Buddhist Film Club
Colet House, 151 Tolgarth Road, London, England W14 9DA
About The Buddhist Film Club
Now meeting once a month, the Buddhist Film Club is a collaboration between the Tibetan film archive – The Meridian Trust, Colet House & the Contemplative Consciousness Network.
It aims to highlight some of the documentary treasures from the archive of the Meridian Trust that throw light on different cultures, histories and personal lives from the various Buddhist traditions, as well as present the profound teachings of the Buddhist path, the view and embodied presence in active engagement in the world.
Details of our next meeting will be posted on this page!
Meeting #002 | February 21, 2023
“Man from a Missing Land”
Buddhist Film Club
Hybrid online/in-person event - Colet House, 151 Tolgarth Road, London, England W14 9DA
Tuesday, February 21, 2023
6:30 - 8:00 pm
Made in Switzerland, with the help of Tibetan refugees, ‘Man From a Missing Land’ portrays the Communist Chinese takeover of Tibet, culminating in H.H. the Dalai Lama’s ‘flight to freedom’. Amid a Chinese crackdown in 1959, His Holiness fled Lhasa in disguise with a small entourage which included his mother, his younger brother and some top officials. On reaching India, he rebuked the Chinese for breaking every promise regarding Tibetan autonomy.
Between 1959 and 1969, the USA actively supported Tibetan resistance until funding was abruptly cut by Henry Kissenger, America’s National Security Advisor. This marked a change in America’s attitude to China. Produced at a cost of $73,000 by the United States Information Agency in 1971, ‘Man From a Missing Land’ was suppressed on direct orders from The White House: it was feared the content could jeopardise President Nixon’s planned visit to China the following year. That visit marked a historic change in relations between the two countries. It was the culmination of Nixon administration efforts to resume harmonious relations after almost a quarter of a century of diplomatic isolation.
This film was produced, directed and written by Paul Cohen and shared with his permission by The Meridian Trust.
Join us for this informal screening & discussion either online via Zoom or in-person in the West Studio @ Colet House
This is the second of a series of regular events and a collaboration between The Meridian Trust (Tibetan film archive), Colet House & the Contemplative Consciousness Network.
It aims to highlight some of the documentary treasures from the archive of the Meridian Trust that throw light on different cultures, histories and personal lives from the various Buddhist traditions, as well as present the profound teachings of the Buddhist path, the view and embodied presence in active engagement in the world.
From BFC Meeting #001 | November 22, 2022
Meeting #001 - Watch Here:
Above Video: Memories of Lost and Hidden Lands
The Story
At its heart this documentary film is a about Garje Khamtrul Rinpoche, a visionary lama forced in exile in 1959. As the reincarnation of the scribe who originally recorded the secret visions of the Fifth Dalai Lama in the seventeenth century, Rinpoche has devoted his life to the present Dalai Lama and the preservation of this rare lineage.
The film explores Rinpoche’s lives-long connections to successive Dalai Lama’s and his relationship with his community. It is a journey over the last sixty years of Tibetan history and diaspora in India explored through Rinpoche’s eyes and illustrated with footage from the Tibetan archives. Ultimately ‘Memories of Lost and Hidden Lands’ examines the way one spiritual leader has coped with the pressures of preserving his culture in exile.
Dear Friends,
For all who couldn’t attend our First Buddhist Film Club screening, on November 22nd of 2022, we are delighted to announce that the event is now available to view on this page (see video above).
It was wonderful to come together at Colet House, London, and by zoom. The evening was an international success with a hybrid audience from no fewer than twenty-two countries.
This was the first in a series of events to be delivered by Colet House, Contemplative Consciousness Network and The Meridian Trust. The Buddhist Film Club aims to highlight documentary treasures that throw light on different cultures, histories and personal lives from the various Buddhist traditions, as well as present the profound teachings of the Buddhist path, the view and embodied presence in active engagement in the world.
With an introduction by Dr Janet Millar (Trustee of Meridian Trust), the documentary is shown in full. After which, there is exclusive footage; a Q&A session with Director/Producer Kris Polinski. Here Kris shares his passion for making this documentary and the unexpected turns and twists in its making. He also shares behind-the-scenes stories during production.