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THE TRAILERS
NURTURING COMPASSION, the latest release from Crestone Films, portrays the Seventeenth Gyalwa Karmapa, leader of the Karma Kagyu Lineage of Tibetan Buddhism, and his tour of Germany in 2014, his first-ever visit to Europe. Following in the footsteps of his previous incarnation, genuinely regarded as one of the 20th Century’s great saints, the Karmapa faces major challenges. Still a young man, he must live up to the legacy of his predecessor and guide his lineage through challenging and difficult times. Illustrated by archival footage, the film—and the Karmapa himself—give an account of his happy early childhood in Tibet, before his recognition and subsequent daring midwinter escape into exile in India.
BODHISATTVA captures a moment in the life of the Seventeenth Gyalwa Karmapa, one of the most important Lamas in the world of Tibetan Buddhism. For many, he is the face of the next generation of Tibetan Buddhism. In this hour-long documentary, this young man of extraordinary warmth, humanity and charisma embarks on his first tour of the United States, where he speaks to packed auditoriums and delights in encountering this new world. BODHISATTVA interweaves footage shot on tour with superb background footage of the Karmapa’s childhood in Tibet, sequences in Dharamsala, India, and film of the previous Sixteenth Karmapa.
Jigme Lhundrup is the eponymous 'YANGSI,' the reincarnation of a greatly revered Tibetan Buddhist meditation master. He must train to uphold this legacy from the age of four. Even with the loving support of his teachers and family the way forward is not always clear. Questions begin to arise about the place of his tradition in the modern world, and his own abilities. In this documentary film, director Mark Elliott follows a journey spanning 14 years, culminating in the Yangsi’s introduction to the world as a young man, when he must fully assume the mantle of his predecessor. With unprecedented access, Yangsi explores everyday life within a mystical tradition—and reveals the unusual spirit of the boy at its center.
Recognized as a spiritual classic, THE LION'S ROAR is the masterful portrait of the late 16th Gyalwa Karmapa, the great Tibetan Buddhist master known as the Black Hat Lama. The Karmapa is the head of the Karma Kagyu lineage, one of the four great lineages of Tibetan Buddhism. The film journeys with him in North America where he visits the Hopi Nation, offers teachings and performs the Black Crown Ceremony for a crowd of over a thousand Western students. His cremation in Rumtek is vividly documented. Through interviews and live footage, THE LION'S ROAR conveys the power of awakened mind, and its ability to provoke spiritual awakening in those who encounter it.
EYE OF THE LAND tells the story of the making of the forty-two foot high Tashi Gomang Stupa near Crestone, a remote town in Southern Colorado. A Stupa is an architectural rendering of enlightened mind and is used to contain the relics of great Buddhist teachers. For many, seeing a stupa gives rise to faith and respect, as it is said to contain the essence of a teacher’s wisdom, realization, and compassion for all beings. Created over a period of seven years by a small group of dedicated volunteers, the Tashi Gomang Stupa is dedicated to his His Holiness the XVI Gyalwa Karmapa, one of the foremost masters of Tibetan Buddhism.
