It's very rare to get any insight into a profound global figure's life, especially during their lifetime. Often, we are forced to reflect back on their journey, long after they've died, piecing together the story of their lives from historians, artifacts, and those who knew them well. The Dalai Lama – Scientist does the exact opposite.
Stunningly shot, the film flows like an intimate biography. It follows the 14th Dalai Lama and his life's work as a spiritual figure and refugee. The audience becomes privy to some of Dalai Lama's most close-held interests, including his love of science and technology. Typically, science and religion are at odds. While scientists are insistent on seeing evidence and support for some unknown phenomenon, spiritual followers are often guided by faith. For the Dalai Lama, his life's work has been about allowing the two to coexist at the same time.
Told in first-person accounts and with narration, The Dalai Lama – Scientist opens by highlighting the spiritual leader's obsession with science and technology from an early age. Filmmaker Dawn Engle uses animated inserts to recreate The Dalai Lama's childhood and youth before he stepped into his destiny. Even when he was named the 14th Dalia Lama, he never wavered on his passions and curiosities.
Pressing forward in time, when he fled Tibet and found refuge in India, we see the Dalia Lama enraptured in various discussions focusing on Physics, Neuroscience, and even The Big Bang Theory across decades. Most viewers would find these particular subjects extremely challenging to understand. However, because Engle focuses less on the scientific disciplines and more on how enthralled the Dalai Lama and these various scientists are when discussing them, the film never drags.
Admittedly the subject matter of The Dalai Lama – Scientist won't enrapture the everyday moviegoer. However, the way in which Engle sets up her story, with unprecedented access and a steady pace, allows even those who know the least about the Dalai Lami or science to remain enchanted. For those unfamiliar with the subjects presented, Engle was also careful to include title cards, which highlighted some of the many correlations between Western science and Buddhism.
As the film suggests, the Dali Lama is the shining star here. He's a curious and compelling figure. Even if you aren't intrigued by the actual science that's being discussed, his obvious delight with the various scientific and technological subjects allows the film to keep pressing forward. As a figure that initially seems wholly elusive, almost mythical, the Dali Lama’s humorous nature and wit make him seem extremely approachable. It makes sense quickly, why Engle was able to get so much unprecedented access to him.
More than that, the near life-long friendships that the Dalai Lama forms with many of the scientists were beautiful to see unfold, especially the camaraderie he found with one scientist who passed away from a terminal illness. Though the Dalai Lama's life is wholly different than the scientists he meets over the years, it's clear why the spiritual leader can connect with so many across the world. Their bonds go well beyond the obvious structure of religion.
The Dalai Lama – Scientist works best when the film centers its titular character. There are a few stray scenes toward the end of the film that flow just a tad too far from The Dalai Lama, but Engle is quick to recenter her narrative. Overall, The Dalai Lama – Scientist is an enchanting film that unveils the man behind the Dalai Lama figure while showcasing how science, human curiosity, and generosity might serve for a future that is much better than our past.