Hannah: Buddhism's Untold Journey

Hannah: Buddhism's Untold Journey

2014 · 90 min · ★ 7.4 · Documentary, History

'Hannah' tells the story of Buddhist pioneer Hannah Nydahl and her life bringing Tibetan Buddhism to the West. From her idealistic roots in 1960's Copenhagen to the hippie trail in Nepal, Hannah and her husband Ole became two of the first Western students of His Holiness the 16th Karmapa - the first consciously reincarnated lama of Tibet in 1110. Hannah went on to become an assistant and translator for some of the most powerful Tibetan lamas and a bridge between Buddhism in the East and the West.

Directed by Marta György-Kessler · Written by Marta György-Kessler

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Cast

Esther Fallon Hannah (as a Child)
Susannah Harker Narrator (voice)
Villads Vestergaard Ole (as a Child)

Make it a double feature

3h 28m together

Hannah: Buddhism's Untold Journey

There's Still Tomorrow

A close match in mood and era.

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Meeting the Buddha presents the life and legacy of the 16th Karmapa, Rangjung Rigpe Dorje—the head of the Karma Kagyu lineage, one of four main schools of Tibetan Buddhism. The film captures the remarkable presence of this spiritual teacher, known as a Living Buddha and the King of the Yogis. We meet Ole Nydahl, a wild young hippy from Denmark who, as a small child, had declared his wish to become the "Danish champion of mind." His life is radically transformed by a chance encounter with the Karmapa in Nepal in 1969. Ole and his wife, Hannah, become key figures in bringing Tibetan Buddhism to the West, founding hundreds of meditation centres—from Mexico City to Vladivostok—and carrying forward their teacher's vision with unshakable dedication.

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