Darshan

In India where extreme poverty is part of every day life, Amma, one of the world’s foremost spiritual leaders, spreads her message of love. She was born in a poor fishing district close to Kerala, not in tears as most babies, but with a smile on her face. Starting an Ashram from scratch, Sudhamani, or Amma as she is now known, meaning mother, has with her followers built houses all over India, fed the needy and given love from a never-ending river which flows from her. Darshan is a Hindu term for glimpse into blessing, something which Amma grants those who seek her through a simple hug. At times she has performed Darshan for twenty hours in a row, without a break and blessing as many as twenty one thousand. Her continuous and devoted work has earned her recognition worthy a true leader. In 2002 she received the Gandhi-King Award for Non-Violence, (earlier granted to persons such as Kofi Annan and Nelson Mandela), with the words ”She stands here in front of us. God’s love in a human body.” Jan Kounen is the first foreign director who has been allowed to follow Amma in her travels across India, from Jaipur to Calcutta, creating an intimate portrait of this modern Guru. DEVI BRUNSON