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Ram Dass, Going Home

Name: Ram Dass, Going Home
Director: Derek Peck
Released: 2017
Duration: 31 min

Representation Score

8.3/10

Excellent

2017

PG-13

Director

Derek Peck

Runtime

31 minutes

Average Rating

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New Showbiz Analysis

Ram Dass, Going Home is a meditative study of identity that challenges traditional Western hierarchies regarding religion and physical disability. The film's strength lies in its promotion of a fluid, multi-layered understanding of the human experience. It critiques rigid institutional frameworks through a poetic lens. While the documentary lacks a broad demographic ensemble, its thematic depth provides a meaningful exploration of integrating diverse spiritual and physical realities.

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Category Breakdown

Does Ram Dass, Going Home have LGBTQ+ representation?

Fair

The film lacks explicit LGBTQ+ narratives or characters. However, its focus on 1960s counter-culture suggests an environment that challenges traditional heterosexual norms.

How does Ram Dass, Going Home portray gender?

Fair

The narrative centers on a single male figure, which may reinforce traditional patriarchal views. However, the film subverts typical masculine stereotypes by emphasizing vulnerability and love.

How racially and ethnically diverse is Ram Dass, Going Home?

Good

The film explores the intersection of Western consciousness and Eastern spiritual traditions, facilitating meaningful cross-cultural dialogue.

How does Ram Dass, Going Home represent religion and culture?

Excellent

The film prioritizes non-traditional spiritualities over institutionalized religion, emphasizing personal experience and the soul's journey rather than rigid dogma.

Does Ram Dass, Going Home include disability representation?

Good

Ram Dass’s life after a stroke is shown who play a significant role in driving the story. The film avoids 'inspiration porn' by treating neurological changes as part of an evolving identity.

Present on Screen

Provides a nuanced, dignified portrayal of disability and neurological change without relying on tragic clichés.
Promotes a non-traditional spiritual framework that deconstructs restrictive religious and materialist values.
Facilitates meaningful cross-cultural dialogue between Western and Eastern philosophical traditions.

Limited or Absent

Lacks explicit LGBTQ+ representation or specific queer narratives within the film.
The narrative remains centered on a single male figure, which may reinforce traditional patriarchal views.

Official Synopsis

Ram Dass is one of the most important cultural figures from the 1960s and 70s. A pyschedelic pioneer, author of Be Here Now, beloved spiritual teacher, and outspoken advocate for death-and-dying awareness, Ram Dass is now himself approaching the end of life. Since suffering a life-changing stroke twenty years ago, he has been living at his home on Maui and deepening his spiritual practice — which is centered on love and his idea of merging with his surroundings and all living things. Shot in a nuanced cinematic style, the film is an intimate summary of his life learning and awareness, and is ultimately a poetic meditation on life, death, and the soul’s journey home.

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