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REFUGE

INTRO
STORY OUTLINE
DISTRIBUTION
TEAM
BACKGROUND

INTRO

A short film about Tibetan Buddhism

Beautiful illustration of a young Tibetan woman walking on pilgrimage to the mountains of Tibet. Based on a true diary of a young woman. Illustrating the concepts of the wheel of life.

STORY OUTLINE

REFUGE is a 15 minute short film which has a two minute prequel of the Dalai Lama talking about his views on the China Tibet crisis

The film centres around images of current Tibetan culture with particular reference to Tibetan Buddhism.

The narrative of REFUGE focuses around the stages of the teaching practise of LAMRIM - literally "stages of the path" - that is contemplated by Tibetan Buddhists to further their spiritual development and social conscience. The story begins with dawn over Dharamsala, and a YOUNG GIRL leaving home carrying a Khata - a white, ceremonial scarf. She walks along a path towards the town, and both remembers and encounters experiences that relate back to the Lamrim.

These images form the documentary part of filming, showing the activities of the community and the detail of its everyday experiences.

�Visual poetry� or symbolism, sutras and Buddhist texts intercuts with the main story, enhancing the message of the piece.

DISTRIBUTION

Refuge has been screened successfully at a number of Festivals which include: Raindance Film Festival, Bradford Film Festival, Kino Film Festival, Turner Classic Movies/LFF � Highly Commended, Kent Film Festival, Tahoe International Film Festival at Lake Tahoe in California, LAND Festival in New Mexico and at the Iranian Fest / Iranian Young Cinema Society.

It has been sold to Hypnotic.com, to Poland and Hungary for 3 years starting on June 1st 2003 and to I-Choose TV

TEAM

Phil Hunt (Director/Producer)

From a background of working as an advertising and music photographer, Phil is co-managing director of Head Gear Films, a production and gap financing feature film organization. 2007 saw the launch of Bankside Films, an international film sales agency, which Phil is also Co-Managing Director of and co-founded by Hilary Davis and Stephen Kelliher, formerly of Beyond Films. Davis takes the title of co-Managing Director and Kelliher that of Director of Sales & Marketing.

Phil began producing feature films in the mid 1990’s with FAST FOOD (Douglas Henshall and Emily Woof), sold internationally by Vine International Pictures and released in the UK early 2000 by Optimum Releasing. This was followed by CHUNKY MONKEY directed by Greg Cruttwell, (Alison Steadman and David Threlfall), It has been termed a punk ‘Abigail’s Party’ and ‘An Edward Hopper painting commissioned by Monty Python’. Head Gear’s first investment that Phil also produced was a Mexican UK political thriller RABBIT ON THE MOON directed by Jorge Ramirez Saurez, which played in competition at amongst others, the Berlin, AFI and Toulouse festivals. It has had 11 award nominations. International sales by Capitol Films.

Head Gear Films and Bankside Films now provides finance for other producers as well as producing and executive producing and international sales. Five films have been financed via Head Gear Films: THE ALL TOGETHER starring Martin Freeman, GHOSTS directed by Nick Broomfield (opening film in competition at San Sebastian), SHAKE HANDS WITH THE DEVIL directed by Roger Spottiswoode, HOW ABOUT YOU starring Vanessa Redgrave and Imelda Staunton and NORMAL directed by Carl Besai, starring Carrie-Anne Moss and Kevin Zegers.

BACKGROUND

It is now widely speculated that within the next decade Tibet will entirely be absorbed wholly into China.

In effect, "Tibet" will no longer exist.

During the past 40 years this most unique culture has been systematically destroyed by the occupation of the Chinese. In Tibet itself this corrosion is now so deep set, that the only significant cultural strongholds are now found beyond its borders.

As the world and its people take another look in the mirror, preservation and awareness of our surroundings is crucial, both for inner peace and to avert pollution and eco-destruction. As Tibet is the archetype for this way of life and an advocate of cross cultural inter-dependancy it is deeply ironic that, although the influence of these philosophies has reached far and wide, the culture that is their spiritual base is on the brink of extinction.

This short film has aimed to capture Tibetan culture both in sound and vision, as both an epitaph and a celebration. The film is aimed at a world-wide audience via theatrical distribution and highlights the need to preserve this culture without fail. It is hoped that through imaginative and innovative documentary techniques that REFUGE will increase awareness and support for Tibet and its people.

There is already widespread knowledge of the occupation of Tibet and the colonisation of the people and the land. The film adopts a retrospective stance with no overt historical or political perspective. Rather the film seeks to depict Tibetan culture as it currently exists, to capture a "slice of life" of people facing the end of a cultural identity, thus underlining how serious the implications of its loss are.

Most significant of the Tibetan cultural strongholds beyond its own borders is McLeod Ganj in Dharamsala, Northern India. Since the 1950�s this has been the capital and �refuge� of the Tibetan government in exile. It is also the home of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama.. Here the Tibetan community maintain their culture to the best of their ability, despite being acutely aware of the fact that politically their country no longer exists.