This captivating film documents a new frontier in Western medicine: hypnosis as anesthesia. Director Bruno Tracq focuses on Belgian doctors Christine Watremez and Fabienne Roelants, who harness the power of imagination to take surgery patients beyond the operating room and away from the pain they would otherwise feel. Standing over their subjects, massaging their temples and speaking softly to them, the doctors calm their fears and guide them to a state of tranquility.

The practice is offered only to those who elect for it. Tracq shows the doctors explaining the technique to patients, to medical students and directly to the camera, and their confidence is vindicated again and again, as we see an epidural, a C-section and even minor heart surgery go smoothly and painlessly. Watching Watremez and Roelants in action, viewers may find themselves sharing with the patients a sense of peace and transcendence, and Tracq complements the surgery scenes with lush, lyrical imagery: beaches, forests, deserts and more. These are the places patients are guided to, and it’s a pleasure to accompany them.