Darshan, The Embrace (2005)

50% of critics liked it
(20 reviews)
29% of users liked it
(17,087 ratings)

Dobermann and Blueberry director Jan Kounen offers further testament to his fascination with spirituality in this documentary exploring the healing power of touch as exhibited by Sri Mata Amritanandamayi Devi (aka Amma, the "Hugging Saint"). A lifelong humanitarian who has spread joy by wrapping her… More Dobermann and Blueberry director Jan Kounen offers further testament to his fascination with spirituality in this documentary exploring the healing power of touch as exhibited by Sri Mata Amritanandamayi Devi (aka Amma, the "Hugging Saint"). A lifelong humanitarian who has spread joy by wrapping her arms around approximately 23 million people over the course of her lifetime, Devi is observed both up close and from afar as she meditates, travels from city to city on a lifelong mission of goodwill, and discuss her philosophy with the filmmakers. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 1 hr. 33 min.
Directed By: Jan Kounen
Genres: Documentary, Faith & Spirituality

In Theaters: Jul 26, 2006 Wide
On DVD: Nov 14, 2006
Studio: IFC First Take

Critic Reviews

Bill Stamets, Chicago Sun-Times
Her teachings are trite.
Michael Wilmington, Chicago Tribune
You may walk away from Darshan, if it moves you at all, smiling yourself. After all, we could all use a hug.
John Anderson, Newsday
Less National Geographic and more personal history would have added a dimension to Darshan.
Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star Tribune
Director Jan Kounen clearly reveres his subject, too; you begin yearning for some skeptics to restore the balance, but they never appear.
John McMurtrie, San Francisco Chronicle
A loose and often not-so-engrossing assortment of scenes intended to showcase Amma's hold on her followers.
Wesley Morris, Boston Globe
The effect, however, is tranquilizing. It's disorienting and misleading, too, having the unintentional effect of making the holy woman seem like a mysterious kook.
Eric Monder, Film Journal International
Lacks both narrative edge and a complex world view.
Keith Breese, Filmcritic.com
a beautifully filmed portrait of a woman who embodies a human love that is nothing short of miraculous
Phil Villarreal, Arizona Daily Star
It may have been Ari Gold on HBO's "Entourage" who coined the phrase "hug it out," but it's Indian guru Amma who lives it.
Tim Grierson, L.A. Weekly
Unless you're already a true believer, Amma comes across in Darshan as a perfect angel, a frustrating enigma and a rather dull cinematic subject.
Ted Fry, Seattle Times
Kounen captures the squalor of Indian everyday life, as well as the tranquil faces and holy places of everything that passes his camera's gaze.
Bill White, Seattle Post-Intelligencer
Works better as a sad meditation on the spiritual hopes of a poverty-stricken people than as a portrait of a charismatic guru.
Ken Fox, TV Guide's Movie Guide
Even if the idea of spiritual gurus and personality cults make you slightly uncomfortable, Jan Kounen's beautifully filmed portrait of Sri Mata Amritanandamayi offers enough beautiful shots of India to seduce even the least spiritual of travelers.
Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat, Spirituality and Practice
A documentary about Amma, India's hugging saint, that reveals her large reserves of unconditional love, playfulness, compassion, and service of the poor.
Ed Gonzalez, Slant Magazine
Jan Kounen's Darshan- The Embrace extols the healing power of touch, revealing, cinematically and without condescension, the appeal of Sri Mata Amritanandamayi Devi.