The Buddha (2010): cast, story & where to watch

Released in 2010, The Buddha is a documentary film directed by David Grubin, running about 120 minutes. “The Story of Buddha” — that tagline sets the tone.

What it’s about. This documentary for PBS by award-winning filmmaker David Grubin and narrated by Richard Gere, tells the story of the Buddha’s life, a journey especially relevant to our own bewildering times of violent change and spiritual confusion. It features the work of some of the world’s greatest artists and sculptors, who across two millennia, have depicted the Buddha’s life in art rich in beauty and complexity. Hear insights into the ancient narrative by contemporary Buddhists, including Pulitzer Prize winning poet W.S. Merwin and His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Join the conversation and learn more about meditation, the history of Buddhism, and how to incorporate the Buddha’s teachings on compassion and mindfulness into daily life.

Who’s in it. The Buddha stars Richard Gere as Narrator, Blair Brown as Narrator, Tenzin Gyatso as Himself (as His Holiness The Dalai Lama) and Mark Epstein as Himself - Psychiatrist - Author, among others.

How it landed. With an audience score of 6.5/10, The Buddha has drawn a solid, mixed-to-positive response.

Where to watch. In US you can stream it on PBS Documentaries Amazon Channel and rent or buy it from Amazon Video and Apple TV Store. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch The Buddha page.

If you liked it. Fans of The Buddha tend to enjoy One Direction: This Is Us, Burn the Stage: The Movie, BTS World Tour: Love Yourself - Japan Edition and Senna.