A scene from Unmistaken Child.Kidding around
By Carlin Nguyen
Tenzin Zopa was just 7 when he decided to become a follower to the great Tibetan master, Lama Konchog. Now that his master has passed away at the age of 84, there’s uncertainty in the air for Tenzin as what he would do next.
Days later he receives permission from the Dalai Lama himself to find a young baby child that most represents his former master. The hardest part of this assignment: get permission from the kid's parents to let the monastery take their child and take care of it.
With the help of astrology tools, Tenzin’s guided through Lama’s former homeplace as well as his own. He explores far through foot and mule, day and night, to find this child. Eventually he finds this remarkable child who best represents Lama
Surprisingly, Tenzin is no typical monk. He’s a bit shy and unprepared to know what to do next. We learned that during his learnings that everything Tenzin did was basically told by his former master. And Tenzin is a person with an overwhelming sense of humor.
At first it would have been nice to witness more of the process that goes into finding this kind of child. But once the child’s chosen and then sent off to the monastery for tests, it brings a sense of appreciation to Buddhism faith and what their daily lifestyle entails. Also, I didn’t notice a real sense of struggle for Tenzin during his search (though four years is long, I’d wish the movie stressed that than just stating the fact it took four years). Despite these drawbacks the documentary has value.
With the help of astrology tools, Tenzin’s guided through Lama’s former homeplace as well as his own. He explores far through foot and mule, day and night, to find this child. Eventually he finds this remarkable child who best represents Lama
Surprisingly, Tenzin is no typical monk. He’s a bit shy and unprepared to know what to do next. We learned that during his learnings that everything Tenzin did was basically told by his former master. And Tenzin is a person with an overwhelming sense of humor.
At first it would have been nice to witness more of the process that goes into finding this kind of child. But once the child’s chosen and then sent off to the monastery for tests, it brings a sense of appreciation to Buddhism faith and what their daily lifestyle entails. Also, I didn’t notice a real sense of struggle for Tenzin during his search (though four years is long, I’d wish the movie stressed that than just stating the fact it took four years). Despite these drawbacks the documentary has value.
Written and directed by Nati Baratz, Unmistaken Child is an honest documentary about believing in reincarnation and soul searching for someone that best represents another person for whom passed away.
