film

Filmed in Tibet and elsewhere in 2007-8, this powerful, well-filmed documentary includes exclusive interviews with HH the Dalai Lama, the Tibetan Prime Minister, as well as with political prisoners and activists, and addresses issues around the past Olympics. NOTE: DVDs are now in NTSC version, for use on U.S. computers and U.S. or Canadian DVD players.

Mustang, a kingdom whose existence has long been kept secret, is in the territory of Nepal in the fabled land of Lo. It is hidden behind the high wall of the Himalayas, like a wedge driven into Tibet. The afternoon wind blows everyday, tirelessly obliterating all trace of each caravan. In front of the royal palace, monks intone ancient Buddhist prayers over and over again. Time seems to have stopped in this medieval fortress. Electricity, roads and cars are unknown to these people and yet, in some ways, they are ahead of us: in their incredible knowledge of nature and in their way of life.

Narrated by Richard Gere, Mustang – Journey of Transformation, tells the remarkable story of a 15th century Tibetan culture pulled back from the brink of extinction through the restoration of its most sacred sites. Featuring His Holiness the Dalai Lama, the film is a tale of hope and rebirth told by the people who helped save this once Forbidden Kingdom.

Special Jury Award, Documentary EcoVision Palermo, Sicily; Audience Award, World Cinema Short Maui Film Festival; Best Film On Mountain Culture Taos Mountain Film Festival.

The Buddhist concept of reincarnation, while both mysterious and enchanting, is hard for most westerners to grasp. Unmistaken child follows the four-year search for the reincarnation of Lama Konchog, a world-renowned Tibetan master who passed away in 2001 at age 84. The Dalai Lama charges the deceased monk’s devoted disciple, Tenzin Zopa (who had been in his service since the age of seven), to search for his master’s reincarnation. Tenzin sets off on this unforgettable quest on foot, mule and even helicopter, through breathtaking landscapes and remote traditional Tibetan villages.

This is a film about four friends in Dharamsala, the exile seat of Tibetans, their dreams and aspirations. Nyima, the lead character of the film is a die hard fan of the Hollywood icon, Richard Gere and wanted to follow his footsteps to do something meaningful for his country, Tibet. The film can be classified under romantic comedy – where two of the friends ultimately falling in love with the same lady and the story unfold. Suitable doses of Exile politics and the Buddhism philosophy of life adds new layer to the film.

At the edge of the Millennium, The Dalai Lama of Tibet invited 40 of the West‘s leading, most innovative thinkers in their respective fields to his residence tucked away in the Himalayan mountains of Northern India to discuss the world‘s problems and how we can solve them. What transpired was unexpected and powerful, and was captured by an 18 person, 5 camera film crew.

In Shiqu, the highest northwest county seat in Sichuan Province – stands Se Xu Monastery. Rarely open to the public, its richness in the Tibetan Buddhism traditions unveils in this documentary. Filmed over a year, five lamas and a sky burial master speak of their belief and ways of spiritual living, among others who have been conducting retreat for years on this plateau of extreme climates. Ten thousand people gathering at the annual prayer festival and the mystical Tibetan sky-burial practices are among the most unforgettable scenes.

A Stranger in my Native Land is the poignant and personal account of Tenzing Sonam’s first-ever visit to his homeland. From the far reaches of Amdo Province, where Tibetans have lost their language, to Lhasa, the heart of the country, the film captures his meetings with long-lost relatives and conveys a sense of the desperation of Tibet as a country under occupation.

Telo Rinpoche, a.k.a. Eddie Ombadykow, is a 21-year-old American whose favourite band is The Smashing Pumpkins. He is also a Buddhist monk who was brought up in a Tibetan monastery in India and recognized by His Holiness the Dalai Lama as a high reincarnate lama. Now, he finds himself in his ancestral homeland, Kalmykia, a remote Buddhist republic in southern Russia, where he is revered by the people as their spiritual leader and charged with the responsibility of reviving Buddhism.

Tibet in March 2008. The biggest uprising since China took control in 1959 sweeps through the country. Meanwhile, Tibetans in exile march on their homeland, determined to support their countrymen. This is a year of dramatic possibilities for Tibet. For more than 20 years, the Dalai Lama, Tibet’s spiritual and political leader, has pursued his Middle Way Approach: giving up the goal of Tibet’s independence in return for genuine autonomy. But China has consistently rejected his proposal. Now, more and more Tibetans are questioning his strategy.