This is a BBC film by Frederick Raphael from 1998 that takes an outsider’s look at religious belief in Thailand and Malaysia, two very different societies in SE Asia. The film is the second in a four-part series looking at the religious experience throughout the world.
The first half of the film looks at Thailand and tries to understand its Buddhist belief system, and how that is somewhat mixed up with the beliefs of other systems. Frederick talks to Phramaha Somchai Prohmsuwan, Chatsumarn Kabilsingh (before she ordained as Ven Dhammanandā), and various others.
The second half looks at the various religions in Malaysia, which is really a varied landscape, that includes Islam, Taoism, Buddhism, and Christianity. The films are very open and sympathetic, in the best (old) BBC style, intelligently researched and attractively fronted by an affable presenter.
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