Nachiketa and the Lord of Death directed by Hannah Holland

Adapted from the Katha Upanishad, Nachiketa and the Lord of Death tells the story of a boy cursed by his father and sent to the doorstep of the Lord of Death. What happens there, and the blessings he receives from the Lord of Death, invite us to contemplate the nature of life and unravel the mysteries of life, death, and immortality.

Filmmakers Gayle Embrey and Hannah Holland came together in 2018 while at the Himalayan Institute in Khajuraho and began working on the script for the film soon afterward. Our intention was to create dialogue that conveyed the meaning of this ancient text while adapting the ideas and visual imagery to be relatable to modern audiences around the world.

By 2020, a full team of young, talented animators from around the United States came onboard to help bring the filmmakers' vision to fruition. Most of the team, including two of the actors, some of the sound crew and our music composer had no knowledge of the Katha Upanishad yet rose to the occasion, understanding the spiritual nature of the film that Holland and Embrey aspired to create. It took over four years to complete the film and has been a labor of love from start to finish. Our dream to bring this important text into visual form has been fulfilled. We dedicate Nachiketa and the Lord of Death, with gratitude, to our teachers Swami Rama and Pandit Rajmani Tigunait.