Product Details

• Actors: The Dalai Lama, Lama Konchog
• Directors: Nati Baratz
• Format: Color, Dubbed, DVD, NTSC, Subtitled, Surround Sound, Widescreen
• Subtitles: English
• Region: All Regions
• Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: Oscilloscope Laboratory
• DVD Release Date: November 3, 2009
• Run Time: 102 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (46 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B002MZCSW4
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #33,072 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
• For more information about "Unmistaken Child" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Editorial Reviews

UNMISTAKEN CHILD - DVD Movie

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

78 of 79 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This Could be the Best Documentary I've Ever Seen., September 12, 2009

By 

Loves the View "Louise" (Hawaii) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

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This review is from: Unmistaken Child (DVD)

A Buddhist Master dies. After sadness and mourning his young assistant sets out to find his master's re-incarnate. His journey begins with guidance from an astrologer. The search takes him, primarily on foot, through some of the most beautiful territory in the world. He visits rural people that eke out a living in pristine, rugged and remote areas of Nepal. I saw in the program that the quest took 4 years.

The child is found and is brought to the monastery for testing. Once validated, the child is accepted as the incarnate of the master and is given a new name and confirmed by the Dalai Lama. People come from far and wide pay homage to him.

The beauty of this movie extends beyond the fantastic scenery and ceremonies. The pure love the assistant had for his master, his treatment of the child and his utter confidence that the child is his master re-incarnate is touching and thought provoking. The uncomplicated devotion of the people to their religion and customs is as stunning as the scenery.

This is a look into an a highly ritualized not only religion but culture. Besides learning the process for chosing religious leaders you are behind the scenes of the monestaries where you see how the monks eat, sleep and relate. You are in the homes of the rural people who live as their ancestors. The people do not seem to notice the cameras. In scenes where they talk to the camera, they appear to be totally genuine.

I highly recommend this beautiful film for anyone interested in Buddhism and eastern religion or those interested in travel world cultures.

36 of 37 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Warm, humorous, surprisingly accessible, October 5, 2009

By 

avoraciousreader (Somewhere in the Space Time Continuum) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Unmistaken Child (DVD)

Unmistaken Child
Dir Nati Baratz.

Warm, humorous, surprisingly accessible 5*

The local reviewer had made "Unmistaken Child" sound like an exercise in comparative religion and anthropology, a bit daunting and probably opaque to the non-initiated. I had read some Tibetan Buddhism decades ago, and of course read or watch the news about the continuing saga of the Dalai Lama and his following, so I decided to go anyway and was very pleasantly surprised. Instead of a hard slog, the film immediately grabbed me and I soon felt like I was scrambling through the Himalayan rocks with the disciple Tenzin Zopa. It didn't hurt that Tenzin was a charming and shyly charismatic young man with excellent English. While this film will take you very far away from New York or Oshkosh, it is a good trekking guide and if you are the sort who has any interest in seeing it to start with you should find it a joy to watch.

The story in brief: Tenzin had been the disciple of the renowned Geshe Lama Konchog for 21 years, beginning at age 7, when the Lama died at age 84, in 2001. After a period of mourning, it is determined that Tenzin must search for the reincarnation of Geshe-la so that the child may be given the chance to become a monk. The quest begins with a round of consultations, even leading down into India and the Tibetan exile community, dream interpretations and an astrological consultation ... via video from Taiwan! The contrast of the jetsetting lifestyle (accepted with aplomb) with Tenzin's more natural life in the mountains, is both instructive and the source of some gentle humor. Once Tenzin has narrowed the search down to a particular valley, and gotten instruction on what to look for, he takes off on foot, seeking for the reincarnated master, who would now be nearing 2 years old. Some parents advocate for their children, but he must be careful to choose the "unmistaken child." The simplest tests involve, for instance, showing the child several objects and seeing if he is attracted to the one that actually belonged to Lama Konchog. He finally does find "the one," a cheerful and outgoing child and we then follow Tenzin and the boy.

Throughout there is much beautiful scenery, insights into the lives of people in isolated Himalayan communities, and the pageantry and rituals of Tibetan Buddhism. To anyone fascinated with this region, this will be instructive eye candy.

As to reincarnation? The film is hardly didactic on this issue. I think you will take from it what you bring. If you are a believer (as one reviewer of the theater release seemed to be), you may see it as evidence confirming that belief, but if a skeptic you are unlikely to be convinced. But, as the director says in the press kit available on line, that is really beside the point. It is Tenzin's belief and how he acts upon it that is important.

By the way, do look up the official website and the press kit, which has a long and interesting description of the process of filming. I hope some of that makes it onto the DVD.

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Search and Find of Master-Incarnate, November 10, 2009

By 

U. Balu - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Unmistaken Child (DVD)

The authentic spiritual traditions of the Far East are strong believers in rebirth and reincarnation. Law of karma and rebirth supposedly originated in Hinduism, but it is central to many religions. Siddhartha Gautama (approx. 600 BC), the founder of the Transcendence of Suffering, later known as Buddhism, was a Hindu prince and scholar from India. His teachings spread through much of the Far East and later to the West. As with any other religion, it has its versions in different areas of the world.

Tibetan Buddhist tradition finds its Masters who are reborn. `Unmistaken Child' is about the search for the incarnate of a Master who had recently left his body. He had given directions as to how to look for clues to find him. After finding some `signs' and consulting with an astrologer, Tenzin Zopa, a monk and the closest disciple, is given the task of finding his Master in the form of a child. After a taxing journey through villages visiting several probable candidates, he finds him.

The child in question identifies the objects the worship that he used in his past life (There are stories that the current Dalai Lama was chosen the same way after identifying prayer/meditation objects from his previous life). The child also recognizes his secluded private ashram. He is taken to the monastery with the permission of his parents so that he can resume his service as a Master.

The documentary has many interesting moments. The parents of the child giving him up, Zopa's love for the child, the role reversal of the disciple taking care of his Master who is now a little boy, and the monk raising the child are all touching. The humility and simplicity of the philosophy is brought out in expressions like `the flower not free' `I got permission from the tree to take this flower' and `plants and flowers dance'. The photography is spectacular on the outdoors and mountains of the rural world. The viewers who are unfamiliar with the tradition will be intrigued by the many scenes of ceremonies and rituals in the monasteries. The lifestyle, manners and mannerisms of the society are also presented often.

This is a remarkable documentary of not-to-be-missed quality.