Alexandra David-Neel was a remarkable Frenchwoman variously described as an explorer, spiritualist, Buddhist, anarchist, opera singer, and writer.
In 1912 she met the 13th Dalai Lama, who encouraged her to learn Tibetan, a language she became fluent in, and shortly thereafter she also lived as an anchorite practicing Tibetan yoga/meditation practices.
In 1916, at the age of 48, she made her first trip to Tibet, along with Lama Aphur Yongden, who she would later adopt as her son. There she met the Panchen Lama, who appointed her a Lama and gave her a doctorate.
She later made trips to Japan, Korea, China and Mongolia, and in 1924 she traveled in disguise once more to Lhasa, Tibet. It is this journey that the documentary follows.
It was by no means an easy journey, but she seems to have had an enormous fortitude, and managed to overcome many difficulties before reaching her destination, where she stayed for two months. This is the story of her pilgrimage.
The video is narrated in English and there are subtitles in many languages, but the English subs, which seem to be translated from the original French, do not match the spoken narration.
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to see an album of screenshots click here