Product Description

When called to serve by God, she responded like no other in modern times. Her phenomenal labors on behalf of the poor, unwanted and needy earned her the name "the Saint of the Gutters." For over 50 years, Mother Teresa dedicated herself to the "poorest of the poor." The order she founded the Missionaries of Charity grew to encompass over 3,000 members working in 25 countries. She earned countless accolades and awards, yet as her fame and influence grew, she remained unchanged, giving all she had to help the least fortunate. Join BIOGRAPHY for a loving look at the inspiring life of Mother Teresa. This moving portrait is highlighted by interviews with those who knew her from unwanted orphans to world leaders and extensive footage from her long life of service. From her childhood in Yugoslavia to the Nobel Peace Prize, this is the definitive profile of a life of devotion Mother Teresa.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #21427 in VHS
• Released on: 1999-04-27
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Number of discs: 1
• Formats: Black & White, Color, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Number of tapes: 1
• Running time: 60 minutes

Amazon.com
Mother Teresa became such a saintly icon during her lifetime that many people forgot she was a flesh-and-blood human. But this particularly well done A&E Biography segment examines the temporal reality as well as the good works of the nun who devoted her life to the poorest of the world's poor. The video traces her life from her birth in Macedonia in 1910 to her death--forever entwined with that of Princess Diana--in September 1997, as well as all the milestones in between: her unwavering devotion, even as a child; her founding of the Missionaries of Charity; her work among the castoffs in India's worst slums; and her Nobel Peace Prize in 1979. Interviews with many who worked with her help round out the familiar images--Mother Teresa caressing a dying child; Mother Teresa lecturing a spellbound UN Assembly; Mother Teresa visiting with virtually every contemporary head of state. In the end, the segment underscores how much prayer and utter devotion to God were Mother Teresa's guiding forces, and how the rest of her life's work were merely earthly manifestations of them. It's not surprising that thousands of young women have flocked to Mother Teresa's Spartan order while other orders are dwindling--sources of true inspiration are hard to come by in this day and age, but Mother Teresa is the genuine article. --Anne Hurley

From the Back Cover
She responded to her calling like no other in modern times. Her phenomenal labors on behalf of the poor, unwanted and needy earned her the name "the saint of the gutters."

For over 50 years, Mother Teresa dedicated herself to the "poorest of the poor." The order she founded, the Missionaries of Charity, grew to encompass over 4,000 members working in 25 countries. She earned countless accolades and awards--yet as her fame grew, she remained unchanged, giving all she had to help the least fortunate. Join Biography® for a portrait highlighted by interviews with those who knew her--from unwanted orphans to Archbishops--and featuring extensive footage from Mother Teresa's long life of service.

From her childhood in Macedonia to the Nobel Peace Prize, this is the definitive profile of one of the spiritual giants of the 20th Century--Mother Teresa.

Customer Reviews

Thorough & Touching Tribute
An excellent example of Biography when the program focused on challenging and intriguing lives - rather than 70s TV stars. This episode comes from a time when Biography was committed to thoughtful and revealing glimpses into the lives of women and men who slowly changed the world for the better. The production offers numerous interviews of Mother Teresa's contemporaries and fascinating video clips of the woman, both in her labors for the poor and among the world's powerful. Her unique spirit shines through, including moments when her overwhelming personality was perhaps not easy to take but was still admirably, relentlessly dedicated to her worthy cause. She was a personal hero of my fiance, Sidelle Rimbaud, who patterned many of her life decisions after Mother Teresa's example of self-sacrifice, and ultimately died in the line of duty. Because of this, I watched the program and was rewarded with a view of one of humanity's most noble spirits. David R. Bannon, Ph.D.; author "Race Against Evil."

Summary of Tape
This is a fantastic look at Mother, but it does not cover her passing as another reviewer wrote. It is the old Biography that was released while she was alive and simply repackaged for current sales. The actual video is not up to date. Hopefully the folks at Biography will complete the job soon. If you don't already have this tape it's a definite buy.

A Powerful Spiritual Experience
This is one of the Biography series best. Although it is not up to date, the video is a powerful document of Mother Teresa's life. The interviews with many of her associates within and outside the Catholic Church add a great deal of insight into her work. It shows clips of her speech after winning the Nobel Peace Prize, and the passion she felt over the issue of abortion.
The entire video has a great spiritual air about it, and leaves one feeling that they know a little more about such a great woman.