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Release Date: September 15th, 2006 (Cinema Village) by Direct Pictures. Directed by John Bush. BASIC PREMISE: A documentary about the importance of Vajrayana Buddhism and the threat of it being forgotten in Tibet. ENTERTAINMENT VALUE: Vajra Sky Over Tibet is mildly engaging as a visual guide to the beauty of Tibet. Director John Bush documents the many sacred locations throughout the city as well as the picturesque nature around it, including the sky. Bush clearly loves Buddhism, but he goes too far by relying on a simple show-and-tell of what he is observing. Basically, the conflict is that the Chinese government doesn’t allow for religious freedom by destroying holy Buddhist structures and not even teaching Buddhists texts. It’s understandable that there are no interviews with Tibetans because they could have gotten into trouble the government. However, the narration by John Bush, Tenzin L. Choegyal (the Dalai Lama’s nephew) and Dadon (a Tibetan singer) don’t really add much to the visuals. This would have been a much more compelling and lively documentary if Bush managed to interview historians or any other experts. It would have been interesting to ask what particularly makes Vajrayana Buddhism so important in the long run? The digital cinematography looks rather grainy at times, but at least it’s easy to notice the many vibrant colors of the structures At a running time of 89 minutes, Vajra Sky in Tibet often drags and overstays it welcome. SPIRITUAL VALUE: None, other than the importance of preserving Vajrayana Buddhism. INSULT TO YOUR INTELLIGENCE: Excessive reliance on visuals and a dull narration. NUMBER OF TIMES I CHECKED MY WATCH: 6 IN A NUTSHELL: Mildly engaging, but often drags with a dull narration and an excessive reliance on visual aides. RECOMMENDED WAY TO WATCH: VHS/DVD Main Page Alphabetical Menu Chronological Menu The "V" Menu ______________________________________________________ |
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