KERRY FILM FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES KILLARNEY LINE UP
Two Topical Documentaries take Centre Stage in Killarney Screenings
In the week that President George W. Bush announced that he's to meet the Dalai Lama, Tibet and the horrific human rights abuses that are being perpetrated by the Chinese regime on the Tibetans, is very much in the media.
The U.S. Congress has decided to award its Congressional Gold Medal to the exiled Tibetan Buddhist leader, who Beijing condemns as a vile separatist. The Gold Medal is the highest civilian honour that the U.S. congress can bestow on an individual and has been awarded to Sir Winston Churchill, Pope John Paul II, Mother Teresa and former South African president Nelson Mandela.
The American House of Representatives decided to give the award to the Dalai Lama, who is also winner of the 1989 Nobel Peace Prize, alluding to his "many enduring and outstanding contributions to peace, nonviolence, human rights, and religious understanding."
Despite fleeing his Himalayan homeland in 1959, the Dalai Lama is hugely popular in his homeland and world leaders are increasingly willing to meet the exiled leader and risk Beijing's anger. German leader Angela Merkel met with him last month and this will be the first time that a sitting U.S. President will appear alongside him in public.
Staying with the global theme of Tibet but bringing the focus back to Kerry - the 8th annual Kerry Film Festival which runs from October 27th to November 3rd is screening two films that focus on Tibet. Both films play in The Malton Hotel in Killarney - first up is TIBETANS. A LIFE IN EXILE which screens on Tuesday, October 30th at 8:00 pm and then on Wednesday, October 31st VAJRA SKY OVER TIBET also plays in The Malton at 8:00 pm.
'Tibetans. A Life in Exile' was directed by Robb Bradstock a potter originally from England who visited Ireland when he was 19, fell in love with the place and moved to Macroom soon after. Anyone who has traveled to Cork from Kerry has passed by his pottery. He is well known in the pottery world but this is his first foray into Film Making.
"In 1989, my wife, Meredith, and I made our first trip to the Indian Himalayas where we became involved in an unofficial mountain rescue that lasted several months," explained Robb, "and it was during this time that we had our first contact with the Dalai Lama and Tibetans living in exile."
Intrigued? He explains a little more about the 'unofficial' mountain rescue. "It's actually quite a story," says Robb. "An Irish man went missing and the Indian Government was of little or no use. I was good friends with a close friend of his and because Meredith and I were familiar with the area having spent a few months trekking there. We formed a party of about 150 to 200 people to help with the search. It was an amazingly bonding experience but ultimately tragic as we found the body after two months."
And just like Robb had fallen in love with Ireland, Northern India and Dharamsala and the Tibetans in exile that lived there captured a place in his heart.
They returned to India in 1991 and again in 1994 when Robb made a Radio Doc for RTE. Robb didn't return to the area again until 2003 when he was appalled at the changes and what he felt was the deterioration in life of the Tibetan Exiles.
"In those few years I could see the place had gotten much more commercial, there were more hotels, you would see monks with mobile phones," however, he's not unaware of the irony of his situation, he laughs, "and I suppose me going there to make films doesn't help either."
But make a film he did and it's an amazing piece of material, wonderfully capturing the essence of life in exile.
"I think the idea for the film grew organically," says Robb. "It started with the Radio Documentary but when I returned in 2003 I felt I just had to make the film."
Vajra Sky Over Tibet is a different kettle of fish. It's a cinematic pilgrimage to central Tibet, bearing witness to the indomitable faith of its Buddhist community and the imminent threat to its very survival.
Travelling through breathtaking Himalayan terrain, Vajra Sky journeys to legendary temples, monasteries and festivals, while revealing the almost criminal policy of Chinese authorities to destroy this ancient wisdom tradition from within.
Both films play in Killarney: Tibetans. A Life in Exile plays on Tuesday, October 30th at 8:00 pm while Vajra Sky Over Tibet plays at 8:00 pm on Wednesday, October 31st. Tickets are prices at 7 euro. Robb will be in attendance at the screening for a Questions and Answers session with the audience, while the editor of Vajra Sky, Donal O' Ceilleachair, who hails from Cork will be at the second screening. Donal will also give a Documentary Workshop as part of the festival. The workshop is free but places are strictly limited. For tickets and workshop details please log onto www.kerryfilmfestival.com or call 066 712 9934
The Samhlaiocht Kerry Film Festival is made possible through the on going support of Samhlaiocht by The Arts Council, Kerry County Council, Failte Ireland and generous corporate sponsorship of Kerry Group.
In the week that President George W. Bush announced that he's to meet the Dalai Lama, Tibet and the horrific human rights abuses that are being perpetrated by the Chinese regime on the Tibetans, is very much in the media.
The U.S. Congress has decided to award its Congressional Gold Medal to the exiled Tibetan Buddhist leader, who Beijing condemns as a vile separatist. The Gold Medal is the highest civilian honour that the U.S. congress can bestow on an individual and has been awarded to Sir Winston Churchill, Pope John Paul II, Mother Teresa and former South African president Nelson Mandela.
The American House of Representatives decided to give the award to the Dalai Lama, who is also winner of the 1989 Nobel Peace Prize, alluding to his "many enduring and outstanding contributions to peace, nonviolence, human rights, and religious understanding."
Despite fleeing his Himalayan homeland in 1959, the Dalai Lama is hugely popular in his homeland and world leaders are increasingly willing to meet the exiled leader and risk Beijing's anger. German leader Angela Merkel met with him last month and this will be the first time that a sitting U.S. President will appear alongside him in public.
Staying with the global theme of Tibet but bringing the focus back to Kerry - the 8th annual Kerry Film Festival which runs from October 27th to November 3rd is screening two films that focus on Tibet. Both films play in The Malton Hotel in Killarney - first up is TIBETANS. A LIFE IN EXILE which screens on Tuesday, October 30th at 8:00 pm and then on Wednesday, October 31st VAJRA SKY OVER TIBET also plays in The Malton at 8:00 pm.
'Tibetans. A Life in Exile' was directed by Robb Bradstock a potter originally from England who visited Ireland when he was 19, fell in love with the place and moved to Macroom soon after. Anyone who has traveled to Cork from Kerry has passed by his pottery. He is well known in the pottery world but this is his first foray into Film Making.
"In 1989, my wife, Meredith, and I made our first trip to the Indian Himalayas where we became involved in an unofficial mountain rescue that lasted several months," explained Robb, "and it was during this time that we had our first contact with the Dalai Lama and Tibetans living in exile."
Intrigued? He explains a little more about the 'unofficial' mountain rescue. "It's actually quite a story," says Robb. "An Irish man went missing and the Indian Government was of little or no use. I was good friends with a close friend of his and because Meredith and I were familiar with the area having spent a few months trekking there. We formed a party of about 150 to 200 people to help with the search. It was an amazingly bonding experience but ultimately tragic as we found the body after two months."
And just like Robb had fallen in love with Ireland, Northern India and Dharamsala and the Tibetans in exile that lived there captured a place in his heart.
They returned to India in 1991 and again in 1994 when Robb made a Radio Doc for RTE. Robb didn't return to the area again until 2003 when he was appalled at the changes and what he felt was the deterioration in life of the Tibetan Exiles.
"In those few years I could see the place had gotten much more commercial, there were more hotels, you would see monks with mobile phones," however, he's not unaware of the irony of his situation, he laughs, "and I suppose me going there to make films doesn't help either."
But make a film he did and it's an amazing piece of material, wonderfully capturing the essence of life in exile.
"I think the idea for the film grew organically," says Robb. "It started with the Radio Documentary but when I returned in 2003 I felt I just had to make the film."
Vajra Sky Over Tibet is a different kettle of fish. It's a cinematic pilgrimage to central Tibet, bearing witness to the indomitable faith of its Buddhist community and the imminent threat to its very survival.
Travelling through breathtaking Himalayan terrain, Vajra Sky journeys to legendary temples, monasteries and festivals, while revealing the almost criminal policy of Chinese authorities to destroy this ancient wisdom tradition from within.
Both films play in Killarney: Tibetans. A Life in Exile plays on Tuesday, October 30th at 8:00 pm while Vajra Sky Over Tibet plays at 8:00 pm on Wednesday, October 31st. Tickets are prices at 7 euro. Robb will be in attendance at the screening for a Questions and Answers session with the audience, while the editor of Vajra Sky, Donal O' Ceilleachair, who hails from Cork will be at the second screening. Donal will also give a Documentary Workshop as part of the festival. The workshop is free but places are strictly limited. For tickets and workshop details please log onto www.kerryfilmfestival.com or call 066 712 9934
The Samhlaiocht Kerry Film Festival is made possible through the on going support of Samhlaiocht by The Arts Council, Kerry County Council, Failte Ireland and generous corporate sponsorship of Kerry Group.
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