‘Tulku Film Making Waves’
(By Pawan Sharma | Hindustan Times | December 22, 2004)
Still from the Film: Sentenced to Die
Dharamshala:
When Elinor Burke a young American girl,
came to Dharamsala as any other tourist,
she didn't know she would end up making a film
in one month's time for the Tibetan refugee community.
The small-time film maker,
while touring this side of the Himalayas,
the residence of the exiled Tibetan leader the Dalai Lama,
saw an image of a monk everywhere —
on the street walls, shop windows, cars and motor bikes.
Below it written "Sentenced To Die".
As she went about asking more "but why is this monk
sentenced to die?' She met Tsering Ngodup, a young man
in his late twenties, who has been responsible for those
ubiquitous image of the monk. Thus started Elinor's journey
to know about the Tibetan story and her film project.
Tsering said "the film "Sentenced To Die" was recently
released in Germany. In India it was released in Dharamsala
few days back by Friends of Tibet (India) and Students
for a Free Tibet."
Talking about the film,
Tsering said, "The film traces the life story
of a Tibetan monk and social activist Tenzin Delek
from the people who knew him in Tibet and in India
as he studied for five years in a Buddhist monastery
in Karnataka."
However, much of this one hour documentary film talks about
the controversy of the death sentence. Few days back, it was
reported that the monk was sentenced to die on 2nd December,
as feared by the Tibetans is still live. This new lease
of life gave the Tibetans some respite. The film which is
available in VCD is now being sold and duplicated in the
exile community. Tenzin Choying, the President of Students
for a Free Tibet (India),
says "we are selling CDs, but the
main aim being spreading awareness about Tulku Rinpoche,
I think duplication helps."
. . . . . . . . . . . .
The Case of Tenzin Delek Rinpoche
|