Monk with a Camera

Nicholas Vreeland is the grandson of Vogue legend Diana Vreeland. As a teenager he was a committed dandy and a working photographer, thanks to Grandmamma who hooked him up with Irving Penn. But Nicholas sought something in life beyond material satisfaction and, exchanging the silver spoon in his mouth for a begging bowl, he became a Buddhist monk. Now this MONK WITH A CAMERA is known as Abbot of Rato Dratsang, an important Tibetan Government monastery. We follow Geshe Nicky from India to The Tibet Center in New York and on to Europe, where he stages a photo exhibit to raise funds for his monastery. There are charming conversations with Nicky’s many friends and family, plus the Dalai Lama and Richard Gere. Whether he’s strategizing at a Long Beach hotel or perched on his abbot’s throne in India, the impermanence of life is never far from Nicky’s mind. A fascinating portrait of a man uniquely qualified to liaise between two worlds—or three. (In English and Tibetan with subtitles) —B.B.