Producer and publisher Michael Wiese documented a captivating pilgrimage to the sacred sites in Central Tibet. He and his companions, namely Steve Dancz – musician and composer for National Geographic television specials, Khenpo Tashi – Mongolian monk and internationally renowned scholar and Buddhism teacher, and Glenn Mullin – translator and author of various books on Buddhism, reached the caves that brought Buddhist masters enlightenment, the monasteries where the Dalai Lamas have taught, and had meditated at the Oracle Lake, at a 16, 000 feet altitude.The documentary, released in 2007, was shown on July 27 by Tibet Foundation at Rich Mix in Bethnal Green and enjoyed the presence and company of Michael Wiese. Here you can read his statements following the screening.
“I had no idea we would be making a film”
Steve performed with his jazz band for the Dalai Lama’s Sacred Music Festival in India. The Dalai Lama was so impressed with the energy, that he granted Steve a private audience with Him. Steve called a few years later and said ‘I’m going to Tibet. Want to come with me?’ My wife sitting next to me went ‘Say yes’ and that’s how it started.
I had no idea we would be making a film. I told Steve I wasn’t bringing my camera because it would get in the way of the experience. He said ‘OK, but I want 5 bucks for each time you’ll say I wish I had my camera’. So I took the tiniest camera I could find. I’m used to having someone behind me for help when shooting film. This time, I didn’t.
The Dalai Lama was the first to see the documentary
The first person to actually saw the movie was the Dalai Lama. Glenn was in Mongolia. At the same time, the Dalai Lama was there and Glenn managed to speak with his interpreter. He told them about the pilgrimage we made and the Dalai Lama asked if he could see a version of it. Glenn just happened to have an early copy on him and he asked the Dalai Lama to look at it on his way to Dharamsala. We were expecting a ‘review’, but we haven’t heard from Him. Still, it is a great honour that He really was the first man to see it.
The altitude was a real problem. There’s no oxygen. You really walk 10 feet and you’re exhausted. In the first days of shooting, you could hear us breathing with difficulty.I woke up in the night starving for oxygen, with my brain in complete panic, thinking I was going to die. I got rubbish footage before I found these Chinese oxygen sprays. Six puffs and you’re all right again. Thank God for them! We saw people being decompressed and taken to a lower altitude.
Filming in temples is not allowed. I did have that concern in my approach and I was as respectful as I could possibly be. I was encouraged to film and I did ask for permission. Something that I learnt from my wife, who’s a professional photographer, is that you don’t take pictures, you give pictures. So I was giving back, I was appreciating the presence that was there. And they loved it, I mean you saw them laughing and carrying on. We had a great time and that’s what I tried to do wherever I went. As a film maker, you’re supposed to give up all those considerations and get yourself out there and do what you’re supposed to do.
“It’s about presence”
When we reached our destination I was stuck: everybody was meditating and having visions and I went: Great! Now should I film, or should I join them as well? Shoot vs. visions, shoot vs. visions. I was the film maker. I made a commitment on choosing to bring the camera. Everybody else had a vision or at least a vivid dream. Steve declared this film to be my vision.
What’s been amazing at some more informal showings is that people who could not get in the room stayed outside and listened to the soundtrack. It’s something about the power and the light of the places I’ve filmed that transcends to the media. What I did as a standard film hardly pulls together at all, but that doesn’t matter because it’s not about that. It’s about presence.
There is an amazing presence at these places and the longer we were there the deeper that presence seemed to be. Think about it: hundreds of thousands of pilgrims go there for thousands of years, great masters teaching there, vibrating music being played, rituals of all kinds: it’s all very tangible. Things happed with me ever since I’ve been on that mountain, for example I can’t even kill insects. I’m trying to capture a spider without hurting it to get it out of my house.
An incomplete view
The film told me later what to include and what not to. My work was not intended to do any harm, we didn’t want to wrong anyone. The idea was to film a pilgrimage, therefore the film is about rejuvenation and that is what I wanted to focused on. If you want to learn about the other stuff and not about the culture it’s easy to do it, but I chose to go a different way with it, as an incomplete a view as that may be.
For purchasing the DVD, please contact Tibet Foundation office
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