The Garden Cinema was pleased to host the UK premiere of Walking with M on the 10th December 2023, followed by a Zoom Q&A with director Akash Sagar Chopra. The following week, Sri M joined us for a conversation and audience Q&A, again hosted by our very own Matthew Houlihan.

The film tells the story of the 7500km ‘walk for hope’ led by spiritual author and social reformer Sri M. Beginning in January 2015 in the south Indian city of Kanyakumari and concluding 16 months later in the northern region of Kasmir, the ‘walk for hope’ captured the imagination of a nation, with millions participating. Amidst an atmosphere of political divisions, religious tensions and growing fear between communities, Sri M (Mumtaz Ali / Madhukarnath) and his co-walkers meet and discuss with people of all faiths and identities in an effort to re-kindle India’s ancient values of compassion, acceptance and human understanding. Seven years in the making, and produced using over 1800 hours of footage, Walking With M documents the walk and the stories of those that participated.

Filmed at The Garden Cinema on 17th December 2023.