Review: Unmistaken Child (2009) ****

Tenzin Zopa searches for the Unmistaken Child

When Tibetan Buddhist master Geshe Lama Konchog died in 2001 at the age of 84, it fell to his humble disciple, Tenzin Zopa, to search for his reincarnation. Armed with only a few clues gleaned from rituals performed after his master’s passing, from astrological readings and through the interpretation of dreams, Tenzin spent four years traveling up and down Tibet on foot, by mule and at one point by helicopter hoping to find the little boy who embodied his master reborn. Tagging along on Tenzin’s epic spiritual quest, filmmaker Nati Baratz recorded the search for this unmistaken child and the result is not only one of the most compelling documentaries of the year, it’s also one of the most beautiful and moving stories to unfold on the big screen period.

At the story’s heart is the remarkable character of Tenzin Zopa himself. A shy, somewhat insecure 28-year-old, Tenzin had been under the tutelage and in the shadow of his master since he was 7 years old. As the one who knew Lama Konchog best, he’s the obvious choice to identify his master’s reincarnation, but he’s unsure of his abilities and uncertain of being thrust into this new position of responsibility – a follower suddenly become a leader.

Traveling from village to village, Tenzin not only endures great hardship and doubt, he must also adjust to being alone in the world for the first time. Early on, there’s a moving scene where he examines his master’s hut in the mountains for clues and he breaks into tears as the memories of the times he spent there come flooding back. Though his lifestyle may be unfamiliar to non-Buddhists, Tenzin is a very likeable fellow and deeply sympathetic. Watching him interacting happily with the children he encounters along the way, it’s easy to root for him to succeed in his quest.

Constantly hanging over his journey however is the fear of failure. The odds are seemingly against Tenzin from the start, but he persists and when he finally finds a boy he believes to be the Lama reincarnated, his story suddenly shifts. Once a pupil and a follower, Tenzin is quietly and dramatically transformed into a kind of mentor to the child who may also be his master – the student becomes a teacher and the father figure becomes a pupil.

It’s a happy moment, but Tenzin’s quest does not end there. The child still must be tested and approved by the Dalai Lama himself. Then, even if the boy is shown to be the Lama Konchog returned to Earth, the parents must make the wrenching decision whether or not to give up their child to go live far away in a monastery. Even after years of hardship, the success or failure of Tenzin’s journey remains uncertain until the very end.

Full of scenes of great natural beauty and of rich emotional resonance, Tenzin Zopa’s mission plays out like a compelling spiritual mystery. It’s not only a fascinating anthropological study recording practices previously seen only in fictionalized accounts, it’s also the moving story of one man’s personal journey and transformation. In the end, Unmistaken Child transcends its earthly subject and becomes a deeply felt rumination on the very nature of faith.

Unmistaken Child. Israel 2008 (released in the US in 2009). Written and directed by Nati Baratz. Cinematography by Yaron Orbach. Music score composed by Cyril Morin. Edited by Ron Goldman. Featuring Tenzin Zopa and His Holiness the Dalai Lama. 1 hour and 42 minutes. Not rated by the MPAA. 4 stars (out of 5)

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Tags: Cyril Morin, His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Nati Baratz, Ron Goldman, Tenzin Zopa, Unmistaken Child, Yaron Orbach