Review: Andrew Hinton & Johnny Burke’s Doc ‘Tashi and the Monk’ Pulls the Heartstrings in All the Right Ways

tashi - posterHBO has been in the documentary game for as long as I can remember. They’ve been bringing quality stories about a wide spectrum of subjects and people and tonight it premieres the new documentary short Tashi and the Monk, which is no less interesting than the great bulk of what they show.

tashi - monk and girl

After deciding to end his tenure as a Buddhist monk working in the United States, Lobsang Phutsok felt compelled to return to his native Nepal to help children in need, those who had no options. Upon his return he started Jhamtse Gatsal, what amounts to a commune where at risk children were not just taken in to be cared for but essentially adopted by Lobsang. Parents/grandparents/family members had to relinquish rights to the children in order for him to take them in, where he would he there proxy father. There, they would be fed, educated and prepared for a life bigger than any they could expect from their circumstances otherwise by the monk and his incredibly dedicated staff.

tashi - girl herself

The force that carries us through the film really is the titular Tashi Drolma, a troubled 5-year old girl whose mother had just died and whose alcoholic father can’t or won’t take care of her. She is the youngest of the children at Jhamtse Gatsal and is a willful young girl who starts out as a troublemaker. However, we witness her journey over the period of filming into a more integrated and happy young girl who makes friends and is taken under the wing of one of the older children there. She is the embodiment of all the good that occurs under Lobsang and the staff’s guidance.

tashi - kids

Try as he may, Lobsang isn’t able to take in all of the children that he’d like to or that need to. He heeds the advice of his overworked staff that should they take on more children, the ones currently in their care would not get what they need. This is a delicate balancing act and one that can have heartbreaking consequences, which are shown with as much compassion as any film can. These choices take their toll on Lobsang, but he never loses sight of the mission of Jhamtse Gatsal.

This is an incredibly uplifting film and one the shines a light on some really wonderful and amazing people. Beautifully filmed, capturing the beautiful scenery of Nepal and the Himalayas,it will tug on your heartstrings, but you’ll come out better for it. I promise.

This film premieres tonight on HBO at 8:00 EST. Be sure to check this one out.