A Fire in the Forest: The Life and Legacy of the Ba'al Shem Tov
Jul 26, 2012 | IMDB 0
58 min Watch NowDocumentary
Rabbi Israel ben Eliezer (1698-1760), known as the Ba'al Shem Tov ("Master of the Good Name"), is one of the most beloved and celebrated, yet elusive, figures in Jewish history. Today, Jews worldwide – and even non-Jews – revere him as the founder of the Hasidic movement, a 18th-century offshoot of Judaism that promotes a mystical interpretation of the Bible, and as a model of piety and spirituality. The documentary A FIRE IN THE FOREST explores the life and legacy of the Ba'al Shem Tov through interviews with religious leaders and scholars, and on-location footage. The title derives from a tale about rabbis finding a hidden fire in the forest where they could appeal to God for help and have their prayers answered.
MOVIE COMMENTS
SIMILAR MOVIES
Merton: A Film Biography
Mystical Brain
One of Us
The Eichmann Trial
Awake: The Life of Yogananda
Wild Women
A Life Apart: Hasidism in America
Wellstone!
The Ornament of the World
Return
Sanctuary
Volvo City
Going to Hell
Matisyahu
The Eternal Jew
Nazis: The Occult Conspiracy
H. Spencer Lewis: Restorer of Rosicrucianism
The Unruly Mystic: Saint Hildegard
God and Buddha: A Dialogue
Someday the night will come
SIMILAR MOVIES
Merton: A Film Biography
IMDB 8 | Jan , 1984
In his lifetime, Thomas Merton was hailed as a prophet and censured for his outspoken social criticism. For nearly 27 years he was a monk of the austere Trappist order, where he became an eloquent spiritual writer and mystic as well as an anti-war advocate and witness to peace. Merton: A Film Biography provides the first comprehensive look at this remarkable 20th century religious philosopher who wrote, in addition to his immensely popular autobiography The Seven Storey Mountain, over 60 books on some of the most pressing social issues of our time, some of which are excerpted here. Merton offers an engaging profile of a man whose presence in the world touched millions of people and whose words and thoughts continue to have a profound impact and relevance today.Mystical Brain
IMDB 7 | Jan , 2006
Is it possible to shed light on the states of grace experienced by mystics and meditators? Mystical Brain shows us the most recent discoveries of scientific research on this phenomenon in North America and abroad. It seems that mystical ecstasy is a profoundly transformative experience. It could contribute to people's psychic and bodily health, treat depression and speed up the healing process in patients who combine meditation with conventional medicine.One of Us
IMDB 6.9 | Sep , 2017
Penetrating the insular world of New York's Hasidic community, focusing on three individuals driven to break away despite threats of retaliation.The Eichmann Trial
IMDB 0 | Oct , 2025
In 1961, history was on trial... in a trial that made history. Just 15 years after the end of WWII, the Holocaust had been largely forgotten. That changed with the capture of Adolf Eichmann, a former Nazi officer hiding in Argentina. Through rarely-seen archival footage, The Eichmann Trial documents one of the most shocking trials ever recorded, and the birth of Holocaust awareness and education.Awake: The Life of Yogananda
IMDB 6.7 | Oct , 2014
An unconventional biography by Oscar nominee Paola di Florio and Sundance winner Lisa Leeman about Hindu mystic Paramahansa Yogananda who brought yoga and meditation to the West in 1920 and authored the spiritual classic "Autobiography of a Yogi," which became the go-to book for seekers from George Harrison to Steve Jobs.Wild Women
IMDB 9 | Nov , 2022
At the beginning of winter, a filmmaker retires for six months to a hermit's cabin in the middle of the forest, cut off from the world and its means of communication. Through the words of four women she has filmed previously, all of whom have dedicated their lives to different forms of spirituality, she embarks on a mysterious inner adventure, on the edge of solitude and nature. A journey that invites us to connect with the world in a different way.A Life Apart: Hasidism in America
IMDB 4.5 | Aug , 1998
A Life Apart: Hasidism in America, is the first in-depth documentary about a distinctive, traditional Eastern European religious community. In an historic migration after World War II, Hasidism found it's most vital center in America. Both challenging and embracing American values, Hasidim seek those things which many Americans find most precious: family, community, and a close relationship to God. Integrating critical and analytical scholarship with a portrait of the daily life, beliefs, and history of contemporary Hasidic Jews in New York City, the film focuses on the conflicts, burdens, and rewards of the Hasidic way of life.Wellstone!
IMDB 0 | Oct , 2004
Paul Wellstone was the charismatic Minnesota progressive who used grassroots organizing to get elected and give ordinary people a stake in government. His 3rd election campaign was cut short when his small plane crashed into the north woods of Minnesota just 11 days before the 2002 election. Wellstone! explores the origin of his politics, his controversial road to the United States Senate, his deep bond with his wife and 'co-senator' Sheila, and the legacy of a life of progressive populism.The Ornament of the World
IMDB 7.8 | Nov , 2019
Filmed in Cordoba, Granada, Seville, and Toledo, this documentary retraces the 800-year period in medieval Spain when Muslims, Christians, and Jews forged a common cultural identity that frequently transcended their religious differences, revealing what made this rare and fruitful collaboration possible, and what ultimately tore it apart.Return
IMDB 6.1 | May , 2025
Sanctuary
IMDB 0 | Sep , 2024
Sanctuary explores queer spirituality and utopian sexualities through the figure of Purusha Androgyne Larkin (1934–1988), a monk, pioneering gay filmmaker, and self-proclaimed cosmic-erotic mystic. Larkin’s 1981 book, 'The Divine Androgyne According to Purusha', challenged repression with a spiritual vision rooted in eroticism and presented a radical path to cosmic-erotic consciousness through ‘extreme’ forms of sexual pleasure. Sanctuary explores Larkin's attempt to form a utopian, pleasure-based spiritual community, and considers the complex legacies of his ideas in queer culture. Shot on 16mm, the film weaves together the voices of Larkin’s friends and followers, creating a portrait in absentia of a figure ahead of his time.Volvo City
IMDB 0 | Nov , 1991
Stamford Hill in North London is home to a community of 30,000 Hasidic Jews. Aiming to preserve a way of life they had in eighteenth century Poland and living strictly according to over 600 Biblical commandments brings them into conflict with modern life. They have embraced one aspect fully though, the Volvo Estate car.Going to Hell
IMDB 6 | Jan , 2019
A documentary film exposing the truth about psychics and fortune-tellers. All the ins and outs of magical TV shows and services of the most famous psychics with evidence, names and prices.Matisyahu
IMDB 0 | Feb , 2004
Short Documentary. Matisyahu is a Hasidic Reggae/Beat Box/Rapper whose performances meld Jewish tradition with modern sounds, creating a new form of spiritual expression. This documentary follows Matisyahu as he performs in New York City and explains his conversion to Hasidism and his mission to ignite spirituality in others with his music. Directed by David Baugnon.The Eternal Jew
IMDB 4.5 | Nov , 1940
A Nazi propaganda film made to promote anti-Semitism among the German people. Newly-shot footage of Jewish neighborhoods in recently-conquered Poland is combined with preexisting film clips and stills to defame the religion and advance Hitler's slurs that its adherents were plotting to undermine European civilization.Nazis: The Occult Conspiracy
IMDB 6.1 | Jan , 1998
This documentary examines how Adolf Hitler and the Nazi regime made use of ancient mysticism, occultism, and mind-control techniques in their efforts to win the war.H. Spencer Lewis: Restorer of Rosicrucianism
IMDB 4.2 | Jan , 2009
In commemoration of the 100th anniversary of H. Spencer Lewis's initiation into the Rosicrucian Tradition, the Rosicrucian Order, AMORC presents this inspiring DVD about the life of H. Spencer Lewis and the mystical experiences that led him to seek out the Rosicrucians in France and then to establish the Rosicrucian Order, AMORC in America.The Unruly Mystic: Saint Hildegard
IMDB 0 | Oct , 2014
Discover why The Unruly Mystic: Saint Hildegard is the patron saint of creativity, and how her influence resonates today. The 12th-century abbess was a Christian mystic and visionary. She was also a musical composer, writer, and healer who created natural remedies widely used in Europe today.God and Buddha: A Dialogue
IMDB 0 | Jan , 1999
In this fascinating and unusual conversation, writer and physician Deepak Chopra talks to religion professor Robert Thurman about the connections and differences between two of India's most important philosophical beliefs: Vedanta and Buddhism. Chopra explores the foundation of Vedanta, while Thurman -- the father of actress Uma Thurman -- provides the Buddhist point of view in this meeting held in 1999 at New York City's Tibet House.Someday the night will come
IMDB 10 | Jun , 2025
In a small, unassuming town in the heart of the Yucatán Peninsula, Virginio carries an invisible burden. The whispers of Xtabay, a Mayan mythical figure who seduces and portends doom, echo through his days, intertwined with the legacy of his father and his ancestors lost to alcoholism and despair. Surrounded by death, Virginio searches for a way to live with dignity and peace, before Xtabay's voice claims him as well.