Asian Heritage Month Film Festival: Unmistaken Child (Nepal)

The documentary follows a Tibetan Buddhist monk’s search for the reincarnation of his beloved teacher, the world-renowned lama (master teacher) Geshe Lama Konchog. The filming, which began in October 2001, spans a time frame of five and a half years. It follows the deceased lama’s closest disciple – a modest young monk named Tenzin Zopa, who speaks English well – as he seeks to find the child who is his master’s reincarnation.

Because Tenzin is only a humble monk, he questions his ability to accurately find and recognize the reincarnation of an enlightened master. He is daunted by the difficulty of the task, for which he alone seems responsible.

Following a combination of prayer, intuition, and various forms of divination, Tenzin travels to the tiny villages of the remote Tsum Valley on the Nepal–Tibet border, and checks many families and many children. He seeks to find a young boy of the right age who responds emotionally to one of his former master’s possessions. Still, many questions would remain, and many tests and trials must be met before the existence of a Rinpoche – a reincarnated Tibetan master – could be confirmed. And even beyond the question of the confirmation of a reincarnation is the emotional toll involved in removing a small child from his loving parents and familiar village.

For more information about Asian Heritage Month, contact Erwin Wong, Dean of Academic Programs and Instruction, at ewong@bmcc.cuny.edu.

See a complete list of Asian Heritage month events.

• + Google Calendar
• + iCal Export