A film on GNH to be screened in NY

October 19, 2010: A film on Bhutan’s Gross National Happiness philosophy is all set to be screened in Himalayan Film Festival in New York. The festival at New York City’s Greenwich Village, the cultural heart of Manhattan at Quad Cinema will run through October 22 till 28.

A still from the film. Source: himalayanfilmfestival.us

Among 31 Himalayan films selected for the festival, only one is about Bhutan.

Bhutan – Taking the Middle Path to Happiness features Bhutan and the government’s effort to bring ‘Gross National Happiness’ to its people.

The organizers promote the film as unique where the king lives in a simple wooden cottage and judges his progress by the country’s ‘Gross National Happiness’. Where is this Shangri-La?

The documentary examines whether the ideals of GNH can be realized and whether this small, geographically isolated country, tucked away in the Himalayas, truly protect its environment and culture as it opens its doors to the West.

The two Emmy Award winning film by Tom Vendetti, John Wehrheim and Robert Stone is 57 minutes long. It is scheduled for Wednesday 9:45 am on October 27.

The festival offers breathtaking images of Bhutan, India, Nepal, and Tibet. The films highlight dramatic landscapes, heart-warming scenes of everyday life, cultural gems and colorful festivals.

Thangka painter Tashi Norbu opens the festival at 12.30 pm October 22 by creating an actual Tibetan painting of a Buddha, while reciting Tara mantras during the ritual of the bodhisattava of compassion of which The Dalai Lama is regarded to be the reincarnation.