Ever wonder how reincarnations of deceased Buddhist masters are found and recognized? Unmistaken Child chronicles Nepalese monk Tenzin Zopa’s lengthy search for the new embodiment of Geshe Lama Konchog, a revered Rinpoche who died in 2001. Observing rather than explaining ancient traditions, Israeli director Nati Baratz’s fascinating insider’s perspective inspires as many questions as it answers. After signs at “Geshe-La’s” cremation pyre indicate an imminent reincarnation, senior lamas in India consult Taiwanese astrologers and learn there’s a high probability that the baby’s father’s name starts with an “A” and that he will come from a place beginning with “TS”” Those clues take 28-year-old Zopa on a long stay in Nepal’s spectacular Tsum Valley where he inspects an array of runny-nosed tots to see if they recognize his master’s rosary. While the film is ostensibly about the identification and education of a remarkable child, it also portrays hardworking Zopa’s evolution from shy disciple to resourceful teacher, capturing the beauty in wild nature and timeless, elaborate Buddhist rites and rituals.

(Seattle)