In appreciation of you and all of our wonderful supporters we're giving away our film Journey from Zanskar! Thank you for all you've done to continue to make our work possible!
We also want to recognize the Dalai Lama’s upcoming 80th birthday on July 6, 2015. What a gift he continues to be for the world!
You can stream the entire film online or download it for free by clicking here. The password is Save Zanskar. Click here to watch the trailer. But please do it soon! We’re only able to extend this offer for three weeks. If you need a Spanish subtitled version click here. The password is the same.
For the first time ever, we're also making my Director's Statement available to the public. You'll find it attached. When people see the film they invariably want to know what the experience of making it was like for me and the crew. All the answers are there.
Journey from Zanskar features the Dalai Lama himself and is narrated by Richard Gere. The story concerns two monks who take 17 children from Zanskar to lower India in order to help preserve their dying Tibetan culture. The story is framed as one illustration of the monks’ ongoing commitment to fulfill their Boddhisattva vows. We're inspired by them so we're doing our small part too!
The film has been released in theaters in the U.S. and France, and has played on TV in New Zealand. It received the Best Documentary award at the European Spiritual Film Festival in Paris and the Special Jury Award for Bridging Cultures from the Arizona International Film Festival. Below is a small selection of some of the press acclaim it has received. You can also click here for further info and photos.
- Heartbreaking. Shines a light on a place and a way of life that are rapidly changing. NY Times
- Full of suspense, vivid dangers, strong personalities and energetic tots. Surprisingly entertaining pic… seems destined for a PBS or cable airing. Thankfully eschewing sentimentality. Ronnie Scheib, VARIETY.
- Unusual intelligence, common sense, and decency; it's the rare urgent-issue movie that refuses to pummel you with the importance of its subject matter. A quiet achievement. SLANT Magazine
- Extraordinary, remarkable. Village Voice
- Effective suspense and compassion. New York Magazine
- Emotionally affecting, spiritual. Spirituality & Practice
- Americans who have taken their educational system for granted will find Journey from Zanskar a sobering reminder of how lucky they are and how much they have at their fingertips. Huffington Post.
- The debates in this country about funding for education, charter schools and test scores seem like small potatoes indeed after watching "Journey From Zanskar." Cleveland Plain Dealer
- Wondrous… A perfect, and highly imaginative complement to Hoop Dreams… It seems certain to speak to millions. Pico Iyer, author: “The Open Road: The Global Journey of the Fourteenth Dalai Lama"
- Beautiful, powerful, and heart-warming… I hope the film will bring much needed assistance to the noble Zanskari people. Robert Thurman, Founder, Tibet House.
Again, you can stream the entire film online or download it for free by clicking here. The password is Save Zanskar.
Our simple hope is that you will share the film with as many people as possible. If you require a DVD you can order one by clicking here. We have both NTSC and PAL formats. We also have a limited number of DVDs with French subtitles. If you know a Buddhist or school organization that would love the film please let them know so they can download their free copy today. If you are a Buddhist or school organization please feel free to screen the film for your sangha or students at any time.
We hope you will enjoy our labor of love and service. We are a small NGO based in the U.S. Our mission: “Through filmmaking and teaching, Warrior Films bears witness to social realities, inspiring citizens worldwide to create needed social change.” If you need further assistance please don’t hesitate to reach out: contact@warriorfilms.org. If you’d like to get on our mailing list click here. We’d love to hear who you're sharing it with and what they're saying.
Yours in service to the greater good,
Frederick Marx