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EAST is a series of nine shorts from Tibet, Thailand and Nepal. It's a sensory adventure into the exotic cultures of Asia. The films are short documentaries designed to get across what it feels like to be in a part of the world with old culture and deep tradition.
ROOF OF THE WORLD, 4:53, is a centered journey around the Potola Palace and Drepung Monastery in Lhasa, the capital city of Tibet. The Potola is the traditional home of the Dalai Lama and Drepung was once the largest monastery in the world.
PILGRIMS, 4:28, traces the steps of Tibetan Buddhist pilgrims as they spin prayer wheels and circle the Jokhang Temple in what is known as the Barkhor Circuit. The Jokhang is at the center of Lhasa's spiritual activity and dates back some 1400 years.
MONKS, 1:40, gets inside the courtyard of Sera Monastery during afternoon debate. Sera is considered one of the three great Gelug Monasteries. At one time Sera was a thriving monastic community with five colleges and thousands of monks.
NAMASTE, 4:45, captures the essence of the indigenous Newari people of Manedhara, Nepal. The village is located in the foothills of the Himalayan region south of Kathmandu and is home to traditional farmers who work the fields and tend the animals.
THE VALLEY, 5:02, adventures into maze-like Kathmandu on foot, in a rickshaw and through the eyes of a monkey. Buddhism and Hinduism converge in the mysterious Kathmandu Valley. Filmed at Pashupatinath, Durbar Square, Boudhanath and Monkey Temple.
ROOF OF THE WORLD
Lhasa, Tibet
PILGRIMS
Jokhang Temple
Lhasa, Tibet
MONKS
Sera Monastery
Lhasa, Tibet
BANGKOK STREETS
Bangkok, Thailand
UPCOUNTRY
Nong Sum
Isaan, Thailand
FLOATING MARKET
Damnoen Saduak
Ratchaburi, Thailand
NAMASTE
Manedhara, Nepal
THE VALLEY
Kathmandu, Nepal
LAZY
Koh Chang, Thailand
music by
RASHIK PRIYA
PHUTHAI
LARRY MAHLIS
SEAN BLOSL
Tibetan field recordings by
FM3
Films by
SEAN BLOSL
total running time: 40 minutes
Download MP4 video for $9.99 USD. DVD available for $22 USD, shipping included (international dvd orders are $28 USD, shipping included). Packaged in standard DVD case. The films of EAST were shot on super 8, black and white and color.
BANGKOK STREETS, 3:14, moves through the streets and alleys of Bangkok on the back of a motorcycle taxi. The capital of Thailand is a concrete jungle with a flood of activity. It never sleeps and it never stands still, it's a world unto itself.
UPCOUNTRY, 6:01, observes the natives of Nong Sum during Bun Pha Wet festival. The village is in northeastern Thailand, just outside of Roi Et in a region known as Isaan. It's heavily influenced by traditional Lao culture and Theravada Buddhism.
FLOATING MARKET, 4:32, drifts down river at the Damnoen Saduak floating market in Ratchaburi, Thailand. Local merchants in big brimmed hats sell produce, spices and crafts from inside long tail boats and along riverbanks.
LAZY, 5:08, leaves the world behind and ventures far away from here to an island off the coast of Thailand called Koh Chang. Time melts into the gulf while swinging in a hammock and dreaming about forever. Kit Theung bungalow.
THE SOUNDTRACKS for the films of EAST are a combination of native Tibetan folk music and field recordings captured by fm3, Isaan music by Phuthai, Hindu Bhajan by Rashik Priya, percussion by Larry Mahlis and field recordings and music by Sean Blosl.
REVIEWS
'East', Sean Blosl's DVD of Asian Super 8mm shorts is a truly sublime collection of films. Travelling across Tibet, Nepal and Thailand, his beautiful imagery is coupled with delicate music and high quality field recordings that seamlessly melt into a wonderfully ethereal piece of work.
The use of Super 8 film adds to the sense of other worldliness, and sensitive observation, enhanced by the use Sean's trademark slow motion techniques, produces almost hypnotic visuals.
'East / A Series of Shorts From Asia' is a hugely accomplished production that provides a privileged insight into the lives of those inhabiting areas which many of us will never get to see.
We're proud to have one of the nine films that make up the DVD, 'Pilgrims' on our podcast. This fascinating short provides a rare glimpse into the Jokhang Temple in Lhasa, Tibet as visitors flock to this most sacred of Buddhist shrines.
'East' is one of the best collections of observational documentaries and is an absolute must watch DVD.
-- Giles Perkins, onsuper8.org
Monks is not just about Tibetan Monks, but rather the film is an ethereal trip that imparts a feeling of spirituality, grace and a bit of mystery as the monks go through a traditional religious "debate". Blosl does a remarkable job of capturing the looks, smiles and movements of the Tibetans in the courtyard of the Sera Monastery.
-- Michael Ryan, Super 8 Today