We Are No Monks!!

we are no monks

Poster Wilderness Films India Ltd. in association with Clear Mirror Pictures is proud to present the first ever feature film about exile Tibetans titled "We're No Monks".

Shot on location around McLeod Ganj, Dharamshala, and Tibetan camp Delhi, India, it is a story about the dreams, aspirations and desires of four friends who under social, political and economic frustrations plot to become terrorists.

Clear mirror is spoken "me-long" in Tibetan. It is an ancient symbol of power and equanimity and is said to have properties of projecting the identified facts of any object unfiltered. Our first narrative feature film, We're No Monks (working title was The Four Harmonius Friends), is one such story told with that conviction.

Dreams seldom come true, but when they do, it is nothing short of a miracle for the dreamer. This project is one such miracle for me. My co-producer, Rupin Dang's commitment along with the dedication of his team at Wilderness Films plus the passionate crew and cast that I got together have only made it possible for us Tibetans to realize this dream; the first ever film about exiled Tibetans!

The journey of a film ends when it's finally laid before the audience. We also will be judged, criticized and perhaps rewarded as well, according to how the film is received. However, the greatest reward for us, the team that came together from around the world, is the love and respect that we have gained for each other as basic human beings.

I was clear that this film, despite being fictional, had to be as real as life in Dharamshala itself, and as such, I based all my decisions, from scripting to post - production, on this commitment. As such, I used a mix of fiction filmmaking and uncontrolled documentary processes using improvisations and real crowds including in one scene, The Dalai Lama's convoy! I think the amalgamation has added a unique flavor to the movie.

The project came through because of the hard work, trust and belief of the cast and the crew who apart from not being paid a penny, were on occasion pushed to the limits. I know now that creativity comes clearly from how one functions within limitations, and this project is a perfect example (almost everyone in the crew stepped in as an extra and our 3rd AD fulfilled 10 different roles!). Begging for favors and at times even kidnapping a random stranger off the road to play an extra (like we did to my mother) became a norm in this production. In all, as much as this is a fiction story, it is also reality...

So, if the Tibetans shed their non-violent path of freedom struggle and pick up arms, it will be a loss for humanity first.