Mindful Documentaries, Films, Movies, and Videos
It means so much to me to learn from people who attempt to be more mindful, as well as from those interested in understanding what mindfulness is all about. Especially since mindfulness is the help I need in difficult moments—moments where I am imperfect. With so many now discovering how good it feels to step through life in a more mindful manner, I really wanted to compile a list of documentary films, movies, and videos found online, including on Netflix, to support the understanding and growth of such skills. Listed by year, then alphabetically, the most recent films appear at the top of this page. When I surround myself with such works, they help me learn and practice the mindful skills I need, so I can thrive in a more compassionate way.
I Have Arrived, I Am Home
Made especially for the first anniversary of the passing of Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh | 2023
“I Have Arrived, I Am Home is a new documentary from filmmaker Max Pugh.
“The film includes footage and commentary on Thich Nhat Hanh's return to his native Vietnam, where he lived from 2018 until his passing on 22 January 2022.
“It also traces his continuation through monastic and lay students at Plum Village practice centers around the world.
“The international Plum Village Community is making this film available to everyone for free to honor our dear teacher and inspire viewers to walk the path of mindful living.”
A Cloud Never Dies
A new biographical documentary of Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh | 2022
“Narrated by actor Peter Coyote, A Cloud Never Dies weaves together original film and photographic archives, telling the story of a humble young Vietnamese monk and poet whose wisdom and compassion were forged in the suffering of war.
“In the face of violence, fear, and discrimination, Thich Nhat Hanh’s courageous path of engaged action reveals how insight, community, and a deep aspiration to serve the world can offer hope, peace, and a way forward for millions.
“The film’s release on April 2, 2022 coincides with the release by his students of an Open Letter calling for peace and an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine.
“This film includes a few brief scenes which some viewers may find upsetting (including sounds and images of war). These are intended to convey the true suffering caused by war, but they may also be triggering for some people, so please use your discretion when sharing this film with children.”
Mission: Joy
His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu | 2021
“One grew up in a palace in Tibet. The other grew up in poverty in South Africa. One a Buddhist; the other a Christian.
“Yet their friendship shows us that true connection overcomes our differences. They are on a mission to help us all live with more JOY.
“In what turned out to be their last time together, we trace the epic life stories of these Nobel Peace Prize winners as they faced oppression, exile, death threats, cancer, and more — unbowed and still laughing.
”They are opposites in many ways, yet their friendship shows us that our shared humanity is bigger than our differences.
”Their life stories remind us that JOY is an inside job, that JOY and pain are inseparable, and that deep connection is one of the secrets to JOY.”
From Stress to Happiness
Alejandro De Grazia, Juan Maria Stadler, Matthieu Ricard, Tania Singer, David Steindl-Rast | 2020
“A stressed-out documentary filmmaker goes on a journey of discovery with a pair of monks, one of whom is known as the happiest man in the world.”
Mindfulness Documentary
Dan Harris, Dr. Craig Hassed, Dr. Judson Brewer, Dr. Jon Kabat Zinn, Dr. Kevin Hyde, Dr. Dave Johnson, Dr. Jutta Tobias | 2020
“These days, discussions of meditation and mindfulness appear everywhere from business and medical journals, to addiction and trauma recovery groups, to education conferences.
“Mindfulness is the secret of living in the present moment. A life lived mindfully is a life lived full of peace, tranquility, joy, bliss, ecstasy and compassion.
“The simple practice of mindfulness has been around for thousands of years but today mindfulness requires a deliberate practice.
“In this documentary … experts delve deeper into … what is mindfulness? … mindfulness meditation … mindful living … mindfulness at work.”
My Year of Living Mindfully
Dan Harris, Kristen Neff, Jon Kabat Zinn… | 2020
“Overwhelmed with insomnia and an incurable autoimmune disease, Shannon Harvey needed to make a change. But while the award-winning health journalist found plenty of recommendations on diet, sleep and exercise, when she looked for the equivalent of a 30-minute workout for her mental wellbeing, there was nothing.
“Worried for the future mental health of her kids who were growing up amidst epidemics of stress, anxiety, depression and addiction, Shannon enlisted a team of scientists to put meditation to the test. Could learning to quiet our busy minds be the simple solution the world so desperately needs?
“Throughout her year of living mindfully Shannon is poked, prodded, scanned and screened as she travels the world to interview 18 of the world’s leading mindfulness scientists and pioneers. But after a 30,000 kilometre journey from the bright lights of Manhattan to the dusty refugee camps of the Middle East, what begins as a self-experiment, transforms into a life-changing experience.
“My Year of Living Mindfully is filled with compelling stories, groundbreaking science, and unexpected insights that go to the heart of what it means to be human in the twenty-first century.”
To Live Awake
Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh, Young Monastics | 2019
“We live in challenging times. To live awake, in harmony and truly connected is an art. The basic condition of this art is to come home to yourself and be fully present. But how to do that?
“In this film we travel with Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh and his community to Spain and with young monastics to Latin America. We see how practitioners are invited to return home to themselves, through the practice of mindfulness. The simple practice of mindful walking, mindful breathing, total relaxation and sharing in groups, moves and transforms the practitioners deeply, often even within a couple of days. It’s like a miracle.
“One of the practitioners shares in the film: ‘It has been an enriching experience in every sense. It shows me another way of living life. With more compassion, with more understanding, with more love, more calm. And to find true happiness.’”
Into Light
Julie Bayer Salzman, Director/Producer; Josh Salzman, Director | 2018
“Into Light features four teens who successfully use mindfulness to help battle depression.
“They learned mindfulness through Peace in Schools, a nonprofit that designed the nation's first for-credit, semester-long course in Mindful Studies, now offered to 10 public high schools in the Portland, OR, area … experiential … practice of mindfulness as it pertains to self and culture from childhood through old age.”
Walk With Me
Featuring Zen Buddhist master Thich Nhat Hanh | 2017
“Directed by Marc J. Francis & Max Pugh, Walk With Me is a cinematic and immersive exploration into the world-famous monastery of Zen Buddhist master Thich Nhat Hanh.
“As Benedict Cumberbatch’s meditative voice reads extracts from Thich Nhat Hanh’s early journals, the daily routine and rituals of monks and nuns on a quest to develop a deep sense of presence, slowly unfolds across the four seasons.
”With unprecedented access, this visceral film is an insightful rumination on the pursuit of happiness, and what it means to devote one’s life to mindfulness and living in the present moment—a welcome remedy to the stresses of a world in turmoil.”
A Mindful Choice
We want to inspire and give hope that there is a different way of being. —Sally Lewis, film-maker| 2016
“Greg Hopkinson and Sally Lewis, two Ishaya monks from New Zealand, were inspired to make A Mindful Choice to show that anyone can choose for a greater experience of life.
“Although all the people in the film use a meditation technique called Ascension as taught by the Ishayas of the Bright Path, there are many ways to experience more happiness and contentment. The path or approach is different for each of us.
“A Mindful Choice also plants the seed of possibility that humanity could live in peace. A shift in consciousness is required; a shift that starts with each of us choosing for our own inner peace and happiness.”
Goldie Hawn on the Importance of Mindfulness
Goldie Hawn | 2016
“In the first event of the Pure Land Series, Goldie Hawn took the China Exchange audience on a journey of mindfulness. Starting by sharing her initial experiences with childhood anxiety and exploring her consciousness through meditation practices in the 1970s, Goldie explained the profound effects of mindfulness on well-being and on brain strength.
“She described her personal sense of purpose in sharing the power of mindfulness with as many people as possible and how this led to the development of the Hawn Foundation’s MindUp programme—mindfulness sessions delivered in schools, the military and other organisations.”
Release
Julie Bayer Salzman, Director/Producer; Josh Salzman, Director | 2016
“Release is the 2nd in our series of mindful shorts, and it focuses on stress and anxiety as experienced by middle school kids.
“70% of middle school students today report feeling ‘stressed out’—an alarming figure, and a sign that something must be done to help kids manage the sense of overwhelm and frustration they experience so that they can blossom into young adults who are equipped to navigate their way through life's challenges in a positive, productive way.
“We hope this film in some small way helps not just kids, but everyone who suffers from the toxic effects of stress and anxiety.”
Just Breathe
Julie Bayer Salzman, Director/Producer; Josh Salzman, Director | 2014
“A short film we made with our friends at Citizens of the World Mar Vista Charter School, Just Breathe features kids speaking candidly about anger and how they cope—something for all ages to ponder...
“With a running time of a whopping 3 1/2 minutes, Just Breathe is the quickest lesson on mindful meditation you’ll ever get, by the youngest teachers you’ll ever have.
“Just Breathe is the first in a series of … mindful shorts—experiential short documentaries that explore the practice of mindfulness as it pertains to self and culture from childhood through old age.”
Neuroscience + Mindful Awareness Training = Thriving Children with Goldie Hawn
Featuring Goldie Hawn, Academy Award-winning actress, producer, author, child advocate, and philanthropist. | 2014
“Ms. Hawn speaks about her ground-breaking MindUP™ program, the result of 10 years of collaboration with neuroscientists, educators, psychologists and experts in the field of mindful awareness training.
“The signature initiative of The Hawn Foundation, MindUP™ is a social and emotional literacy curriculum and training program which currently serves children and schools across five continents.
“Accredited by CASEL, MindUP™ equips children, educators and parents with vital social and emotional literacy skills, helping them increase focus, improve academic performance, reduce stress, and gain emotional resilience and optimism.
“Rooted in neuroscience, the program teaches self-regulatory behavioral control while offering engagement strategies for learning and living.”
The Mindfulness Movie
Elisha Goldstein, Ph.D.; Gay Hendricks, Ph.D.; Kathlyn Hendricks, Ph.D., BC-DMT; Kristin Neff, PhD.; Congressman Tim Ryan; Eckhart Tolle; Jon Kabat-Zinn, Ph.D… | 2014
“Over 35 of the world’s leading medical and mental health experts, in the fields of psychiatry, family counseling, sports psychology, psychology, quantum physics and neuroscience as well as best-selling authors, weigh in on the topic of mindfulness in this ground-breaking documentary … a distinguished and diverse group, hailing from places far and wide … like Sri Lanka to London; Malaysia to Harvard Square; and Appleton, WI to the halls of Congress in Washington, D.C.”
The Dhamma Brothers
“The Dhamma Brothers have taken their own passage to India and discovered a practice of meditation that guides them down their inner path to freedom.” —John Lewis, U.S. Congressman | 2008
“East meets West in the Deep South. An overcrowded maximum-security prison—the end of the line in Alabama’s correctional system—is dramatically changed by the influence of an ancient meditation program.
“Behind high security towers and a double row of barbed wire and electrical fence dwells a host of convicts who will never see the light of day. But for some of these men, a spark is ignited when it becomes the first maximum-security prison in North America to hold an extended Vipassana retreat, an emotionally and physically demanding course of silent meditation lasting ten days.
“The Dhamma Brothers tells a dramatic tale of human potential and transformation as it closely follows and documents the stories of the prison inmates at Donaldson Correctional Facility, who enter into this arduous and intensive program.
“Produced in association with Freedom Behind Bars Foundation, the film was released theatrically, won numerous awards, was profiled in The New York Times and on NPR, and featured as part of Oprah Winfrey’s Soul Series.”
Seven Years in Tibet
Brad Pitt, David Thewlis, BD Wong | 1997
“An Austrian mountain climber's escape from a WWII POW camp brings him to Tibet, where he builds a transformative friendship with the young Dalai Lama.”