I expected this movie to be different than it was, but I'm glad my expectations were challenged. Admittedly, this documentary does not conform to traditional documentary conventions where everything is explained in clear, linear, fashion, but the beauty of its failure to do so has the perhaps intended effect of causing the viewer to pay closer attention, think more, and draw her/his own conclusions. The film provides a window into the centuries-old Tibetan medical system, independent from but enhanced by Buddhism, which is markedly different in method, material, and philosophy from traditional Western medicine. While alternative medicine in the U.S. tends to import healing traditions from numerous cultures around the world, I can honestly say I encountered something new in this film that adds to my existing, fairly broad knowledge of alternative healing. While the Tibetan system bears resemblance to Chinese medicine (which is better known in the West) via its reliance on a meridian system and herbal remedies, there are subtle and noteworthy differences. Any serious student or practitioner of alternative medicine or healing should see this film. Even if it is not "perfect," it is valuable, and can sustain multiple viewings.
