I just watched this last night and I was expecting a shaky, biased, ooey-goey devotee in blind love with his guru story I was pleasantly surprised by what an absolutely gorgeous and stunningly photographed film this was. There were moments when I viscerally felt like I was back in India. The steadycam shots were impressive, especially considering the nature and logistics of shooting verite in a place as crowded and constantly bustling as India. I especially loved the driving shots from the bus- there are some great shots that truly capture what its like to drive on Indian roads... absolute chaos!

The film is about Mata Amritanandamayi Devi- known to many as Amma. She's the "hugging saint" and she travels all over the world hugging people as a representative of the divine mother. I'm a person who is pretty anti-guru but I must say that Amma's hugs are just lovely. And her charitable works are impressive. I have been rather skeptical of her for some time now, but this film really gave me a new perspective on the true scope of her works.

All in all, a really gorgeously done documentary by Dutch Filmmaker Jan Kounen. I highly recommend it for its cinematography and awe-inspiring tone even if you're not all that interested in the subject matter...