Everyman

Hearts and Minds: Part 1 (1985x5)

Air date: Feb 10, 1985

Since the end of the Vietnam War ended, the Buddhist kingdom of Thailand has become a front-line state, facing a unified Communist Indo-China across the Mekong River. The legacies of the American presence are still clearly visible in Thailand -in its highly developed consumer society, powerful military elite and over one million prostitutes. In coping with the shock of the last decades, the Sangha- Buddhist clergy-play a crucial role. But, like the Christian churches of the West, the monks themselves are divided. This Everyman film reveals a society where the beliefs of Buddhism have become weapons in the struggle for the hearts and minds of its people.