18 Documentary films about spirituality

Baraka is a 1992 American non-narrative documentary film directed by Ron Fricke. The film is often compared to Koyaanisqatsi, the first of the Qatsi films by Godfrey Reggio for which Fricke served as the cinematographer. It was photographed in the 70 mm Todd-AO format, and is the first film ever to be restored and scanned at 8K resolution.

Bury Me in Redwood Country is a 2009 documentary film about the Redwood forest landscape. It is a meditative look at the tallest and largest trees on the planet, offering a reverential perspective that approaches the ecstatic. The film includes interviews with Redwoods experts, foresters, conservationists, native basketweavers, rangers and naturalists, including Steve Sillet and Michael Taylor. The project encapsulated a year of shooting in diverse locations in Redwood National and State Parks, Humboldt Redwoods State Park, Montgomery Woods State Reserve, Sequoia National Park, and others.

Challenging Impossibility is a 2011 documentary film which chronicles the weightlifting odyssey of the spiritual teacher Sri Chinmoy, who in 1985 at the age of 54 took up weightlifting and performing feats of strength using the power of meditation. His lifts were featured on newscasts worldwide, inspiring people to transcend their personal limitations and to abandon their concepts of the restrictions of physical age. Directed by Natabara Rollosson and Sanjay Rawal. The film was an Official Selection of the 2011 Tribeca Film Festival and premiered April 22, 2011.

Dalai Lama Awakening is a 2014 feature-length documentary film, produced and directed by Khashyar Darvich and narrated by actor Harrison Ford. With over 30 minutes of additional footage and a new score, the film is a Director's Cut and revision of Dalai Lama Renaissance, the award-winning 2007 documentary. The film presents the journey of innovative Western thinkers who travel to India to meet with the Dalai Lama.

Dalai Lama Renaissance is a 2007 feature-length documentary film, produced and directed by Khashyar Darvich, and narrated by actor Harrison Ford. The film documents the Dalai Lama's meeting with the self-titled "Synthesis" group, made up of 40 Western "renaissance" thinkers who hope to use the meeting to change the world and resolve many of the world's problems. The meeting took place at the Dalai Lama's home in Dharamsala, India in September, 1999.

David Wants to Fly is a 2010 German documentary film that follows its director, Berlin-based, film school graduate David Sieveking, as he interacts with his film hero David Lynch, and explores the Transcendental Meditation movement. The film chronicles a period of time in Sieveking's life that includes his off-and-on relationship with his girlfriend as well as his travels to the United States, Holland and India. The film has received awards and honorable mentions as well as criticism.

Enlighten Up! is a 2009 documentary film by Kate Churchill on yoga as exercise. It follows an unemployed journalist for six months as, on the filmmaker's invitation, he travels from the US to India to practise under yoga masters including Pattabhi Jois, his first American pupil Norman Allen, and B. K. S. Iyengar.

FLicKeR is a Canadian documentary film written and directed by Nik Sheehan, produced by Maureen Judge and Silva Basmajian (NFB). The film is based on the book Chapel of Extreme Experience by John G. Geiger about the work of artist Brion Gysin and his Dreamachine.

Full Circle is a 1993 Canadian documentary, third and last of the National Film Board of Canada's Women and Spirituality series, focusing on women's spirituality in the Western World at the end of the 20th century, the Goddess movement and feminist Wicca new religious movements, as the preceding Goddess Remembered (1989) and The Burning Times (1990) featuring neopagan activist Starhawk.

The Great Ecstasy of Woodcarver Steiner is a 1974 documentary film by German filmmaker Werner Herzog. It is about Walter Steiner, a celebrated ski jumper of his era who worked as a carpenter for his full-time occupation. Showcased is Steiner's quest for a world record in ski flying, as well as the dangers involved in the sport. Herzog has called it "one of my most important films."

Hippie Masala: Für immer in Indien is a 2006 Swiss documentary film directed by filmmaker Ulrich Grossenbacher and anthropologist Damaris Lüthi.

I Am is a 2010 American documentary film written, directed, and narrated by Tom Shadyac. The film asks the question: "What is wrong with the world, and what can we do about it?", and explores Shadyac's personal journey after a bicycle accident in 2007 which led him to the answers "the nature of humanity", "the world's ever-growing addiction to materialism", and "human connections" Shot with Shadyac and a team of four, the film contrasts sharply with the director's most notable comedic works.

Inner Worlds, Outer Worlds is a documentary film created by Canadian film maker and meditation teacher Daniel Schmidt. The film was released in 2012.

Into Great Silence is a 2005 documentary film directed by Philip Gröning. An international co-production between France, Switzerland and Germany, it is an intimate portrayal of the everyday lives of Carthusian monks of the Grande Chartreuse, a monastery high in the French Alps.

My Reincarnation is a 2011 documentary film directed by Jennifer Fox. It is a drama between father and son, spanning two decades and three generations. The film addresses spirituality, cultural survival, identity, heritage, family, growing into maturity, aging, Buddhism, and past and future lives.

Samsara is a 2011 American non-narrative documentary film of international imagery directed by Ron Fricke and produced by Mark Magidson, who also collaborated on Baraka (1992), a film of a similar vein, and Chronos (1985).

Tulku is a 2009 documentary film, written and directed by Gesar Mukpo. The film details the personal experiences of five young Western men who were identified in childhood as being tulkus, or reincarnated Tibetan Buddhist masters.

Unity is a 2015 documentary film written, directed and produced by Shaun Monson, and the sequel to the 2005 film Earthlings. The film is narrated by one hundred actors, artists, athletes, authors, businessmen, entertainers, filmmakers, military personnel and musicians. The film was released worldwide on August 12, 2015.