WAmrapali is a 1966 historical Hindi film directed by Lekh Tandon, starring Vyjayanthimala and Sunil Dutt as leads. The film's music was by Shankar-Jaikishan.
WAngulimaal is a 1960 Hindi mythology drama film directed by Vijay Bhatt. The film was a Thai Information Service Co. Ltd. Presentation.
WAngulimala is a 2003 Thai fantasy-adventure-drama film based on the Buddhist-scripture story of Angulimala as interpreted by the director and actors of the film. The film is directed by Sutape Tunnirut and stars Peter Noppachai Jayanama as Angulimala, Stella Malucchi as Nantha, John Rattanaveroj as Vikul, Alisa as Mantanee and Catherina Grosse. The story is a tale of redemption for the character, who embarks on a series of killings in which he murders 999 people, collecting a finger from each victim and wearing the fingers in a garland around his neck. Later, when he realizes he was tricked into his wrongdoings, he tries to atone for his sins by becoming a Buddhist. The film was controversial on its release in Thailand, with religious leaders, local public and government officials arguing it was a distortion of Buddhist teachings.
WAśoka is a 2001 Indian Hindi-language epic historical drama film directed and co-written by Santosh Sivan. It is a dramatised version of the early life of emperor Asoka, of the Maurya dynasty, who ruled most of the Indian subcontinent in the 3rd century BCE.
WAvalokitesvara, also known as Bu Ken Qu Guan Yin, is a 2013 Chinese religious film directed by Zhang Xin. It is loosely based on a legend about how Mount Putuo in China's Zhejiang Province became the bodhimaṇḍa of the bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara, who is better known in Chinese as Guanyin. The film starred Li Chun, Nie Yuan, Nakaizumi Hideo, Siqin Gaowa, Nakano Ryoko and Mou Fengbin in the leading roles. It was shown at the 37th Montreal World Film Festival in 2013 and was named one of the four World Greats.
WBeyond Rangoon is a 1995 drama film directed by John Boorman about Laura Bowman, an American tourist who vacations in the country of Burma in 1988, the year in which the 8888 Uprising takes place. The film was mostly filmed in Malaysia, and, though a work of fiction, was inspired by real people and real events.
WThe Book of the Dead is a 2005 Japanese historical Buddhist stop motion animation feature film directed by Kihachirō Kawamoto. It is about the legend of Chūjō-hime who translated some of the significant Pure Land sutras from Chinese to Japanese, and is said to have witnessed weaving of Taima mandala by Amitabha Buddha himself & his attendants from lotus stems. It is his second feature film, the first being the Rennyo and His Mother (1981) and is based on the novel of the same name by Shinobu Orikuchi. It appeared in a couple of film festivals in 2005 before going into wide release in Japan on 11 February 2006 and has since won several awards at international animation festivals. It was shown in cinemas across the United Kingdom in the spring of 2008 as part of Kawamoto: The Puppet Master, a touring season of the Watershed Media Centre, and was released on DVD-Video in North America on 22 April 2008.
WBuddha in Africa is a 2019 South African Swedish documentary film produced, written and directed by Nicole Schafer. The film follows the story of Enock Alu, a Malawian orphan from a rural village growing up between the contrasting African culture and the strict discipline of the Confucian, Buddhist value of system of the Chinese. It explores the impact of the growing influence of Chinese culture in Malawi following increasing trade relations between China and Africa in the past decade.
WThe Burmese Harp is a 1956 Japanese drama film directed by Kon Ichikawa. Based on a children's novel of the same name written by Michio Takeyama, it tells the story of Japanese soldiers who fought in the Burma Campaign during World War II. A member of the group goes missing after the war, and the soldiers hope to uncover whether their friend survived, and if he is the same person as a Buddhist monk they see playing a harp. The film was among the first to show the losses of the war from a Japanese soldier's perspective.
WThe Cup is a 1999 Tibetan-language film directed by Khyentse Norbu. The plot involves two young football-crazed Tibetan refugee novice monks in a remote Himalayan monastery in India who desperately try to obtain a television for the monastery to watch the 1998 World Cup final.
WA Deer of Nine Colors is a Chinese animated film produced by Shanghai Animation Film Studio. It is also referred to as "The Nine Colored Deer".
WDoomsday Book is a 2012 South Korean science-fiction anthology film directed by Kim Jee-woon and Yim Pil-sung. It tells three unique stories of human self-destruction in the modern high-tech era, while displaying an alternative form of genuine humanity and compassion. A Brave New World is a political satire about a viral zombie outbreak; The Heavenly Creature philosophizes on whether a robot can achieve enlightenment; and in Happy Birthday a dysfunctional family bonds in the midst of an apocalypse.
WDr. Babasaheb Ambedkar is a 2000 Indian English-Hindi bilingual feature film directed by Jabbar Patel. It tells the story of B. R. Ambedkar, known mainly for his contributions in the emancipation of the downtrodden and oppressed classes in India and shaping the Constitution of India, as the chairman of the Drafting Committee of the Indian Constituent Assembly.
WDreaming Lhasa is a Tibetan-language film by veteran documentary filmmakers, Ritu Sarin and Tenzing Sonam, who have been making films about various aspects of Tibet under the banner of White Crane Films since 1990. Written by Tenzing, a first-generation Tibetan born and brought up in exile, Dreaming Lhasa is perhaps, the first Tibetan feature film to explore the state of exile and the issues of identity, culture and politics as they affect the Tibetan refugee community in India.
WThe Forbidden Team(film) is a 2003 Danish documentary film directed by Rasmus Dinesen and Arnold Krøjgaard. The leading cast consists of association football trainers Jens Espensen and Michael Nybrandt, the Tibet national football team and at the conclusion the Greenland national football team. Star-part is being played by the 14th Dalai Lama.
WThe Golden Child is a 1986 American dark fantasy comedy film directed by Michael Ritchie and starring Eddie Murphy as Chandler Jarrell, who is informed that he is "The Chosen One" and is destined to save "The Golden Child", the savior of all humankind.
WGolden Kingdom is a 2015 drama film directed by Brian Perkins. The film tells the story of four young Buddhist monks and their life in a Buddhist monastery. The film is set and filmed entirely on location in Myanmar. Golden Kingdom is the first international feature film produced in Myanmar since its recent reopening.
WHappy Ghost V is a 1991 Hong Kong comedy film directed by Clifton Ko. The film stars Raymond Wong and Filipina actress Kris Aquino
WHi! Dharma 2: Showdown in Seoul is a 2004 South Korean gangster comedy film. It is the sequel to Hi! Dharma! (2001).
WHi! Dharma! is a 2001 South Korean comedy about gangsters who hide out in a monastery. With 3,746,000 admissions, it was the fifth highest-grossing Korean film of 2001.
WThe Holy Man is a 2005 Thai comedy film. One of the top films at the Thai box office that year, it starred popular Thai television comedian, Pongsak Pongsuwan as a Buddhist monk. It is the first of a comic trilogy about young monks.
WIkkyū-san is a Japanese historical comedy anime series produced by Toei Animation, based on the recorded early life of Zen Buddhist monk Ikkyū during his stay at Ankoku-ji Temple. The anime was directed by Kimio Yabuki and written by Makoto Tsuji, Tadaki Yamazaki, Hisao Okawa, Tatsuo Tamura, Hiroyasu Yamaura and Keisuke Fujikawa. It aired on TV Asahi from October 15, 1975 to June 28, 1982.
WKundun is a 1997 American epic biographical film written by Melissa Mathison and directed by Martin Scorsese. It is based on the life and writings of Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama, the exiled political and spiritual leader of Tibet. Tenzin Thuthob Tsarong, a grandnephew of the Dalai Lama, stars as the adult Dalai Lama, while Tencho Gyalpo, a niece of the Dalai Lama, appears as the Dalai Lama's mother.
WKutty Srank is a 2010 Indian Malayalam arthouse film directed by Shaji N. Karun. Mammootty played the title role for the film. The film was produced by Reliance Entertainment under the banner of Big Motion Pictures, their first production in Malayalam. The film was released at the theatres of Kerala on 23 July 2010.The film won the national award for best feature film along with three other awards.
WLittle Buddha is a 1993 drama film directed by Bernardo Bertolucci, written by Rudy Wurlitzer and Mark Peploe, and produced by usual Bertolucci collaborator Jeremy Thomas. An international co-production of Italy, France, and the United Kingdom, the film stars Chris Isaak, Bridget Fonda and Keanu Reeves as Prince Siddhartha.
WMandala (Korean: 만다라) is a 1981 South Korean film about Buddhist monks in Korea. This is considered by many critics to be director Im Kwon-taek's breakthrough film as a cinematic artist.
WManimekalai is a Tamil film starring T. R. Mahalingam and P. Bhanumathi. The film was released in the year 1959.
WMaster of Zen is a 1994 Hong Kong film based on the legends surrounding the life of Bodhidharma. The film was directed, produced, and co-written by Brandy Yuen, and starred Derek Yee and Louis Fan in the leading roles.
WMekhong Full Moon Party is a 2002 Thai comedy-drama about the Naga fireballs that arise from the Mekong at Nong Khai on the full moon in October. Written by Jira Maligool, the film was also Jira's directorial debut.
WMilarepa is a 2006 Tibetan-language film about the life of the most famous Tibetan tantric yogi, the eponymous Milarepa. The film was shot in the Spiti Valley, high in the Himalayas in the Zanskar region close to the border between India and Tibet due to the location's resemblance to the Tibetan landscape.
WOK Baytong is a 2003 Thai drama film about Buddhist-Muslim relations in southern Thailand. It is written and directed by Nonzee Nimibutr.
WOpapatika is a 2007 Thai fantasy-action film. It is directed by Thanakorn Pongsuwan and stars Pongpat Wachirabanjong, Leo Putt, Somchai Kemklad, Chakrit Yaemnam, Ray MacDonald, Athip Nana, Nirut Sirijanya and Khemupsorn Sirisukha
WPaap is a 2003 Indian crime thriller film, directed by Pooja Bhatt in her directorial debut, and features John Abraham, Udita Goswami, Gulshan Grover and Mohan Agashe. Though the film did extremely average business at the box office but received considerable critical acclaim, especially for its cinematography, direction and Mahesh Bhatt's Indianised adaptation of Peter Weir's 1985 English film Witness. The film is remembered for its soundtrack and also marked the Bollywood debut of singer Rahat Fateh Ali Khan with Mann Ki Lagan.
WPsycho is a 2020 Indian Tamil-language psychological thriller film written and directed by Mysskin. The film was produced by Arun Mozhi Manickam under Double Meaning Production. The film stars Udhayanidhi Stalin, Nithya Menen, Aditi Rao Hydari, and debutant Rajkumar Pitchumani, while Renuka, Singampuli, Ram, Aadukalam Naren, and Shaji Chen play supporting roles. Ilaiyaraaja composed the soundtrack of the film, with cinematography by Tanvir Mir and editing by N. Arunkumar. Production began in September 2018, and the film released worldwide on 24 January 2020.
WRunning on Karma, also known as An Intelligent Muscle Man, is a 2003 Hong Kong action thriller film produced and directed by Johnnie To and Wai Ka-fai. The film is ultimately a Buddhist parable about the nature of karma. There were some cuts in the Mainland China edition to meet the requirements for release there.
WSamsara is a 2001 independent film directed and co-written by Pan Nalin. An international co-production of India, Germany, France, Italy, and Switzerland, the film tells the story of a Buddhist monk's quest to find Enlightenment. It stars Shawn Ku as the monk Tashi, and Christy Chung as Pema.
WSankara is a 2007 Sinhalese language drama film directed by Prasanna Jayakody and co-produced by Renuka Balasooriya and Somaratne Dissanayake for Cine Films. It stars Thumindu Dodantenna and Sachini Ayendra in lead roles along with Nilupa Heenkendaarachchi and K.A Milton Perera. Music composed by Nadeeka Guruge.
WSeven Years in Tibet is a 1997 American biographical war drama film based on the 1952 book of the same name. The book was written by Austrian mountaineer Heinrich Harrer on his experiences in Tibet between 1939 and 1951 during World War II, the interim period, and the Chinese People's Liberation Army's invasion of Tibet in 1950. Directed by Jean-Jacques Annaud and starring Brad Pitt and David Thewlis, the score was composed by John Williams and features cellist Yo-Yo Ma.
WSpring, Summer, Fall, Winter... and Spring is a 2003 South Korean film directed by Kim Ki-duk about a Buddhist monastery that floats on a lake in a pristine forest. The story is about the life of a Buddhist monk as he passes through the seasons of his life, from childhood to old age.
WSuba Theraniyo, theatrically as Jivakambavanika Hewath Suba Theraniyo, is a 2019 Sri Lankan Sinhala Buddhist epic biographical film directed by Sumith Kumara and co-produced by Bisara Chanakya and Ananda Samarasinghe for S.A.S Entertainments. It stars Ruwangi Rathnayake and Roshan Ranawana in lead roles along with Sriyantha Mendis and Dilhani Ekanayake. Music composed by Rohana Weerasinghe. It is the 1331st Sri Lankan film in the Sinhala cinema.
WThree Monks, also translated as The Three Buddhist Priests, is a Chinese animated feature film produced by the Shanghai Animation Film Studio. After the end of the Cultural Revolution in 1976, the film was one of the first animations created as part of the rebirth period. It won the Silver Bear for Best Short Film at the 1982 Berlin International Film Festival.
WTransgression is a 1974 South Korean film directed by Kim Ki-young.
WTravellers and Magicians is a 2003 Bhutanese Dzongkha-language film written and directed by Khyentse Norbu, writer and director of the arthouse film The Cup. The movie is the first feature film shot entirely in the Kingdom of Bhutan. The majority of the cast are not professional actors; Tshewang Dendup, a well-known Bhutanese radio actor and producer, is the exception.
WValley of Flowers Valley of Flowers is a 2006 French-German-Indian Independent Film directed by Indian director Pan Nalin starring Indian actors Milind Soman, Naseeruddin Shah and French actress Mylene Jampanoi in the leading roles.
WXuanzang or Xuan Zang is a 2016 Chinese-Indian historical adventure film based on Xuanzang's seventeen-year overland journey to India during the Tang dynasty in the seventh century. The film is directed by Huo Jianqi and produced by Wong Kar-wai. It stars Huang Xiaoming, Kent Tong, Purba Rgyal, Sonu Sood and Tan Kai. It was released in China and India on 29 April 2016, with distribution in China by China Film Group Corporation. It was selected as the Chinese entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 89th Academy Awards but was not nominated. 'Xuan Zang' was screened at the 2nd Annual Asian World Film Festival on 31 October 2016 in Culver City.
WYoddha: The Warrior, or simply Yodha is a 1992 Indian Malayalam-language sword and sorcery film directed by Sangeeth Sivan and written by Sasidharan Arattuvazhi. Mohanlal plays Thaiparambil Ashokan, the saviour destined to rescue the Rimpoche of a Nepalese Buddhist monastery from sorcerers practicing black magic. The ensemble supporting cast include Madhoo, Siddharth Lama, Jagathy Sreekumar, Puneet Issar, and Urvashi.
WYouth Without Youth is a 2007 fantasy drama film written, produced, and directed by Francis Ford Coppola, based on the novella of the same name by Romanian author Mircea Eliade. The film is a co-production between the United States, Romania, France, Italy and Germany. It was the first film that Coppola had directed in ten years, since 1997's The Rainmaker.
WZen Noir is a 2004 surrealist Buddhist murder mystery directed by independent filmmaker Marc Rosenbush and starring Kim Chan, Duane Sharp, Ezra Buzzington, Debra Miller, Jennifer Siebel and Howard Fong.