Gatön

Celebrating Contemporary Tibetan Culture

Celebrating 20 Years of Work with Tibetan Communities

In Tibetan, “gatön” means celebration. Whether it‘s a wedding, a village festival, or a private party, a gatön is a happy occasion, a time to gather in your community.

As we commemorate our twentieth anniversary, we invite you to join us for a gatön celebrating today‘s finest artists, celebrating our work in Tibetan communites, and most of all, celebrating the uniqueness and beauty of this part of the world.

For twenty years Trace Foundation has been at the forefront of the effort to preserve the legacy of Tibetan culture while preparing Tibetan communities to meet the challenges of tomorrow.

A talk on the art of Gendun Chopel, a Tibetan film festival series, a concert, and a contemporary art exhibition: these are just four lenses through which to see Tibet and just a few ways we’re exploring what it means to be Tibetan today.

One purpose: to support the continuity, development, and vitality of Tibetan communities–leaving behind a lasting trace while celebrating an extraordinary culture.

Support Trace

As we look forward to our next decade of work, we invite you to join us for a yearlong glimpse into Tibet through the eyes, instruments, and the hands of artists living through this critical time in history. Your support is crucial as we seek to raise awareness of Tibetan culture and ensure its future viability.

Give now

30 Contemporary Artists Explore
What It Means to Be Tibetan Today

March 14–April 12, 2015

Representing thirty emerging and established artists from the Tibetan Plateau and around the world, Transcending Tibet is a landmark exhibit of newly commissioned work. Mining the visual and material history of both Tibet and the modern world – reappropriating iconography, playing boldly with everything from acrylic and oil to mirrors illuminated with LEDs – these artists offer a varied and nuanced look at Tibetan identity and culture today

Presented at Rogue Space Chelsea

508 W 26th Street, 9E-F

New York, NY 10001

get directions

Opening Reception

Saturday, March 14, 2015
3:00 pm – 8:30 pm

Tickets

The exhibition and talks are free and open to the public. Tickets to the auction are available for purchase through events@trace.org or by calling 2123677380 x38. Proceeds benefit the Foundation’s ongoing work with Tibetan communities.

Exhibition viewing hours
Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays: 11am–6pm
Thursdays: 12pm–8pm or by appointment

Trace & Contemporary Tibetan Art

Once limited to religious thangkas and landscapes meant for tourists, Tibetan visual art has in just ten years transformed into a flourishing international movement, a movement we are proud to have supported from the beginning through artist residencies, artist talks, grants, and much, much more.

Presented in partnership with Arthub Asia

participating artists

Benchung[+]

Benchung, born in 1971 in Lhasa, is a founding member of the Gedun Choephel Artists' Guild. He was educated at Tibet University; the Tianjin Academy of the Arts; the Central Industrial Arts Institute in Beijing; and the Oslo National Academy of the Arts. He teaches at Tibet University in Lhasa, and his works have been widely exhibited in the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, and Japan.

Ga Qin[+]

Ga Qin Lhamo was born in 1978 in Biru County, Nagchu Prefecture, in the Tibet Autonomous Region. She graduated in 2000 from the Fine Art Department of Tibet University and now teaches art at a senior middle school in Nagchu.

Gade[+]

A founding member of the Gedun Choephel Artists' Guild, Gade was born in 1971 in Lhasa. He studied art at Tibet University, where he now teaches. He has exhibited in numerous solo and group shows internationally and cocurated the groundbreaking Scorching Sun of Tibet exhibition at the Songzhuang Art Center, Beijing. His art has been featured in private and public collections around the world including the National Art Museum of China; Rossi & Rossi, London; the World Museum Liverpool; and The White Rabbit Foundation, Australia. He divides his time between Lhasa and Beijing.

Gonkar Gyatso[+]

Born in 1961 in Lhasa, Gonkar Gyatso studied Chinese brush painting in Beijing and thangka painting in Dharamsala. He earned a Master of Fine Arts from the Chelsea School of Art and Design and has lived and worked in London since. He is the founder of the Sweet Tea House, a contemporary art gallery dedicated to showing Tibetan work, based in London. Gyatso’s work has been exhibited in galleries and museums around the world, including the Boston Museum of Fine Arts, the Tel Aviv Museum of Art, The City Gallery (New Zealand), The Institute of Modern Art (Australia), the Rubin Museum of Art (New York), the Chinese National Art Gallery (Beijing), among many others.

Jhamsang[+]

Born 1971 in Lhasa, at sixteen years old Jhamsang became an apprentice to thangka master Tenpa Rapten. His first exhibition was in 1989 at the Lhasa Normal School, and since then he has studied biology, Chinese, computer science, and art at Tibet University and Beijing Capital Normal College. A member of the Gendun Choephel Artists’ Guild, he has taught art for many years.

Kesang Lamdark[+]

Kesang Lamdark was born in Dharamsala but grew up in Switzerland, where he currently resides. He worked as an interior architect before coming to New York City to study at the Parson's School of Design and later at Columbia University, where he obtained a Master of Fine Arts in visual art. He has exhibited works in both solo and group exhibitions in Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and North America. He currently resides in Zürich.

Livia Liverani[+]

Born in Rome in 1962, Livia Liverani began to draw as a child under the guidance of her grandmother, also a painter. In 1983 she attended the Academy of Fine Arts in Rome, but left it for Indonesia where she lived for four years. During this time she travelled extensively in Asia, including Japan, which inspired her textile designs. In 1990 she fell in love with China and decided to study both its language and culture. Livia studied Chinese and Taoist philosophy at ISMEO in Rome, and Sanskrit at the Indian Cultural Centre. This led her to travel to Ladakh in 2005. There she met Lama Yeshe Jamyang, who has been teaching her classic sacred Tibetan art. She has returned to Ladakh each summer since, and has been painting on silk themes similar to Buddhist sacred art. Her work has been displayed in several exhibitions in Spain and Italy, and her first painting on silk is kept at the Lamayuru Monastery, Ladakh.

Losang Gyatso[+]

Losang Gyatso was born in Lhasa, grew up in Britain, and moved to the United States in 1974, where he studied at the Academy of Art in San Francisco. He worked as an award-winning art director in New York City for almost twenty years before starting to make his art. His bold yet subtle works look deeply into Tibetan history, culture, politics, and aesthetics. Gyatso produces startling new ways of seeing and being Tibetan today, often stripping away almost all cultural surface embellishments to find their universal expressions. Gyatso has exhibited at galleries and museums in the United States and Europe.

Michela Martello[+]

Michela Martello, born in Grosseto, Italy, studied illustration at the Europe Institute of Design. She has published work in over thirty books, primarily children's books. In 1993 she shifted her focus to painting and held her first exhibition in Milan and New York. She was selected by the American Association of University Women for the Emerging Women Artists Juried Exhibition, and her artwork has being collected and commissioned by both public and private clients: the Serafina Group, the City Cinema Group, the Fulton Collection, among others. She currently lives and works in New York.

Mirella Virgili[+]

Mirella Virgili was born and raised in Rome, Italy. She studied painting, sculpture, and drawing at the Academy of Fine Arts in Rome. During a two-year stay in Northern India she studied Tibetan art and gained experience and inspiration from its techniques and iconography. Her work has been exhibited in Rome, Paris, Milan, New York, and Washington D.C. Mirella divides her time between New York City and her studio in the Catskill Mountains.

Nortse[+]

Born in Lhasa in 1963, Nortse studied at Tibet University Lhasa, the Central Arts Academy in Beijing, and the art academies in Guangzhou and Tianjing. His early artistic expression as a stage designer coupled with his academic training can be seen in his striking use of mixed media. Included in his oeuvre are profound photographic statements as well as portraits in oil on canvas. He has exhibited in Beijing, Colorado, Königswinter, London, Lhasa, New York, and Santa Fe, and his work is held in collections worldwide. He is a member of the Gedun Choephel Artists' Guild in Lhasa.

Nyima Dhondup[+]

Nyima Dhondup was born in Tibet in 1970. In 1986 he moved to India, where he devoted himself to Buddhist philosophy and religion. Since 1997, he has lived in Italy, where he has participated in workshops organized by Caritas Progetto Itercultura, by Rome Township, and by ASIA Onlus. Since 2008, he has studied Tibetan painting with Lama Yeshe Jamyang from Nurla, Ladakh. He is currently teaching Tibetan language at Sapienza University, Rome.

Pema Rinzin[+]

Pema Rinzin is a world-renowned master Tibetan thangka painter and contemporary artist. After completing a traditional period of study with Kalsang Oshoe, he has been exhibited internationally, most notably by the Rubin Museum of Art and the Shoko-ji Cultural Research Institute. In 2007, he founded the New York Tibetan Art Studio, the only institute in the Western Hemisphere dedicated to teaching and preserving Tibetan art. He is currently at work on a series of contemporary paintings and is writing a book on the history of individual Tibetan master artists.

Pempa[+]

Pempa was born in 1974 near Lhasa and studied at the Department of Arts of Hebei Normal School and at Tibet University. After graduating, he entered the Gendun Choepel Artists' Guild. His paintings have been exhibited in shows around the world, including in the Scorching Sun of Tibet, Sungzhuang Art Center, Beijing (2010); Modern Art from the Roof of the World, Siebengesmuseum, Kongswinter (2006); and Classical to Contemporary Art from Tibet, Rossi & Rossi, London (2005); among many others.

Phuntsok Tsering[+]

Phuntsok Tsering Duechung was born in Central Tibet. He studied traditional Tibetan painting with a master teacher, while at the same time learning Tibetan calligraphy and poetry from his grandfather. He taught Tibetan language in Lhasa and studied classical poetry and Tibetan literature at Tibet University before moving to Germany in 1998. He currently lives in Frankfurt, and works for Tibet House Germany. He is also a member of the Kailash Artists' Group.

Rabkar Wangchuk[+]

Rabkar Wangchuk is a Tibetan thangka painter and sculptor who has exhibited work in venues ranging from universities to museums, most recently at Tibet House, New York. He lives and works in New York City.

Rima Fujita[+]

Rima Fujita was born in Tokyo, lived in New York City for thirty-two years, and now resides in Southern California. She is a graduate of Parsons School of Design and has exhibited her work internationally to great acclaim. In 2001, Rima established Books for Children, an organization that produces children's books and donates them to children in need around the world. She has created four children's books and donated more than twelve thousand books to the Tibetan children in exile.

Sodhon[+]

Born in Lhasa in 1971, Sodhon grew up studying with masters of thangka painting. In 1988, he moved to India, where he devoted himself to children's-book illustrations. He has worked with many Tibetan cultural associations, including the Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts (TIPA) and the Amnye Machen Institute. His work has been exhibited around the world, from New York City and Colorado to India. He currently lives and works in New York City.

Sonam Dolma Brauen[+]

Sonam Dolma Brauen, born in 1953 in Tibet, has lived in India, Switzerland, and New York City. She studied art and installation at the Art School of Bern and has held residencies at the Vermont Studio Center and Heinsa Tempel, Korea. She now divides her time between Switzerland and New York. She has exhibited widely in Europe and the United States.

Tashi Norbu (Lhasa)[+]

Tashi Norbu was born in Shigatse in 1981. He studied art first at the Tibet Art School and then at the Tibet University. He is a member of the Tibet Fine Art Association and a founding member of the Shunu Dame Association. His work has been exhibited in the Scorching Sun of Tibet, Songzhuang Art Center, Beijing (2010) and Tibetan Encounters: Contemporary Meets Tradition, Rossi & Rossi, London (2007), among others.

Tashi Norbu (Netherlands)[+]

Tashi Norbu is an independent Tibetan artist who currently resides in the Netherlands. He was educated as a traditional Tibetan thangka painter in Dharamsala. He completed his art studies at the Saint Lucas Academy of Visual Arts in Ghent, Belgium. Since then, he has developed work that juxtaposes the fundamentals of Tibetan Buddhism alongside Western art forms, ideas, and icons.

Tashi Phuntsok[+]

Tashi Phuntsok was born in 1977 in Lhasa and studied at the Central National Art Academy. He is currently teaching at Lhasa No. 3 Primary School. His work has been exhibited in the Scorching Sun of Tibet, Songzhuang Art Center, Beijing (2010) and in Modern Local Tibetan, Mountain and Fish Gallery, 789 Art District, Beijing (2009).

Tenzin Norbu[+]

Tenzin Norbu was born in 1971 in Dolpo, Nepal. His works have appeared in many publications, including Caravans of the Himalaya (National Geographic Publishers, 2005) and National Geographic magazine, as well as the feature film Himalaya, which was nominated for an Academy Award in 1999. He is the illustrator of four children's book and exhibits his paintings regularly in Nepal and abroad. Along with the works of Eric Valli, Norbu's work was featured in a major exhibition at Luxembourg Gardens in Paris, 2002. His work is currently held in many private collections and museums, among which is the Rubin Museum of Art (New York).

Tenzin Phakmo[+]

Tenzin Phakmo was born on New Years Day in 1985 in Pokhara, Nepal. As a volunteer teacher in the remote village of Manang, he was inspired to pursue a career in art. Tenzin studied fine arts with Alok Gurung, one of the most respected artists of Nepal, and is now known for his oil paintings, produced with a pallet knife, his precise touch, and his eye for nuances of color.

Tenzing Rigdol[+]

Tenzing Rigdol was born in Kathmandu, Nepal. He has a diploma in traditional thangka painting and also studied sand painting and butter sculpture in Kathmandu and India. In 2005, he attained a Bachelor of Arts in Art History and a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Painting/Drawing at the University of Colorado at Denver. Tenzing Rigdol's art has been exhibited in numerous venues in the United States, the United Kingdom, Hong Kong and China, including at te Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. In 2008 he was awarded the Rubin Himalayan Artist Fellowship at the Vermont Studio Center. He now lives and works in New York City.

TseKal[+]

Tseten Kalsang, known as TseKal, was born in 1972 in Duilong County, near Lhasa. In 1996 he graduated from the physics department of Tibet University, and after pursuing his interest in art, started to teach art at Duilong Secondary School. His work has been exhibited in Tibetan Horizons: Revisiting Tradition, J. Bastien Art, Brussels, Belgium; New Age: New Media, Australia and China; and the Scorching Sun of Tibet, Songzhuang Art Center, China.

Tserang Dhondup[+]

Tserang Dhondup studied at the fine arts department of the Northwest Minorities College of Lanzhou, Gansu Province, and at the at Central Academy of Drama of Beijing. His work has been displayed at major exhibitions in Lhasa, Beijing, Guangzhou, and Hong Kong.

Tseren Dolma[+]

Tseren Dolma was born in Lhasa in 1966. She holds undergraduate and graduate degrees from the art department of Tibet University. She currently teaches art at Lhasa Normal School. Her work has received many national awards and has been featured in many national and international exhibitions including Scorching Sun of Tibet, Songzhuang Art Center, Beijing, and Glamour Tibet, Beijing (2010).

Untitled, 2008
Courtesy of the artist

Tsering Nyandak[+]

Tsering Nyandak, born in 1974 in Lhasa, is a founding member of the Gedun Choephel Artists' Guild in Lhasa. Beginning in 1999, Nyandak studied art under Tsewang Tashi, another member of the guild and a lecturer in the fine arts department at Tibet University. His most recent works include bright, symbolically charged portraits of women and young children against barren landscapes.

Tülku Jamyang[+]

Born in 1977 in Kathmandu, Tülku Jamyang was recognized as the reincarnation of a spiritual teacher at two years of age. He studied Buddhist philosophy in southern India and has traveled and taught extensively throughout China, Nepal, Bhutan, India, Canada, Japan, and the United States. He is known for his songs and poems in Nepali, and he is the author of No Time for Complex Buddhism. The son of a famous thangka painter and the brother of contemporary artist Tsherin Sherpa, Jamyang began working in visual arts only in the last few years.

Related programming

International Women’s Day: Women in Tibetan Art

Sunday, March 8, 2015
2–4pm at Trace Foundation

In honor of all the women who have inspired and paved the way for us, we invite you to come out for a special talk on International Women’s Day, complete with mimosas, tea, and biscuits. For this first event of the Transcending Tibet exhibition, our female artists—Sonam Dolma Brauen, Michela Martello, Mirella Virgili, and Livia Liverani—will discuss the unique position of and challenges for women in the world of contemporary Tibetan art with Trace Foundation Founder Andrea E. Soros.

RSVP to events@trace.org

The Artists in Conversation with Curator Davide Quadrio

Thursday, March 12, 2015
6:30–8:30pm at Trace Foundation

A few days before the exhibition opens, join us for a panel with Transcending Tibet Curator and Arthub Founder Davide Quadrio, who will be speaking with artists about the exoticism that Tibet has long inspired in the Western imagination, the challenges of transcending this tradition in a global market, and much more. Bringing together many of the Tibetan art world’s major players from across the globe, this panel is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to meet and engage with curators, artists, and art lovers all in one room.

RSVP to events@trace.org

“Buddha in a Shopping Bag,” a Talk with Chief Curator Emeritus of the Rubin Museum of Art Martin Brauen

Wednesday, March 18, 2015
6:30–8:30pm at Trace Foundation

How do Buddhists react when Buddhas adorn T-shirts, the walls of Western restaurants or hair salons, ashtrays, or even doormats? And what should contemporary artists take into consideration in representing the Buddha and Buddhist iconography? Join Chief Curator Emeritus, Rubin Museum of Art, Martin Brauen as he tackles these questions and more.

Kids’ Afternoon with the Artists

Saturday, April 4, 2015
3–5pm at Rogue Space Chelsea

Do you have an aspiring artist in your family? Join artists Rabkar Wangchuk, Michela Martello, Tenzin Phakmo, Livia Liverani, Nyima Dhondup, Tülku Jamyang, and Sodhon for a special hands-on, one-on-one afternoon with artists from the exhibition. Get out their painting clothes and be prepared to get messy!

RSVP to events@trace.org

Online auction

Thursday, March 26–April 9, 2015
Check back soon for inventory

Interested in growing (or starting) your collection of art? Log on to Paddle8 to place your bids on select works of artists from the Transcending Tibet exhibition, limited-edition photographs, iconic artwork, and one-of-a-kind fashion pieces from internationally renowned designers inspired by Tibet. The online auction will run two weeks and will feature additional works not exhibited in Transcending Tibet. See below for a full list of participating artists and “Fashion for Tibet” designers.

Cocktail reception and live auction

Thursday, April 9, 2015
6–10pm at Rogue Space Chelsea

Get your bidding paddles ready. Picking up where the online auction ended, this auction will feature a lineup of groundbreaking artwork and high-end fashion inspired by Tibet—both work shown in the online auction and new pieces. Join us for an evening of cocktails, art, and fashion—with proceeds benefitting our work with Tibetan communities. To inquire about purchasing tickets, contact events@trace.org by March 13.

This event will feature additional works not exhibited by a selection of the artists, as well as a line of one-of-a-kind fashion pieces. Created in collaboration with Negri Firman PR & Communication, these “Fashion for Tibet” items are donated by internationally renowned designers and brands taking inspiration from the exhibition.

PARTICIPATING ARTISTS (to date)
Benchung | Ga Qin Lhamo | Gade | Gonkar Gyatso | Jhamsang | Kesang Lamdark | Livia Liverani | Lois Conner | Losang Gyatso | Marissa Roth | Michela Martello | Mipham Namgyal Rinpoche | Mirella Virgili | Nicholas Vreeland | Nyima Dhondup | Ogyen Trinley Dorje | Pema Bhum | Pempa | Phuntsok Dhumkhang | Phuntsok Tsering | Rabkar Wangchuk | Rima Fujita | Sodhon | Tashi Norbu (Amsterdam) | Tashi Norbu (Lhasa) | Tenzin Norbu | Tenzin Phakmo | Tenzing Rigdol | TseKal | Tserang Dhondup | Tseren Dolma | Tsering Nyandak | Tülku Jamyang

FASHION FOR TIBET CONTRIBUTORS (to date)
Angelos Bratis | Antonio Marras | Aquilano Rimondi | Arthur Arbesser | Carmina Campus | Corto Moltedo | Costume National | Diesel | Etro | Federica Moretti | Gentucca Bini | Giuliana Michelotti | Giulietta NY | Italia Independent | Malìparmi | Matteo Thiela | Moncler Gamme Rouge/design by Giambattista Valli | Mr & Mrs Italy | mYak | Nathalie Jean | Piazza Sempione | Sergio Colantuoni | Suno | Tory Burch

TranscendingTibetA Preview

A first look at the
Transcending Tibet exhibition

November 6 – December 5

Although we've postponed the full Transcending Tibet exhibition until the Spring of 2015, we invite you to join us this fall for a special first look at the work of eleven of the exhibition's participating artists. Traveling from Nepal, Italy, Switzerland, Amsterdam, and Queens, these artists will join us for an opening reception and roundtable discussion on everything from their unconventional choices of materials (silkscreen appliqué collage, incense-burned rice paper, monastic robes, and much more) to negotiating Tibet's rich legacy of traditional art and a fast-changing world.

Preview exhibition and opening reception presented at

The gallery space at
132 Perry Street (ground floor)

New York, NY 10014

get directions

Tickets

This event is free and open to the public

Exhibition viewing hours

Tuesday – Saturday

10am – 5pm

(closed November 27–November 29)

Related Programming

Roundtable Discussion

Wednesday, November 12
6:30 pm–8:30 pm

Contemporary Tibetan art scholar Leigh Miller in conversation with the artists

Book Launch

Thursday, December 4
6:30 pm–8:30 pm

Join us for the paperback launch of Clare Harris's book The Museum on the Roof of the World: Art, Politics, and the Representation of Tibet and discussion with Gonkar Gyatso and Tenzing Rigdol.

Related Programing Presented at Trace Foundation

132 Perry Street,
Suite 2B

New York, NY 10014

get directions

Opening Reception

Thursday, November 6
6:30 pm–8:30 pm

Participating Artists

Kesang Lamdark[+]

Bodhisattva and I, 2014
Courtesy of the artist

Livia Liverani[+]

Melong, 2014
Courtesy of the artist

Michela Martello[+]

Magic Moment, 2009
Courtesy of the artist

Nyima Dhondup[+]

Holy Feet, 2013
Courtesy of the artist

Rabkar Wangchuk[+]

Empty Planet, 2014
Private collection

Sonam Dolma Brauen[+]

My Father's Death, 2011
Courtesy of the artist

Tashi Norbu (Netherlands)[+]

Dharma, 2013
Courtesy of the artist

Tashi Norbu (Lhasa)[+]

Style, 2013
Courtesy of the artist

Tenzin Phakmo[+]

My Land series: Governors Island, 2013
Courtesy of the artist

TseKal[+]

Nike, 2014
Courtesy of the artist

Tülkü Jamyang[+]

Born in 1977 in Kathmandu, Tülkü Jamyang was recognized as the reincarnation of a spiritual teacher at two years of age. He studied Buddhist philosophy in southern India and has traveled and taught extensively throughout China, Nepal, Bhutan, India, Canada, Japan, and the United States. He is known for his songs and poems in Nepali, and he is the author of No Time for Complex Buddhism. The son of a famous thangka painter and the brother of contemporary artist Tsherin Sherpa, Jamyang began working in visual arts only in the last few years.

Gay-pa (Blooming), 2014
Courtesy of the artist

Lens onTibet

A 12-Film Series
of the Most Exciting Tibetan Films Today

August 20 – August 31

Through the lens of the camera, a generation of Tibetan and Western filmmakers are capturing breathtaking landscapes and creating a global stage for Tibet’s most captivating subjects, from a controversial caterpillar fungus that’s changing the lives and livellhoods of Tibetans to the place of women in rural Tibetan communities. Join us and MoMA for a series of screenings of Tibet’s most exciting films and talks with the visionary directors behind them.

Presented at MoMA

11 W 53rd Street

New York, NY 10022

get directions

Tickets

visit moma.org to purchase tickets

Trace Foundation & Tibetan Cinema

In 2005, some eighty years after the first film projectors and cameras arrived on the Tibetan Plateau, a young man applied to us for support to go to film school. That young man, Pema Tseden, is now widely considered Tibet’s first filmmaker. Since then, we've been proud supporters of a new wave of Tibetan filmmakers, including Sonthar Gyal and Dukar Tserang. We've also supported an inaugural documentary project to train fifteen Tibetan students in digital camera techniques and published a volume of Latse Journal tracing the arc of filmmaking in Tibet.

A Discussion With The Directors

Wednesday, August 20, 6:00 – 8:00 pm

Join us for a roundtable with nine of the featured filmmakers, moderated by Tibetan film scholar Robert Barnett; with Assistant Curator, Department of Film, MoMA, Sally Berger and Senior Vice President of Kino Lorber Elizabeth Sheldon. The roundtable will examine everything from the current state of Tibetan film on the global stage to the ins-and-outs of life as a filmmaker today, and will be followed by an opportunity to meet the directors over cocktails.

RSVP is closed

Screenings

Yartsa Rinpoche:
Precious Caterpillar [+]

North American Premiere

Yartsa-Gunbu (Cordyceps sinesis) has been called “Tibet's Golden Worm” and “The Viagra of the Himalayas.” Discovered thirty years ago as a natural remedy, it soon became a boon to Tibetan nomads. Today, some nomadic Tibetan communities bring in as much as 80 percent of their income from collecting Yartsa-Gunbu. The documentary story follows Darlo, an elder in the Amdo region, who, with his family forms a group of thirty that journey eight hundred kilometers to collect the worms, while exploring its larger implications.

Year:: 2013
Director:: Dorje Tsering Chenaktsang
Language:: Tibetan (Amdo Dialect)
Subtitles:: English
Runtime:: 101 min.
Country:: France/China