Buddha's Lost Children

A heavily tattooed Buddhist monk sits cross-legged atop a column, meditating as the sun rises. His eyes open, he stretches, and we are immediately aware of the quiet charisma this traveling teacher possesses. This exquisitely shot film takes us into the Golden Triangle region of Thailand, where Phra Khru Bah Neua Chai Kositto, aka the Tiger Monk, has built a temple, orphanage, school and clinic. It is here that he mentors the outcast children of the region in horsemanship and martial arts. They thrive under his tutelage and travel with him. Granted unprecedented access, director Verkerk reveals the children's transformation from lost boys to agents of change. (DW)