Directed by PBS veteran David Grubin, (The Jewish Americans, Abraham and Mary Lincoln: A House Divided) and narrated by Richard Gere, The Buddha relates the life of the Indian sage who famously gained enlightenment as he sat beneath a fig tree two-and-a-half millennia ago. The two-hour film tells the Buddha's story through painting and sculptures by some of the world's greatest artists and tracks his biography across the sweeping landscapes of northern India. The testimony of contemporary Buddhists -- from Pulitzer Prize-winning poet W.S. Merwin to the Dalai Lama -- provide insight into the ancient narrative of the man who never claimed to be God or God's emissary, but merely a human being who, in a world of unavoidable pain and suffering, had achieved a serenity that others, too, could find. This documentary tells the story of his life, a journey especially relevant in our own times.
