CH.FILM

Sâdhu India, Switzerland 2012 – 93min.

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Sâdhu

Valérie Lobsiger
Movie Rating: Valérie Lobsiger

A hermit decides to leave his cave after 8 years of isolation to go on a pilgrimage.

In Hindi, Sâdhu means he who is in search of truth. To this end, the bespectacled sâdhu Suraj Baba has spent 8 years at 3200 meters in a cave at the source of the Ganges. He sings (in English) and accompanies himself on the guitar, stokes a wood fire, makes bread, prays and performs his ablutions. But his life is far from idyllic, because he is all alone, with insupportable moments of boredom, solitude, doubt and frustration: peace is hard to find. And so he decides to go on a pilgrimage to Kumbhamela. After at first rejoicing at being in the company of others, he soon realizes he can't have anyone imposing a code of conduct on him. In search of himself, he makes his way to the sacred lakes...

The young filmmaker from Valais Gaël Métroz followed and shared the life of Suraj Baba for one year. He shows us an indecisive and confused man, which is what makes him a sympathetic character, especially when he's had a few too many – Suraj Baba is certainly not a wise man dying for recognition. "The soul always wants to escape, and that is what is difficult." At the end of the movie, one feels more human and considerably less alone.

24.02.2021

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