Synopsis
In Nepal, a venerable monk, Geshe Lama Konchog, dies and one of his disciples, a youthful monk named Tenzin Zopa, searches for his master's reincarnation. The film follows his search to the Tsum Valley where he finds a young boy of the right age who uncannily responds to Konchog's possessions. Is this the reincarnation of the master? After the boy passes several tests, Tenzin takes him to meet the Dali Lama. Will the parents agree to let the boy go to the monastery, and, if so, how will the child respond? Central to the film is the relationship the child develops with Tenzin.
Your Movie Library
Cast
- Tenzin ZopaTenzin Zopa
Recommendations
- 90
Salon
Unmistaken Child stands above most others in offering us an intimate look at Tibetan Buddhism in action, with no external commentary or narration. - 90
Los Angeles Times
Its privileged glimpse deep into unfamiliar spiritual territory has the strength of revelation. - 75
New York Post
I hope they have shrinks in remote Nepal, because this kid is going to need one. P.S.: The scenery is awesome. - 75
The A.V. Club
Baratz’s apparent willingness to accept everything at face value papers over some of the more troubling aspects of Tenzin’s mission, but Unmistaken Child allows the mysteries of the process to be preserved without judgment. - 75
San Francisco Chronicle
A compelling documentary. - 70
Wall Street Journal
Seldom has a film presented such a richly ambiguous juxtaposition of modernity (among the toys showered on the boy is a really cool radio-controlled helicopter), ancient mindset and, to be sure, possible miraculousness. - 70
Washington Post
Unmistaken Child: adorable, moving, bewildering, sad and, ultimately, peaceful. - 50
The New York Times
The beauty of the landscape and the monk’s sweetness, humility and good humor evoke a plane of existence, at once elevated and austere, that is humbling to contemplate. That said, Unmistaken Child offers no scholarly perspective on Tibetan Buddhism and leaves fundamental questions unanswered.