Our Year In Review

2009 was a landmark year for Frame of Mind Films. An EMMY® and 7 TELLY Awards, two shoots in Dharamsala, India. Interviews with the Dalai Lama, the 17th Karmapa, Angeles Arrien, and Matthew Fox.   21 Prayers for Peace gains momentum and Miriam Telles moves on to pastures new as Aram Fischer returns to FOMF.

Many will remember Aram Fischer working with FOMF in the early days of our Women of Tibet film series.  When Gyalyum Chemo-The Great Mother was complete Aram set off to seek his fortune in Australia.  We are delighted and fortunate to welcome him home and back to work with us again on our new and exciting projects.

As Aram returns, Miriam Telles moves on.  We thank Miriam for her work on The Great Mother and A Quiet Revolution and wish her good fortune in whatever lies ahead for her.

In January Holly Hine joined Frame of Mind Films as our junior post-production assistant.  Holly rapidly distinguished herself during the coming months, first becoming Rosemary’s Executive Assistant and now our junior Associate Producer/Post Production manager.

March and April saw interviews with Angeles Arrien and Matthew Fox for the final episode of the Women of Tibet trilogy, The Buddha’s Wife quickly followed by a trip to Dharamsala, India for interviews with His Holiness the Dalai Lama, His Holiness the 17th Karmapa, and two female state oracles: Lhamo Yudonma and Lhamo Tseringma.  Back in the US we interviewed Lama Tsultrim Allione.

Exciting news of our nomination for an EMMY® arrived during our visit to India in April, followed by the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences awards ceremony in May.  And yes, our nomination was transformed into a WIN!

Summer was rounded out with Linda Milks presenting us a project that she is impassioned by: Nature Speaks. Linda worked as one of our researchers on our Women of Tibet series.  Today, Linda is working with us again but this time as story consultant on “Nature Speaks,”  a remarkable new documentary film about the immediacy and gravity of global environmental conditions.

Fall began with Rosemary and Holly journeying to San Juan Island to see Her Eminence Sakya Jetsun Chimey Luding Rinpoche to take direct teachings on the 21 Taras for our book 21 Prayers for Peace. As always Jetsunma’s kindness and generosity, patience and encouragement were boundless.  For more about Jetsun Kusho la please see our Weaving Wisdom, Weaving Life page.

Then onto Vancouver BC for the Dalai Lama Center’s Peace Summit attended by His Holiness the Dalai Lama and several other Nobel Peace laureates. This exciting few days provided inspiration and much information for our project The Empty Chair, a documentary film on the history of peace and non-violence.  The visit to Vancouver also spawned another trip to Dharamsala, this time to interview Nobel laureates Shirin Ebadi, Jody Williams, and Mairead Maguire who were visiting His Holiness to commemorate the 50th year of exile for the Tibetan leader. Unfortunately, Rosemary suffered an arm injury and was unable to work  making much of the purpose for the trip a loss.

As the year drew to a close, there was good news and not so good news.  In December Rosemary learned that Dr. Marion Woodman was in the midst of another serious health crisis.  If you have seen Women of Tibet: The Great Mother you will remember Marion as being one of three Western women to talk about the Great Mother archetype in the film.  The good news is that Marion’s indomitable spirit prevailed and with it her agreement to work with Rosemary on a film biography of her life.

Since The Great Mother and A Quiet Revolution were completed, Frame of Mind Films has worked to have both films translated into the Tibetan language.  The majority of Tibetans raised under the Communist Chinese regime and escaping Tibet do not speak English and do not have any real knowledge of their own recent history and cultural legacy.  Once Tibetan versions of the films are finished, they will be used  for teaching purposes within the Tibetan settlements in India and for screening to Tibetan speaking audiences around the world.  This work continues as and when additional funding becomes available and the current status is that both films are two thirds complete.