Manika, the Girl Who Lived Twice

1h 46min

Drama

In this unusual feature, Manika is a girl born in a Catholic family in a south Indian fishing village is convinced that she has recently had a former life as a Brahman wife in Nepal. Her parish priest, Father Daniel is under orders to convince her otherwise, as reincarnation does not accord with official Catholic doctrine. Instead, he agrees to journey with her to the site of her dreams of a previous life. Once there, they discover that all is just as she had dreamed it, and her former husband has remarried despite promising not to. Her arrival on the scene does not disturb the man, but it really upsets his new wife, who departs with her baby. Manika decides that it helps no one for her to remain there in Nepal, and returns to her home in the south. However, all this has caused a genuine crisis of faith for the priest who, witnessing all this, has had to grapple with some irreconcilable issues.

Production Companies

Labrador Films

Almira Films

Cast

Julian Sands

Julian Sands

Father Daniel Mahoney
Ayesha Dharker

Ayesha Dharker

Manika Kallatil
Stéphane Audran

Stéphane Audran

Sister Amanda

Release date

26th May 1989

Status

Released

Spoken languages

Français