Khashyar | March 22, 2010

DALAI LAMA’S U.S. VISITS BRING ‘RENAISSANCE’

Those planning the Tibetan spiritual leader’s visits in Florida, California and Iowa also screen the documentary ‘Dalai Lama Renaissance’ (narrated by Harrison Ford – www.DalaiLamaFilm.com) to lay the spiritual groundwork for audiences’ transformation.

March 22, 2010

HOLLYWOOD, CALIF. – Over the last six months, three U.S. visits by Tenzin Gyatso, the spiritual leader and 14th Dalai Lama of Tibetan Buddhism, all have something in common: Their organizers have chosen to screen the award-winning documentary Dalai Lama Renaissance (narrated by Harrison Ford) prior to his arrival.

Before coming to California and Florida earlier this year, organizers of the Dalai Lama’s visits researched films about the spiritual leader. They did so to find a means of telling their communities who the Dalai Lama is and why his message is relevant to their world.

They discovered ‘Dalai Lama Renaissance,’ a documentary film that won 12 international awards and that screened in hundreds of cinemas in the United States and around the world. When ‘Dalai Lama Renaissance’ screened in cinemas in Taiwan in 2009, the Chinese government took notice and aim at the film in its People’s Daily newspaper. In an attempt to help prison inmates resolve inner and outer conflicts through dialog and compassion, the film’s director, Khashyar Darvich, also screened and toured with the film in prisons.

“What we found was a film that was captivating,” said Maria Santamarina, Diversity Officer at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Ratón. “It gave us a personal glimpse of the Dalai Lama and his perspective on the transformation needed in the world right now.” The film screened Feb. 17 and 23, 2010, in anticipation of the Feb. 24 visit by the Dalai Lama.

Santamarina said a colleague referred her to the film, which she found online at DalaiLamaFilm.com. On the other hand, Pema Choden, president of the Tibetan Association of Southern California, first became familiar with Dalai Lama Renaissance when she met the film’s producer/director Khashyar Darvich at a celebration of the Dalai Lama’s 74th birthday.

“I saw the film shortly after meeting Khashyar,” said Choden, “and I felt that it was appropriate to screen during His Holiness’ teachings in Long Beach last September. The film captured the Dalai Lama’s ability to humble people in such a way that no matter who they are, their egos fly out the window.”

Erin Wheat, Program Coordinator for Campus Activities at the University of Northern Iowa, discovered the film online while doing research. She found it in time to plan a screening prior to the Dalai Lama’s May 18, 2010, visit to Cedar Falls.

“We chose to screen Dalai Lama Renaissance because of its content related to His Holiness’ visit in May,” Wheat said. “With so many concerns that people have in our country and in the world – the economy, wars, natural disasters – we felt that his message of peace would set the right tone for his visit,” she said. “We also felt it would be great to have a question and answer session with the producer/director Khashyar Darvich to expand on that message and to share details of how the film was made.”

Santamarina said the Florida screening featured a Q & A with Darvich, who related not only his experiences of shooting the film in remote Dharmsala, India, and editing more than 140 hours of footage, but also told about his personal transformation that took place in the process. She said Darvich spoke of how he meditated and prayed for guidance in editing the film.

“The audience was obviously moved and soulful,” Santamarina said. “There was active participation by the audience members who were extremely engaged, curious and responsive.” Pema Choden had a similar experience with the California screening.

“The response from the audience was extremely gracious,” she said. “Many who attended were so inspired by the film that they wanted to take home a copy on DVD to see it again or to share with loved ones.”

Erin Wheat said she believes that screening Dalai Lama Renaissance and engaging the community in a discussion about the film through a Q & A with Darvich will provide a needed transition for the community toward assurance that spiritual answers and self-reflection can solve many problems.

“This transition will set the stage for the Dalai Lama to present his message of peace and offer his wisdom based on more than 60 years of spiritual leadership,” she said.

Choden added that the film captures the Dalai Lama’s ability to inspire people to be the best human beings that they can be.

“The theme of the film and the teachings of the Dalai Lama are extremely relevant today because both focus on the essence of compassion and altruism,” she said. Maria Santamarina agrees.

“Screening Dalai Lama Renaissance for our community provided a beautiful segue to the Dalai Lama’s visit because the film deals with the transformation of 40 intellectuals who visit with him to discuss changes that need to be made in our world,” she said.  “Nothing else could be more relevant and transforming today.”

—

Dalai Lama Renaissance, narrated by Harrison Ford, was produced by Khashyar Darvich and Wakan Films. To view trailers, schedule a screening or to purchase the film on DVD, visit www.DalaiLamaFilm.com.

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Khashyar | August 31, 2009

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Khashyar | August 31, 2009

The Chinese government wasted no time in denouncing the visit by the Dalai Lama to Taiwan this week. Their strong words and denunciation of the Nobel Prize winner and exiled leader comes on the heels of another very public and intense reaction from Chinese officials after a documentary film about the Dalai Lama entitled “Dalai Lama Renaissance,” narrated by Harrison Ford (www.DalaiLamaFilm.com), was released in theaters in Taiwan this summer, and received front page press in the Chinese language Taiwanese newspapers. The response, in both cases, indicates that China is taking a very hard stance on the issue of the Dalai Lama and Tibet and in fact may even be intensifying its response.

According to a published report on CNN, “Beijing opposes the visit in whatever form and capacity,” a spokesman for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office said, according to Xinhua, which did not name the spokesman. “Under the pretext of religion, (the Dalai Lama) has all along been engaged in separatist activities,” he said.

China’s stance on both Taiwan and Tibet are subjects of international controversy as the Chinese government considers both countries to be a part of China despite what residents of those countries feel. And it feels the Dalai Lama is a symbol and instigator of international opinion against China as relates to Tibet. So it did not hesitate in what it sees as interference by the Dalai Lama in another of its concerns. Apparently, even a film about the Dalai Lama is not welcome in Taiwan, at least to the Chinese government.

After an overwhelmingly positive response from audiences at screenings in Taiwan, The People’s Daily, a daily newspaper and media arm of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China sharply criticized “Dalai Lama Renaissance” in an article in its online edition.

In the article posted July 14th in the People’s Daily Online entitled “Western Movies Build Grand and Perfect Image of Dalai Lama,” The People’s Daily writes: “In recent years, a wave of ‘Dalai Lama fever’ has appeared in the Western movie industry… describing the Chinese government’s peaceful liberation of Tibet as ‘cruel oppression,’ and depicting the Dalai Lama’s life in India as difficult.”

Referring to “Dalai Lama Renaissance,” the article states “The part of the movie related to the peaceful liberation of Tibet was filled with political bias, reflecting the director’s ignorance and misunderstanding of Tibet’s history… The movie transforms the Dalai Lama into an omniscient sage, reflecting a “misunderstanding” of the Dalai Lama’s image in the West…In fact, what these movies depict is just the ‘anesthesia’ given by the Dalai Lama to the West…”

Although the title of the article refers to “movies,” the article exclusively focuses on “Dalai Lama Renaissance” and tries to discredit the Producer-Director of the film, Khashyar Darvich. The writer claims that the director is a devotee of the Dalai Lama. “Director Khashyar Darvich has long boasted that he is a follower of the Dalai Lama,” he writes . He supports this assertion by referring to an interview where Darvich mentioned that he shot the film to be able to spend time with the Dalai Lama.

“It’s interesting that the Chinese Communist Party refers to me as a follower of the Dalai Lama,” Darvich responded. “Although I respect the Dalai Lama as a man of peace, just as the Nobel Peace Prize Committee did by awarding him the Nobel Peace prize, and as do most governments around the world, I am not a Dalai Lama groupie. When I began the film, I was not very familiar with the Dalai Lama. I think that his actions, and the respect that he garners around the world, speaks for itself.”

The fact that the Chinese Communist Party’s main media organization has chosen to criticize the film may be a reaction to the very positive press the “Dalai Lama Renaissance” received in the Chinese language press in Taiwan, where it premiered in front of sold-out audiences in Taipei on June 1. And it may be an attempt to counteract any effect on readers in mainland China, who often have access to Chinese language news from Taiwan, particularly since the reviews and articles in major Chinese language newspapers in Taiwan have been very positive.

Taiwan’s best-selling weekly newspaper, E Weekly, gave the film a rating of 82, which is the highest rating a film has received in the past year from its Taiwanese theatrical distributor, Blockbuster of Taiwan (no relation to Blockbuster video stores in the U.S). According to Bockbuster of Taiwan, E Weekly regularly gives films far lower ratings. FTV, a television station in Taiwan, also reported that that the premiere of the film in Taiwan was very successful, with not an empty seat in the cinema. Taipei Time wrote of the documentary, “the film rapidly grabs hold of you…  an insightful documentary…”

So the reaction by the Chinese government to the planned visit by the Dalai Lama to Taiwan seems to be an extension of this anti-Dali Lama bias. Of course, Taiwan and spokespeople for the Dalai Lama make it clear that his visit to Taiwan is only to show support for victims of the recent Typhoon Morakot which hit Taiwan on August 8th and unleashed floods and mudslides. More than 400 people were killed.

This latest response has not stopped Producer-Director Darvich from working to get a screening of the film in mainland China itself. It will be interesting to see how the Chinese respond to that if they do not even want the Dali Lama himself, or his words and image on a film, seen in the nation of Taiwan.

There will also be a special screening of “Dalai Lama Renaissance” during the Dalai Lama’s visit to Long Beach, CA on September 25.

For more information on the film, go to www.DalaiLamaFilm.com.

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Khashyar | August 23, 2009

‘Dalai Lama Renaissance,’ the award-winning documentary film narrated by Harrison Ford, has been chosen for a special screening during the Dalai Lama’s Sept 25-26 visit to the Los Angeles area, by one of the coordinators of the Dalai Lama’s visit.

The Tibetan Association of Southern California will screen ‘Dalai Lama Renaissance’ on the first night of the Dalai Lama’s public talk and teachings in Long Beach, CA on Friday September 25, at the Scottish Rite Cathedral in Long Beach.

Producer-Director Khashyar Darvich, as well as Tibetan special guests, will appear after the screening for a Q&A with the audience.

The screening of the documentary film, which Darvich has offered as a fundraiser for the Tibetan Association of Southern California, follows criticism of the film by the Chinese Communist Party, after ‘Dalai Lama Renaissance’ received front page press in Taiwan after it opened theatrically in that Chinese-speaking country.

In July, the People’s Daily, a daily newspaper and media arm of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, quickly and sharply criticized ‘Dalai Lama Renaissance’ in an article in its online edition.

Darvich has offered to travel to Mainland China and screen ‘Dalai Lama Renaissance,’ with the intention of listening to the views of the Chinese People and Government, and to foster a constructive dialogue.

For more information about the Long Beach, CA screening of ‘Dalai Lama Renaissance,” please visit www.DalaiLamaFilm.com

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