IN HIS MASTER'S FOOTSTEPS

Filmmaker Laurence Brahm's latest documentary attempts to retrace the story of a legendary figure who spread Buddhism in China, Xu Fan reports.

American explorer and film director Laurence Brahm's courtyard nestles in a narrow hutong (alley) lined with lush greenery in a corner of downtown Beijing. A knock on his red wooden gate guarded by a pair of lion statues brings the tall, thin filmmaker out. He has a warm smile and is wearing a black jacket and jeans.

After having spent the night editing his upcoming documentary, Searching for the Lotus-Born Master - which is subtitled Eight Manifestations of Quantum Energy - Brahm looks a little tired.