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American Rimpoche: A Tibetan Llama in the 21st Century (Trailer)
Appino Productions
Executive Producer / Director: Nikki Appino
Field Producer / Camera: Alex Terrazas
To the western imagination, Tibet evokes the exotic, the spiritual, and since its invasion by China, the political; a fabled land, sheltered from modernity and threatened by extinction. Endowed with all that the West has lost, Americans are enchanted with Tibet and its particular form of Buddhism. In America, the Dalai Lama has achieved rock-star status, and many turn to him for answers to today’s pressing conflicts and concerns.
Gelek Rimpoche was born in this legendary Shangri-la. Trained as a traditional monk then forced to flee in 1959, he has lived an extraordinary life spanning continents, customs and cultures. No longer in monks robes, now a citizen of the United States, his story is a mirror of America’s romance with Tibet and the assimilation of its unique treasures.
The feature-length documentary, American Rimpoche: A Tibetan Lama in the 21st Century, will interweave conversations with Gelek Rimpoche and interviews with key players in American’s adoption of Tibetan Buddhism. Framed by remarkable photos of old Tibet taken by Rimpoche’s father in the 1940’s and 50’s, the film will break ground in exploring one man’s job as a modern spiritual leader and the impact of Tibet’s myths and practices on Americans seeking direction in an increasingly complex world.
Contact: info@appinoproductions.com