Directed by Johanna Demetrakas
92 min. / USA / English / 2011
Documentary
Asia Premiere

This is the long-awaited feature documentary that explores the life, teachings, and "crazy wisdom" of Chogyam Trungpa, Rinpoche, a pivotal figure in bringing Tibetan Buddhism to the West. Raised and trained in the rigorous Tibetan monastic tradition, Trungpa shattered preconceived notions about how an enlightened teacher should behave — he openly smoked, drank, and had intimate relations with students — yet his teachings are recognized as authentic, vast and influential. Trungpa taught Buddhism as though it were a matter of life and death. Allen Ginsberg considered him his guru; Thomas Merton wanted to write a book with him; Joni Mitchell wrote a song about him. Filmed in the UK, Tibet, Canada, and the U.S., 20 years after Trungpa's death, with unprecedented access and exclusive archival material.

This screening is part of the International Buddhist Film Festival 2012 Hong Kong. For more information, please visit AsiaSociety.org/IBFF.