Over a three-year period Filmmaker Joshua Dugdale was given extraordinary access to the behind-the-scenes life of spiritual and political leader the XIV Dalai Lama, and his epic struggle with China for peace and freedom for the people of Tibet. The result: an astonishing film of rare historic importance nominated by the Foreign Press Association for “Best Documentary of the Year.” THE UNWINKING GAZE premiered as the opening night film at the 2008 London International Film Festival and will make its U.S. DVD debut from IndiePix® on July 14 for $24.95SRP wherever DVDs are sold, online and at indiepixfilms.com.
NEW YORK, NY – Over a three-year period Filmmaker Joshua Dugdale was given extraordinary access to the behind-the-scenes life of spiritual and political leader the XIV Dalai Lama, and his epic struggle with China for peace and freedom for the people of Tibet. The result: an astonishing film of rare historic importance nominated by the Foreign Press Association for “Best Documentary of the Year.” THE UNWINKING GAZE premiered as the opening night film at the 2008 London International Film Festival and will make its U.S. DVD debut from IndiePix® on July 14 for $24.95SRP wherever DVDs are sold, online and at indiepixfilms.com
China, a rising superpower and home to a quarter of the human race, has controlled Tibet for centuries. Chinese officials view the Dalai Lama with extreme suspicion, declaring him a “wolf in monk’s clothing.” Are they right to question his intentions? Does he really want peace, or is his goal simply to split Tibet from China by any means necessary? What is he saying behind closed doors? Dugdale seeks clarity on these monumental issues in what the BBC calls “a very impartial film” with “fascinating insight into the court of the Dalai Lama.”
THE UNWINKING GAZE goes where no other movie or journalistic endeavor has gone before, tracking the daily agonies of the Tibetan leader as he tries to strike a balance between his Buddhist vows and the realpolitik needed to placate China. David and Goliath is played out in front of us as the world’s emerging superpower and the Dalai Lama walk a tightrope over an issue of global importance, revealing one of the greatest spiritual figures of our time through both words and actions. THE UNWIKING GAZE is not three years in the life of the Dalai Lama – it is his life’s work in three years.
“I had seen a number of films on the Dalai Lama, but I felt they didn’t show who he really was. It seemed that he was being wheeled out for the cameras, for stage managed set pieces,” writes Dugdale in explaining his motivation for embarking on the monumental effort of making THE UNWINKING GAZE. “Knowing that the rhetoric from Beijing claimed that the Dalai Lama was a canny political operator, intent on conning the West into backing his efforts to split off Tibet and weaken China, I wondered whether there was a way of showing his actions and reactions on camera. I hoped to be able to reveal his true intentions and character and I wanted to create a film, which would show the real world of the “splittist” Dalai Lama so that those in power in Beijing might be able to make more informed decisions about how they deal with him. With such an enigmatic figure, the only way to achieve this was to treat him like any other politician, showing the world he inhabits and the challenges he faces. The result is extraordinarily rare access into the world of one of the great spiritual leaders of our time.”
Following in the spiritual footprints of Tibet: Cry of Tibet, 10 Questions About the Dalai Lama and A Path to Happiness: His Holiness the Dalai Lama as the next acclaimed film about this revered world icon, in this 50th anniversary year of the Dalai Lama’s exile, IndiePix invites home audiences to an unprecedented and unforgettable, behind-the-scenes look at the one of the greatest spiritual icons of our time.
DVD Extras: Never-Before-Seen Interview with the Dalai Lama ■ Trailer ■ Extended Interview With Dr. Andrew Fischer.
About IndiePix®IndiePix is a New York-based distributor that delivers a highly-curated collection of the best Independent Films from around the world. Offering a hand-picked catalog of over 3,000 independent film gems – art-house, foreign, and documentary – the IndiePix team selects the best titles from the international festival circuit. Avenues for distribution include IndiePix' patented Burn-to-Own technology, delivery of DVD by mail, retail and theatrical.
Links
Official Film Website: http://www.theunwinkinggaze.com/
IndiePix: http://indiepixfilms.com
