Darshan, the
embrace (France 2006)
By Caroline Planque
posted August 31,
2006
In
this documentary about the power of altruistic love, French
director Jan Kouen sets to India where he follows the footsteps
of Amma for one year. This inspiring woman, spiritual guide and
Mahatma, has dedicated her entire life to acts of love and
self-sacrifice. She is mostly known for her embrace, in the
literal sense of the word, which she has given so far to roughly
26 million people in the world. Lining up and waiting for
hours, her followers take turn to receive her blessings, one
person at a time, for a few fleeting seconds.
While the documentary is missing an in-depth analysis of her
philosophy and teachings, and a detailed exploration of her
western disciples’ motivations (among them a French and a
British who have left everything behind to follow and serve
her), it does a good job at capturing Amma’s persona and her
dedication to her ideals. More importantly, it reminds us in a
fresh way of the importance and power of compassion and
selflessness.
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