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Born in France in 1868, Alexandra David-Neel was the first woman to be granted the title of Lama in Tibet. During her miraculous 100 years, she traveled extensively through Asia, especially in the Himalayas, where she followed an incredible spiritual path. Using spectacular archival footage, this program traces that path from her early careers as a philosopher and novelist, to her later vocation as a Buddhist monk. We also become privy to her two years as a hermit in the Himalayas, and to her secret pilgrimage to the holy city of Llasa, forbidden to foreigners. In an emotional ceremony, Neel's companion in her old age returns a golden Buddha-a gift from the Dalai Lama-to a monastery in Tibet. This is an exceptional portrait of an equally exceptional woman. (52 minutes)
