These episodes narrate the birth of Xuanzang and his childhood, his ordination, search for the true Dharma, and his meeting with the Indian monk Prabhakaramitra, and the beginning of his journey to India.
The Journey of Xuanzang: An Introduction
The Journey of Xuanzang is a lavishly illustrated 12-part biography of the great Chinese traveler and translator Xuanzang, based on Records of the Western World and A Biography of the Tripitaka Master.
Tibet on the Edge of Change
A romantic view of Tibetan peasant life is offered in this 1994 documentary, which focuses on the ordinary day-to-day life of the people, who are trying to eke out a living on the plateau.
The Lion’s Roar – A Portrait of the 16th Gyalwa Karmapa
A biography of the 16th Gyalwa Karmapa, who was one of the most respected and loved Tibetan teachers of his time. It includes historical footage of the Karmapa, his visits to America, and his funeral in Sikkim in 1981.
PBS – The Buddha
This 2-hour retelling of the Buddha Story by acclaimed film-maker David Grubin was made for PBS with the help of prominent American Buddhists who tell the story.
The Tibetan Book of the Dead: The Great Liberation
The second of these films follows Lama Pema Chodan and his 13 year old novice Thubten Tsering as they attend to the ceremonies following the death of a young family man in Ladakh.
The Tibetan Book of the Dead: A Way of Life
This is the first of a sensitive two-part documentary showing how death and dying is contextualised in the traditional Buddhist culture in Ladakh.
The Lost World of Tibet
This is a wonderful collection of colour and black and white film taken in Tibet during the last years of its independence, as it has been preserved by the British Film Institute.
The Silk Road Series 12/16: Two Roads to the Pamirs
In this last episode we first visit Kashgar, the Town of Beautiful Tiles, which is where the Silk Road meets up again, after crossing the Taklamakan desert via two different roads.
