Free Tibet

A film about the Tibetan Freedom Concert in San Francisco in 1996.

The Zen Mind

In the last fifty years the culture of Zen has spread far beyond Japan. Zen centers and zen retreats have sprung up throughout America and Europe. When Dogen, the founder of Soto Zen, brought Zen to Japan from China 800 years ago, it quickly took root and became an integral part of Japanese life. Yet what do we know about zen practice in Japan today? The Zen Mind is a fascinating journey across Japan to explore zen in its natural habitat.

A Gesar Bard's Tale

As a boy, Dawa was an illiterate Tibetan nomad whose life revolved around herding yaks. At 13, his life changed: through a series of visions, Dawa acquired the gift of telling the epic story of Tibet’s King Gesar. Now, at 35, Dawa receives a salary from the government as a guardian of national cultural heritage and is regarded as a holy man by his community. When an earthquake reduces his hometown to rubble, redevelopment of the region takes a giant leap forward. In the midst of such seismic shifts, Dawa seeks healing from King Gesar and other divine protectors of the land.

Into Great Silence

An intimate portrayal of the everyday lives of Carthusian monks of the Grande Chartreuse, high in the French Alps (Chartreuse Mountains). The idea for the film was proposed to the monks in 1984, but the Carthusians said they wanted time to think about it. The Carthusians finally contacted Gröning 16 years later to say they were now willing to permit Gröning to shoot the movie, if he was still interested.

Blindsight

Six blind Tibetan teenagers climb the Lhakpa-Ri peak of Mount Everest, led by seven-summit blind mountain-climber Erik Weihenmayer.

Brilliant Moon: Glimpses of Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche

Brilliant Moon chronicles the life of the writer, poet, and meditation master Khyentse Rinpoche, one of Tibet's most revered 20th-century Buddhist teachers. Spiritual guide to His Holiness the Dalai Lama and the Royal Family of Bhutan, his life and teachings were an inspiration to all who encountered him. Richard Gere and Lou Reed provide the narration for his dangerous journey out of China, the subsequent spread of his influence and the search for his reincarnation after his death.

Vajra Sky Over Tibet

Vajra Sky is a cinematic pilgrimage to central Tibet, bearing witness to the indomitable faith of its Buddhist community and the imminent threat to its very survival. This poignant journey bears witness to the indomitable faith of its endangered Buddhist community and the imminent threat to its very survival. The vastness of the Tibetan sky, reflecting snowy mountains, rushing rivers, and turquoise lakes, leads the journey west. Tibetans respond to the denial of the human right to practice one's religion without interference with a defiant devotion.

Tibet Les nourritures spirituelles

Becoming Who I Was

Angdu is no ordinary boy. Indeed, in a past life he was a venerated Buddhist master. His village already treats him like a saint as a result. The village doctor, who has taken the boy under his wing, prepares him to be able to pass on his wisdom. Alas, Tibet, Angdu’s former homeland and the centre of his faith, lies far away from his current home in the highlands of Northern India. On top of that, the conflict between China and Tibet makes the prospect of a trip there even more daunting. Undeterred by these harsh facts, the duo set off for their destination on foot, accompanied by questions of friendship and the nature of life. With its narrative approach steeped in a serene sense of concentration, this documentary film, composed over a period of eight years, stands as a fundamental experience in its own right.

Lord of the Dance/Destroyer of Illusion

The documentary focuses on the annual Mani Rimdu festival of Tibet and Nepal, an event which encapsulates the Himalayan Buddhist experience.

Athos

The Athos peninsula in Greece is one of Europe's last secrets. Over 2000 monks live on Athos - cut off from the outside world. Access is denied to women, tourists are not welcome. Only workers and pilgrims can obtain a visa. The "Autonomous Monastic State of the Holy Mountain" attracts people who feel like they are missing something from their modern lives. With the help of three Athos monks, "Athos - A Taste of Heaven" tells the story of the island and its inhabitants in a unique filmed diary style. The film's guiding theme is the path we as people have to find and follow - each and everyone for themselves. "First we must heal our own souls, only then we can help others", is one of Father Galaktions core messages. He lives as a hermit on the holy mountain. Not all monks, however, live as secluded and demure as Father Galaktion. The film team is also received by Father Epiphanios - a gifted and poetic cook who certainly does not disdain the pleasures of life.

Merton: A Film Biography

In his lifetime, Thomas Merton was hailed as a prophet and censured for his outspoken social criticism. For nearly 27 years he was a monk of the austere Trappist order, where he became an eloquent spiritual writer and mystic as well as an anti-war advocate and witness to peace. Merton: A Film Biography provides the first comprehensive look at this remarkable 20th century religious philosopher who wrote, in addition to his immensely popular autobiography The Seven Storey Mountain, over 60 books on some of the most pressing social issues of our time, some of which are excerpted here. Merton offers an engaging profile of a man whose presence in the world touched millions of people and whose words and thoughts continue to have a profound impact and relevance today.

Wheel of Time

Wheel of Time is Werner Herzog's photographed look at the largest Buddhist ritual in Bodh Gaya, India.

Ivan the Terrible

Ivan, first tsar of Russia. History will remember him as "the Terrible. Russian people love him for centuries. He liberates Russia from foreign oppressors, demands absolute obedience and loyalty in order to radically modernise Russia? Ivan IV, Grand Duke of Moscow, first Tsar of Russia by the grace of God. A madman? A sadist?

My Reincarnation

Filmed over twenty years, Tibetan Buddhist Master Choogyal Namkhai Norbu watches as his western-born son, Yeshi, who was recognized at birth as the reincarnation of a famous spiritual master, considers departing from tradition to embrace the modern world.

Tibet: Roof of the World

Join us as we explore life on the highest mountain plateau on Earth. This beautiful and other worldly place is also one of the harshest on the planet. We follow the lives of some of the iconic creatures that call it home. From Tibetan wolves struggling to raise pups in the rugged peaks, and rare snub nosed monkeys facing family dramas on the forest slopes to chiru antelopes that travel hundreds of miles to give birth while facing death, and hardy pika who tough out the elements all year, whilst under constant attack. Discover how these extraordinary animals manage to not only survive, but also thrive on the roof of the world.

Tibet - The Truth

The accumulated history of Tibet and other issues contributing to the current situation in the region as it relates to China.

Tibet

A motorcycle travel documentary to Tibet. Herbert Schwarz, Heike Bogdanski and Michael Martin travel to Tibet on BMW motorcycles. These motorcycles are equipped with some Touratech parts (understatement). In German language only, no subtitles.

Crazy Wisdom: The Life and Times of Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche

CRAZY WISDOM explores the arrival of Tibetan Buddhism in America through the story of Chögyam Trungpa, who landed in the U.S. in 1970. Trungpa became renowned for translating ancient Buddhist concepts into language and ideas that Westerners could understand and shattered preconceived notions about how an enlightened teacher should behave. Initially rejected, his teachings are now recognized by western philosophers and spiritual leaders as authentic and profound.

My Life Is My Message

Thich Nhat Hanh, monk, zen teacher, writer and peace activist, born in Vietnam in 1926, was the organiser of a non-violent resistance movement after the outbreak of the Vietnam War. We follow Thich Nhat Hanh around the time of Memorial Day of 9/11 in Washington D.C., where he teaches Members of Congress the concepts of ‘Mindful Living’. He tries to convey his message of peace straight to the centre of world power. Thousands of people participate each year in the meditation retreats led by Thich Nhat Hanh. In his monastic community Plum Village in the south of France, his home base, he brings groups of Palestinians and Israelis together. Horrible experiences are exchanged and discussed for the first time, in the hope that people may come to recognize each other’s suffering.

Watermarks - Three Letters from China

Based on three different places, the film portrays the infractions to which people living in modern day China are subjected due to rapid developments: in the deceptively idyllic Yangshuo in the rainy south; in the apocalyptic coal mining site of Wuhai in the parched north; and in Chongqing, the urban behemoth on the Yangtze River. The protagonists give their accounts of the unsurmounted past, the precarious present and their tentative steps into the future. The film thus paints a complex image of the mental state of the people in this complicated country.

Made in Hong Kong

The film Made in Hong Kong allows glimpses on a Hong Kong shortly before the 1997 handover to China. But rather than focusing on the expected hysteria Luc Schaedler’s documentary debut works towards complexity by allowing six diverse residents to talk about their relationship to the colonial city. Their life stories beautifully mix with the images of the author. Made in Hong Kong is a very personal portrait of a city in transition and we learn about Hong Kong’s ambiguities and its political and social problems, as well as the uncertainties regarding the time after 1997.

Object: Alimony

Ruth Butler, a clerk in an emporium, marries Jimmy Rutledge and thereby greatly displeases his mother, the owner of the emporium, because of Ruth's lowly origins. Renaud Graham, one of Mrs. Rutledge's friends, becomes interested in Ruth, forces his way into her apartment, and attempts to make violent love to her. Jimmy walks in on their embrace and, suspecting the worst, leaves Ruth. In the family way, Ruth finds refuge in a boardinghouse where she meets Al Bryant, an aspiring writer. Ruth tells Al her life story, and he makes it into a bestselling novel and then into a play. Jimmy sees the play and comes to his senses, winning Ruth's forgiveness.

Hero

Anne is a girl with a serious passion for superheroes and justice. On her first day at a new school, she discovers that someone needs her help, and she will do whatever it takes to make things right. Even when her world is turned upside down.

The Quest for the Holy Grail Locations

A documentary with Terry Jones and Michael Palin travelling to the locations of "Monty Python and Holy Grail".

Man from Shaolin

32nd generation Chinese Shaolin Fighting Monk Li Bao Xin must immigrate to New York City to look after young Janie, his six-year-old niece. Struggling to make a new life, Li Bao will face challenges that test his character more than his physical strength. Through it all, his mind remains filled with the heroic stories of the Shaolin Temple, a great tradition that defines him, but also makes his assimilation to western culture more difficult. While in China he was a venerated master, in America he is nobody. To make a life for him and Janie, Li Bao must contend with a modern society, where his great fighting skills and heroic lineage have little meaning. He will have to decide which is more important, his dreams or his family.

Area of Conflict

Human traffickers wipe out a young girl's family and village. She then seeks revenge on those responsible, eventually becoming first the hunted then turning into the hunters with the mercenary hired to eliminate her.

זהר

16-year-old Zohar lives with her younger sister and single mother Debbie, in a poor neighbourhood in Tel Aviv. When a teenage boy comes calling on her at home, tomboy Zohar must deal with first signs of womanhood.

Forget Baghdad: Jews and Arabs - The Iraqi Connection

A documentary film about the Mizrahim, or Jewish community of Iraq.

The Revenge of Quinton Griggs

Years after the fall of Quinton Griggs, Timm Slimm is now the crime boss but hiding in the shadows are much sinister forces at play.

Aurora's Dream

"Aurora's Dream" explores the collective unconscious in a period of contemporary crisis. Individual participants share their most vivid and personal dreams. Subliminal narratives visually intertwine with the turbulence of the present, bringing archetypes and motifs from the Sleeping Beauty fairy tale to the fore.

Eu Estava Na Sapucaí, e Eu Ouvi

Rosalinda 2020

Rune Klan: Det stribede show

The Danish magician and comedian Rune Klan toured Denmark - including Bornholm and Greenland - with “The Striped Show” in fall 2013 and spring 2014. The show was performed 87 times and was seen by more than 50,000 enthusiastic audience members. Now you can look forward to seeing or re-watching “The Striped Show”, where Rune the joker once again shows that he masters the combination of comedy and magic.

Maintenance

Two people are waiting together for each other. Their flat waits with them and for them. Together they are living side by side. Someone is coming, someone is leaving, the flat stays where it is.

Weed People

Jo Joon, a third-class serviceman, suffers severe epileptic seizures during a fight. Although weed extract, which is effective in epilepsy, passed the National Assembly in 2018, it is difficult to have universal access due to the strict enforcement ordinance of the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety. Jo Joon finds an old friend who is a hemp man and learns more about weeds... The first cannabis he encounters is of legendary quality.

ABBA in Switzerland

ABBA star in their first European TV special, recorded on location in the Swiss Alps. Also featuring special guests Kate Bush and Roxy Music.

Hide

HIDE is a contained psychological thriller about one resilient wife’s (Nadine Malouf) fight to escape her husband’s (Ben Samuels) escalating gaslighting and abuse during lockdown. The female-centric genre film is lensed in the wife’s evolving perspective as she slowly comes to see what is happening to her and finds the support to fight back. Visually mesmerizing and emotionally arresting, the film’s pace and pathos pull us into a story that will feel uncomfortably familiar to too many of us.