The world of religions with its large and small secrets offers a lot of scope for discovery. Faith has many faces and, in its concrete forms, leads to very different ways of life. In the Faszination Faith series we get to know the exciting world of the five major religions. We visit impressive temples and magnificent churches – the houses of faith. And we accompany people who leave no stone unturned to shape their lives according to God’s will.

Its glittering gold attracts pilgrims from all over the world: the Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon, Burma, is the heart of Buddhism. Its dome is his most important sacred building/sanctuary in the world. It is covered with more than 13,000 gold plates, surmounted by ruby ​​stones, sapphires and a 76-carat diamond. If you want to enter the pagoda, you first have to pass impressive stone lions that stand almost menacingly in front of the church. These so-called Cinthe are supposed to protect those who enter from evil.

Inside the pagoda, monks perform their ceremonies and murmur sutras. Due to its great social and moral importance, the community of monks, the “Sangha”, enjoys a high reputation among the Burmese population. Many parents place their children in the care of this community. What hopes and expectations do these parents have for their offspring? We accompany a family to the big novice festival, where their son is accepted into the community of monks. His head is shaved for initiation. But belief in ghosts also plays a major role for Burmese. They organize lavish parties for these so-called “Nats”, where there is a lot of dancing and drinking in order to be able to receive their messages. The documentary provides insights into the great importance that Buddhism has for the everyday lives of people in Burma.

Initiative: Marita Neher
Director: Marita Neher
Editorial Staff: Linde Dehner (ZDF/arte)
Production: Andrea Ufer
Station: ZDF/arte

– Episode 1 – Casablanca: Die Moschee von Hassan II
– Episode 2 – Yangon: Die Shwedagon-Pagode
– Episode 3 – Budapest: Die Dohány-Synagoge
– Episode 4 – Madurai: Der Meenakshi-Tempel
– Episode 5 – Mailand – Der Dom St. Maria Nascente