Return of the Gods: The Shamans of Nepal 

This documentary captures events in the life of a Nepalese jhankri (shaman) rarely seen in the Western world. Anthropologist Peter Skafte apprentices himself to a jhankri and follows his activities during the lunar month of Saun, a time when shamans believe the gods have retreated to the Underworld, leaving them virtually defenseless to conduct spiritual healings. When the gods return to the Middleworld on the next full moon, the jhankri and his students must make a pilgrimage to a holy site, where many other practitioners and their students have assembled to rejuvenate their spiritual powers. Following the day of the full moon, the shaman's students celebrate their teacher in a ritual involving spirit possession. Having restored his powers, the jhankri conducts a healing ritual for a patient suffering from the harmful effect of spirit intrusion.