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different positions and elicit different emotional responses, such as melancholy and wonder.
Plot summary
The opening credits accompany a beautiful illustrated tale narrated in voiceover, which tells
the story of a priest who halts the sacrifice of a goat when the animal reveals that it had been
a priest in its previous life. The narrator is revealed to be a Buddhist monk - Lama Norbu -
who is reading to a class of children. Having received a letter containing a tip-off, Lama
Norbu, accompanied by a group of acolytes, leaves his monastery in Bhutan to travel to
Seattle where a boy - Jesse Conrad - has been identified as the possible reincarnation of the
late Dalai Lama, Lama Dorje. The monks' visit to Jesse's parents, Lisa and Dean, draws a
polite but sceptical response, although when they read a book about Prince Siddhartha s life,
an affinity with Buddhism begins to evolve. The book introduces the visual splendour of the
Buddha's legendary birth and life; a narration that, from this point in the film, alternates with
the unfolding of the present day narrative. When Jesse enquires about Lama Norbu's illness,
the monk introduces him to the concept of impermanence, while Siddhartha discovers death
as the ultimate human suffering, and Dean experiences grief as his business partner commits
suicide after going bankrupt, Dean being briefly tempted to repeat the gesture himself.
Siddhartha's decision to embrace an ascetic lifestyle, driven by the desire to find a solution to
human sufferings, is mirrored by Dean's decision to accompany Jesse to Bhutan, hoping that
the journey will help him to understand 'what to do with the rest of his life'.
Two other possible candidates for the reincarnation emerge: Raju, from Katmandu,
and Gita, a rajah's niece, whom they meet in India. During the journey, the beauty of India's
landscape and the poverty of its population are witnessed, whereas the affective bond
between the children is strengthened as they participate in the final confrontation between
Siddhartha and the Lord of Darkness (Mara). At the monastery in Bhutan, Lama Norbu
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