Sky Burial (0+)
USA, 2005, colour, 12 min.
Director: Ellen Bruno
Director: Ellen Bruno
The most common burial custom in Tibet is called the sky burial, or celestial burial, which shows respect for nature and an understanding of life. The sky burial is called “jha-tor”, meaning “giving alms to birds.” The bodies of the dead are offered to the vultures as a final act of kindness to living beings… the ultimate gesture of generosity.
Sky Burial documents this death ritual at the Drigung Monastery in northern Tibet. To the Tibetans, the sky, or the universe, holds a supreme position. It is where the sacred world lies. To merge with the sky is a holy event, one that replaces the sufferings of this world with peace.
Sky Burial documents this death ritual at the Drigung Monastery in northern Tibet. To the Tibetans, the sky, or the universe, holds a supreme position. It is where the sacred world lies. To merge with the sky is a holy event, one that replaces the sufferings of this world with peace.
Ellen Bruno
Ellen Bruno
is a San Francisco-based documentary filmmaker whose works have won more than 25 national and international awards. A recipient of both the Guggenheim and Rockefeller Fellowships, Ms. Bruno has focused her attention on homelessness, Burmese prostitution, Tibetan nuns, health care in Cambodia, and other issues on the forefront of human rights. She serves on the Board of Directors of the Buddhist Film Festival, the Pacific Pioneer Fund, and has been an artist-in-residence at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts.
FILMOGRAPHY
“House of the Spirit”, 1984; “Maime”, 1986; “No Fairy Tale”,1987; “Samsara”, 1990;“Blessed”,1995, “Sacrifice”,1998; “Satya: A Prayer for the Enemy”, 1993.
USA, 2005, colour, 12 min.
Director: Ellen Bruno
Director: Ellen Bruno
The most common burial custom in Tibet is called the sky burial, or celestial burial, which shows respect for nature and an understanding of life. The sky burial is called “jha-tor”, meaning “giving alms to birds.” The bodies of the dead are offered to the vultures as a final act of kindness to living beings… the ultimate gesture of generosity.
Sky Burial documents this death ritual at the Drigung Monastery in northern Tibet. To the Tibetans, the sky, or the universe, holds a supreme position. It is where the sacred world lies. To merge with the sky is a holy event, one that replaces the sufferings of this world with peace.
Sky Burial documents this death ritual at the Drigung Monastery in northern Tibet. To the Tibetans, the sky, or the universe, holds a supreme position. It is where the sacred world lies. To merge with the sky is a holy event, one that replaces the sufferings of this world with peace.