Dear Friends,
I am writing to let you know that The Buddha Wallah is now available on DVD. It can be ordered through www.zinnober.de
Below there are links to two minute clips about the film, as well as some background to making of the film.
The Buddha Wallah
A 90 minute documentary
by Dieter Zeppenfeld and Georg Maas
about Christopher Titmuss, his work
and the teachings of the Buddha
A two minute trailer of “The Buddha Wallah” is now on Facebook.
http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Buddha-Wallah/240540865989196
Dear Facebook Friends, Would you kindly click “like” so that all your friends will get the message. Bless you.
Or you can watch the same trailer on Youtube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iixvx1odupk
I found out that the making of a documentary film requires an immense amount of work and dedication.
Around five years ago, I agreed with the kind invitation of Dieter Zeppenfeld,and Georg Maas directors of Zinnober Film Company in Germany, for a documentary film to be made about my work and teachings.
I requested that the film communicate as much as possible the Dharma through meditation, inquiry, service, human rights and environmental initiatives, despite the thread of this wallah running through the film.
To their credit, Dieter and Georg kept faithfully to the remit. It was an immense undertaking. They travelled with me to Germany, France, India, Israel, Palestinian territories, Thailand, Burma, as well as at home here in Totnes, Devon, England. They arranged for filming to be made in Australia, New York and San Francisco. Filming took place over four years with a total of 120 hours of filming. Dieter, Georg and their editors spent months editing the film down to 90 minutes, plus extra scenes, for the DVD.
Various focus groups, including Sangha members and regular householders, watched the film to give feedback. The film went through several edits before the Premiere.
A company in Brighton, England bought the world distribution rights for television after the successful premiere in two cinemas in Germany.
Frankly, it was far easier to be on my side of the camera than their side. There is a lot of equipment, huge attention to detail, plus music, colour enhancement and texts.
You will probably recognise a few people in the film, perhaps even yourselves.
Dieter told me that Mr and Mrs TV Watcher often imagine spiritual teachers are not very down-to-earth, dressed in silks, and appearing very holy with devotees attending to all their needs. Oh, I should be so lucky. Very early in the film I am hanging out my clothes on the line inside a wooden building in Wat Sai Ngma monstery, Supanburi, Thailand. Outside, it is the monsoon. Rain is pouring down. Stripped to the waist, I am explaining how long it takes for clothes to dry. Made of cotton, of course. Mr and Mrs. TV Watcher in the focus group said they could relate to this wallah.
Dieter is a mentor in our Mindfulness Training Course and a participant in the Dharma Facilitators Programme for the past 10 years. He has made more than 100 documentaries in the past 20 years or more.
After watching the two minute clip, I felt viewers could regard it as a study in the ageing process. Is it a coincidence that I have dropped jogging as my primary form of exercise and switched to the gym and the upper part of the body
I hope you get the opportunity to see the film.
Love
Christopher