Jonang Documentary: An Appeal from the Filmmaker

Over the last few weeks we have been proudly promoting a Kickstarter campaign for the new documentary, Whispering Mountains: The Living Presence of the Jonang. Only five days remain to fund this campaign on Kickstarter! The film project is being undertaken in collaboration with the Jonang Foundation, and the principal photography will begin in just a few weeks. We will later expand production to the U.S. The film explores the Jonang tradition of Tibetan Buddhism, long believed lost to the culture, which has in recent decades been revealed largely through the work of Jonang Foundation and its partners,to be not only surviving, but thriving and vital!

SEE THE FILM TEASER, DESCRIPTION, AND CAMPAIGN:

WHISPERING MOUNTAINS: THE LIVING PRESENCE OF THE JONANG

We are honored and excited to have so many of you already involved — to those who have given we thank you from the bottom of our hearts (and hope that you’ll enjoy the rewards!) — however, raising our base goal amount has only guaranteed the basic travel costs. 

Those who have been abroad for extended periods of time (and especially those who have made their own documentaries and films) know that the basics are rarely enough. While we are fortunate to receive angel donations for high-end video equipment and travel gear, there are still critical pieces that would help enhance the visual style and increase the overall professional quality of the work. In addition, the uneven and unsure nature of traveling between urban and rural areas necessitates a contingency for any situation. Having the breathing room to know that we can travel to that extra monastery without having to balance the bank account means more thorough coverage of the material, and a better overall documentary.

We understand that times are tight and contributing can be difficult, so even if all you can do is share the Kickstarter on Facebook, tweet about it on Twittter, or email a friend that you think might be interested, we would be incredibly grateful.

Thank you for taking the time to read this. I hope that you’ll consider being a part of this once-in-a-lifetime project!

Stay-tuned to future developments and updates about this film.

Alex Smolowe

See also the earlier post on Whispering Mountains.