Digital Dharma: One Man’s Mission to Save a Culture

In the 1950s many were forced to flee Tibet, carrying with them bits of the culture’s precious literary heritage. Much was lost or destroyed. Gene Smith, a student of Tibetan Buddhism, offered to help refugees assimilate into America. These encounters profoundly changed him, sparking a life-long commitment to retrieving and preserving every remaining piece of Tibetan writing and culture. Spanning decades and crossing the world, this mesmerizing film charts the astounding journey of a man who threw aside politics and profit to ensure the continuity of a way of life. Almost 50 years later, we join Gene Smith as he begins the fascinating transformation of these precious documents into the digital realm, making nearly 2,000 years of learning and history available to everybody, even in the remotest corners of the earth, for all time. DIGITAL DHARMA shows how passion and devotion ensured the survival of an entire culture. Using moving testimonials and rare footage, this is a truly inspiring tribute to an authentic hero. -C.R.