Having been a guest of the Indian government (although he defines himself as a “refugee”, like the 80,000 Tibetans forced to flee in 1959 after the Chinese invasion) for 60 years now, the Dalai Lama, now aged 90, continues to dispense wisdom to the world. Made on the occasion of the celebrations for his 90th birthday (which fell on 6 July), the documentary Wisdom of Happiness can be seen as the spiritual testament of one of the most charismatic men of our time. The film, selected for the 27th Festival do Rio as part of the Europe! Voices of Women+ in Film initiative run by European Film Promotion, brings together Swiss filmmakers Barbara Miller (#Female Pleasure [+lee también:
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ficha de la película], Forbidden Voices) and Philip Delaquis (the producer of #Female Pleasure and E.1027 - Eileen Gray and the House by the Sea [+lee también:
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ficha de la película]), with Oren Moverman and Richard Gere serving as executive producers.

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Although the documentary is rich in previously unseen images and archival footage, its core remains the 14th Dalai Lama and spiritual leader Tenzin Gyatso, who speaks directly to us, looking into the camera, sat on a chair against a black backdrop that highlights his vibrant gaze and his unmistakable maroon and saffron robe. What the Dalai Lama offers are practical suggestions to confront fears, anxieties and anger, both individual and collective, private and public – essentially, to face the challenges of the 21st century through meditation. It’s a century that, as he says, “will not be easy”. Wars, climate emergencies, widespread hatred, violence, walls erected to repel and repress – all of this is addressed in the Dalai Lama’s words in the documentary. “I’m not talking about God or the afterlife, but about the life we’re living now,” he explains at the beginning. “And my commitment is to try to share ancient wisdom on how to develop peace of mind.”

There is one primary and fundamental figure that the highest spiritual guide of Tibetan Buddhism places at the centre of his discourse: the mother. She not only provides the foundation for one’s identity and ability to relate to the external world but, according to the Dalai Lama, is also “the true teacher of empathy and compassion”. He recalls his own mother, who taught him to look within – a simple farmer with no formal education who found herself the mother of the “chosen” child in whom the 13th Dalai Lama had reincarnated. He was a reluctant boy, uninterested in Buddhism, who was punished by his tutor with the “sacred whip”. These are among the most moving moments of the film (accompanied by beautiful period images), alongside the story of the persecution of his people. At 16 came the Chinese invasion, the betrayal of Mao, whom he had considered a father figure, and he had no alternative but to flee, while killings, arrests, torture and cultural genocide continued. “We do not want independence from China,” he says towards the end of the film, perhaps sending a final message to the leaders of the “new era”; “only to preserve our culture and identity.”

With depth yet also admirable levity and a touch of irony, the Dalai Lama addresses, one by one, the great issues of our time: stress, haste and competition that prevent us from pausing to meditate; barriers and wars, especially religious ones, “in which nobody wins”; science, which like the Tibetan tradition adopts a logical approach and does not necessarily entail believing or having faith; women, who have a greater sense of caring for others’ well-being; and the safeguarding of nature, which requires daily collective effort. The Dalai Lama does not linger on theory, but urges us to focus on breathing, to exercise the mind, to control emotions and to seek clarity. It may sound like a YouTube yoga class, but in a world of binary logic and “hateocracy”, these are the only words of wisdom to say. Compassion is “the key factor”. The only possible path is to care for one another.

Wisdom of Happiness was produced by Swiss outfits Das Kollektiv für audiovisuelle Werke and Mons Veneris Films.