Bön and the West
From the ancient Zhang Zhung kingdom in Tibet
Synopsis
Thousands of years ago in ancient Tibet, there existed a vast kingdom known as Zhang Zhung, whose religion Bön has continued throughout history. Today at Menri Monastery in Northern India and Triten Norbutse in Kathmandu Nepal, young monks and nuns carry on the Bön teachings and lineage, not only in the lands of the Himalayas, but also to countries around the world, where Western students now embrace Bön methods and practices for finding compassion and joy, amidst the technological and often chaotic world.
While Bön is considered to be one of the world’s oldest spiritual traditions, Westerners do not have to become Bonpos to realize the benefits from these practices. Many Bön teachers now travel to the West and throughout the world, today in more than thirty countries, learning to speak local languages, and develop sanghas, in order to share these ancient teachings and meditative practices with eager Western students. Today scientists research how meditation measurably effects brain waves, and helps Westerners in their everyday lives, cancer patients manage their pain, and school children deal with challenging modern lives.
Awards
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2020 Einstein, Picasso and Buddha Film Festival
Best Director, Official Selection
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2020 Kathmandu International Media & Film Festival
Official Selection
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2020 19th International Buddhist Film Festival
Official Selection
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2020 Society for Visual Anthropology Film and Media Festival
Official Selection
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2020 Buddhafest Online 10th Anniversary Film Festival
Official Selection
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2020 Bhutan Ministry of Education
Private Screenings for Monasteries
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2019 Taos Community Auditorium
World Premiere
Crew
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Andrea Heckman | Director, Co-Producer
Andrea Heckman has a PhD in Anthropology/Art History and has worked in Peru for over 30 years where she was a Fulbright scholar. Her book, Woven Stories: Andean Textiles and Rituals, won the Collier Award from the Society for Visual Anthropology of the American Anthropology Association. Her award-winning documentaries include Ausangate, Crossing Bridges, Mountain Sanctuary, Bon: Mustang to Menri, and Woven Stories: Weaving Traditions of Northern NM.
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Tad Fettig | Director of Photography
Tad Fettig is an award-winning director & cameraman who documents social, environmental and spiritual issues, from Liberia’s civil war to Shipibo Shamans in Peru. He launched kontentreal with the award-winning series, E2: Design, Energy, and Transport, for PBS/Sundance Channel/international markets. He has directed and filmed projects for Sundance Channel, ECOIST and Discovery. Feature documentaries include Bon: Mustang to Menri, and Ausangate about Quechua life in Peru.
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Ken O'Neil | Co-Producer
Ken O’Neil has a degree in communication engineering and was a founder of a publicly traded high tech film in California’s Silicon Valley. As an artist his paintings have been published in a book, Behind the Paint. He has worked was a production assistant, camera and editor on six award winning documentary films in seven countries from Greenland to Mexico.
