Buy this, and if you can, project it on a large screen for your friends.

The Story of the Kumbh Mela in Hindu Mythology: Long ago the Devas (Gods) and Asuras (Demons) were fighting over a pot (Kumbh) containing the "Nectar of Immortality." Indra grabbed the pot and raced for the heavens as the demons pursued not far behind in an epic chase that lasted for twelve days. To the Gods one day is equal to one year. Thus was born the Pot Festival, the Kumbh Mela, celebrated every twelve years to commerate Indra's heroic deed.

No one seems to know for sure exactly how long this festival has been celebrated. Some sources say the Kumbh Mela has an unbroken history going back to 200 B.C. while others push the date back as far as 500 B.C. Whatever the case one thing is certain, it's the longest running religious festival in history. The most recent addition of the festival occurred in 2001 and an estimated crowd of over 70 million pilgrims attended making this event the largest gathering of mankind in the history of the world!

Considering the immense history and the staggering logistics involved in attempting to encapsulate the heart and soul of such an event into one film, the filmmakers certainly faced an absolutely mind-boggling task. Yet somehow, someway Maurizio Benazzo and Nick Day have accomplished the impossible with the release of their masterpiece, 'Short Cut to Nirvana!'

There is so much going on in this film that it's difficult to decide where to begin and what to focus on. Witnessing such an incredible mass of humanity gathered in one place at one time is enough to take your breath away. However don't become too absorbed in the exotic landscape or you'll miss out on a wealth of wonderful information provided by the commentary and numerous interviews interspersed throughout, making this documentary as fascinating intellectually as it is spiritually and emotionally.

Pure and simple, this is the best documentary on spirituality I have ever seen! There are no visible flaws in this production; cinematography, storyline and soundtrack all come together to provide the ultimate viewing experience of the Kumbh Mela. The only thing better would to actually be there.

This is a film that demands repeat viewings to fully absorb and appreciate the immensity and profound impact of the Kumbh Mela. However in the final analysis you will discover that human words and emotions are inadequate in describing what is seen, heard and felt during this magnificent production so lovingly provided by Benazzo and Day. You will find yourself reduced to one simple statement to be echoed along with the vast multitude of devotees gathered along the banks of the Ganges for a ritual bathing, the highlight of the festival. "Hail Holy Mother Ganga!"

I wasn't too impressed with this film. It was hyped up quite a bit when it came out, but I don't think it delivered. It seemed to be, basically, a small bunch of wide-eyed naive Westerners being led around by a young swami of dubious character. He showed them all the crazy far-out gurus and swamis and guys who stretch out their genitals, etc. I think that had the filmmakers known their subject matter a little better the film would have been much better. Instead we are experiencing a proxy version of these young astonished, but ultimately ignorant, foreigners' quasi-religious carnival ride. It also seemed to wander around in it's subject matter. By the end I was just glad to be able to move on to watch something else. Also, why did someone tag this film with "Bhutan"?

Shortcut to Nirvana:
If you are looking for the sensational aspect of mystic India, this is perhaps a good movie to watch. I was dissappointed! This film fails to capture the spiritual intent and solemnity of the Kumbh Mela. Pilgrims eagerly look forward this rare festival for spiritual reasons! These "other diversions" are meant to inspire us to move beyond the material limitations. The story line of the film was weak and failed to inspire many of those who watched it with me.

This is a correction for a review submitted earlier. The most glaring error was "a event." Please replace the earlier text with the one that follows below the **** line.

********* the corrected review:
A glimpse into the biggest spiritual gathering on Earth in terms of numbers of participants. I came to the film as an eggheady Christian looking for common ground with other spiritual corners of the globe. Shortcut to Nirvana is a superb vehicle for such connection.
As others have stated, Kumbh Mela is too vast a festival to be crammed into a nutshell, and the filmmakers have not tried to do so. What they give us is a warm, enthusiastic overview of an event that moves a rich variety of people to community and vitality in their quest for godly energy. This westerner felt moved and encouraged to see Hindus of widely differing practices, as well as the Dalai Lama, and all seekers who attended, peacefully embracing each other's humanity and expressing their faith or searching for understanding. Shortcut to Nirvana will not tell you all you never knew about the Hindu world, nor the other worlds it touches. It may well inspire you to seek more understanding about those realms.

While I watched this movie, I couldn't help thinking that this movie is the reason that God created cameras and movies and technology - to capture and spread across the world the spirit of The Kumbh Mela, the biggest spiritual gathering in history, with 70 million people loving, honoring, sharing and celebrating One Infinite Spirit, one wondrous life expressing in so many colorful ways through all people and through all spiritual traditions. The movie is extraordinarily powerful because its message is the message of truth (truth which seems to be sadly lacking in many spiritual institutions in the West) - truth that no matter what is your spiritual orientation, the Infinite Spirit can be known only through LOVE for ALL. This movie is so incredibly heartwarming because here you get to see people not only talking about the truth, but actually expressing it - living it - they radiate love and so they bring heaven on earth. As you watch this movie, you too may find yourself immersed in an ocean of pure love. That is why the movie compels you to see it again and again. And then, make sure to share it with other people because in the west most people are truly starved for love. Most people need to see that enjoying lots of love begins by giving lots of love to everyone that crosses your path.

Ok, I had really high expectations for this film, thinking it was going to document the Kubh Mela, but it doesn't really. This film does give a over view of the festival but it really documents a few westerners being lead around by a painfully goofy "swami". The makers of this film really stuck to alot of the over the top antics that can be found on the surface of such a gathering. Again, if this was a in debth documentry of the festival it would have been much better. The true high lights of this film are H.H. The Dalai Lama as well as the bonus interviews with the featured teachers that are minutely woven through out this film. If you buy this (or rent it) don't miss the bonus stuff at the end, its basic dharma stuff which could have been much better if the interviewer knew what they were doing but a few of the interviews are really wonderful if just to see the love and open hearts of a few great teachers.

i didnt know what to expect really, but this movie was AMAZING. there are so many incredible (and weird) spiritual practices in India, and it was cool to see the dalai lama too - listening to him speak is phenomenal.

i've never been to india, but now i definitely want to go!

very very highly recommended.

"Short Cut to Nirvana", the movie, is extremely informative yet with good sense of humor.

I felt touched and inspired by its magnitude and simplicity.

It shows 70 million people united for the sake of goodness, for peace and universal love.

The H. H. Dalai Lama appearance, his charisma, and his message of tolerance are deep and relevant.

It made me want to go to the next Kumbh Mela and experience more of it!

Thank Maurizio and Nick for this remarkable experience!

The message stays with you!

Peace for all!

The film reveals footage of fascinating personalities, which interestingly also includes those in its cast. The level of ecstatic spirituality captured in the film is quite astonishing and infectious. Brian E. Erland's review on this page says it all very well, I'll just add a few observations of mine.

Surprisingly, it is an equally rare portal for the urbanized, secularized Indians. The urban Indian population is often educated in schools and colleges run by Christian missionaries and thus grows up with a profound sense of shame and denial for their Hindu spiritual roots. As it happened with Yoga, it is perhaps up to the "Westerners" like Benazzo & Day to rescue/document such fast vanishing traditions in globalizing India (check out Paula Fouce directed 'Naked in Ashes') for posterity.

Nirvana (literally, to extinguish) is a word in Sanskrit, the classical language of Hinduism, that denotes liberation as defined in Buddhism, another Indic religion. The Hindus themselves use a different key word for the same purpose - Moksha.

Why is the film on the most sacred Hindu gathering not titled `Shortcut to Moksha'? The answer to this question might be a good way to show why this film is an amazing one.

Firsly, because most Westerners find the complexity of Hinduism overwhelming and prefer the neatly packaged Buddhism instead. (In the Kumbh Mela meeting with HH the Dalai Lama, as shown in this film, the Sankaracarya, one of the foremost Hindu authorities present in the same meeting, is not even mentioned once - not exactly in keeping with the spirit of the harmony emphasized upon by HH.)

Thus a non-judgmental yet engaging depiction of Hindu faith like this film is in itself a rare find in the West, which is otherwise regularly fed with exaggerated tales of horrid caste discrimination and bride burning thanks to the gratuitous reporting by missionaries (or their journalistic/academic counterparts).

Secondly, because you can get away easily with using the more familiar (in the West) but less "Hindu" word Nirvana owing to the famed Hindu principle of universal tolerance which was such wonderfully celebrated in this movie (and in the Mela spirit, of course). Try naming a film on Haj to Mecca as `Shortcut to Communion with Christ'...! (By the way, some believe that even Jesus is supposed to have visited the Mela in his "missing years".)

In fact, Hindus go much beyond mere 'tolerance', they believe that all religions are valid albeit different paths to one true God. And this has been sublimely emphasized, along with the continuous stress on the need for universal peace, in the additional conversations with the 5 spiritual teachers. Just don't miss this core appendix.

Also the interview with the film-makers is surely worth watching, they did an unbelievably wonderful job. The production quality is without any major flaw. However, as one reviewer puts it, the host Krishnanand is a "goofy swami"; he often asks silly or avoidable questions to ascetics like "when did you begin asceticism, or what is your age". (The ascetics, in general, do not wish to refer to their former lives.) But he does add color and fun to the story-telling. The directors, in particular, deserve my heart-felt thanks for their sincere job.