Martin Scorsese’s film about the early life of the 14th Dalai Lama, from his discovery by Buddhist leaders in 1939 to his escape from Tibet twenty years later. The real story is fascinating but I thought the movie was mediocre. The cast of local, untrained actors was impressive.
Read moreTag: himalaya
In the Shadow of the Himalayas: Tibet – Bhutan – Nepal – Sikkim (Book)
A Photographic Record by John Claude White, 1883-1908. (July 2006) My thoughts… White was a British-Indian civil servant who lived in Nepal from 1883–4, one of only five Westerners allowed into the country that year. His sepia photos include the usual stunning mountain shots, along with a few Kathmandu scenes I’ll get to see in real life — like Pashupati Temple on the Baghmati River — except there’ll be globs more people. There are lots […]
Read moreThe Tibetan Book of the Dead (Movie)
Netflix description: “You’ll feel instantly at peace with this DVD chronicle of one of the most unique books of Buddhist spirituality, narrated by singer-songwriter Leonard Cohen. Sit back and explore the rites prescribed by the text and see how they’re applied by people around the world.” My thoughts… No, you’ll feel instantly sickened by this DVD, which takes a classic text and smears it all up with the most putrid of new-agey schlock. Even the […]
Read moreMichael Palin: Himalaya (Movie)
Netflix description: “Intrepid adventurer Michael Palin treks the majestic Himalayas in this installment of his popular video travelogue. In this six-episode collection, Palin journeys through Afghanistan, across India to the region near Mount Everest’s base known as the Death Zone and on to the Bhutanese capital before arriving in the Bay of Bengal.” My thoughts… There are film and book versions of Palin’s adventures. The Film It focused too much on Palin as entertainer, which […]
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