Filmed in the gorgeous countryside and ancient cities of India and Turkey, this compelling documentary follows the journeys of three young people who have turned their backs on the material comforts and distractions of the West to find meaning in the spiritual philosophies of the East.

Sister Yeshe Chodron’s journey leads her from Australia to the foothills of the Himalayas and life as a Buddhist nun. On a riverbank in southern India, Ronela Vainio, a native of Finland, immerses herself in tantric yoga. Lastly, Californian Aziz Abbatiello discovers his calling as a Sufi dervish in Turkey, where he prays, sings, and spins himself into spiritual ecstasy.

The idyllic settings in which these young people practice their disciplines sharply contrast the cramped landscape of the West and the often aimless lifestyle of their peers. The lives of the three spiritual novices, however, are not without challenges. They must leave their family behind and make material sacrifices. Ronela admits, “My family still wonders why I wanted to go so far away, why I don’t live like a normal human being.” In addition, attaining true spirituality requires tremendous effort and the patience to delve deep beneath the surface and not be distracted by the trappings of this world. “It’s easy to go around in circles”, says Aziz, “but to empty yourself of yourself, that’s a struggle”.

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• Featured Voices
• The Filmmakers
• Credits

Reviews
 
“A soul provoking look into the deeper meaning of life”
- Indiewire

Video Librarian Review May-June 2009 on Through the Eastern Gate
Rating: 3 out of 4 Stars - Recommended!

Directors Mironel de Wilde and Julien L. Balmer’s Through the Eastern Gate profiles three young Westerners who chucked it all for spiritual enlightenment in India and Turkey. According to Sister Yeshe Chodron, “Everything you want, you’ll find in India. It’s a place of extremes: heaven and hell.” At 17, the Australian Yeshe became a Buddhist nun, while Californian Aziz Abbatiello found his calling as a Sufi semazen or whirling dervish, and Finlander Ronela Vainio practices Tantric yoga. Yeshe experienced a terrible sense of loss after the death of her father, and turned to drugs and alcohol, but nothing filled the emptiness until she discovered Tibetan Buddhism. After her confirmation in the Catholic Church, Ronela not only felt “flat,” but no closer to Jesus. Both women were looking for change after these transformative experiences (Aziz, on the other hand, had been raised as a Sufi). Each of the three here credit a particular guru or swami—whose comments are also included—for teaching them how to follow their chosen path, and all feel as if they’ve found the “Answer,” although obviously each has found an “answer” that brings purpose to their individual lives. An engaging look at a trio of modern spiritual explorers, this is recommended. Aud: C, P. (K. Fennessy)