Tibetan Book Of The Death

The Tibetan Book Of The Dead is a documentary film in two parts, "A Way Of Life" and "The Great Liberation" 

A Way of Life presents the role of the Tibetan Book of the Dead among the traditional Tibetan Buddhist communities of Ladakh. Filmed in the spectacular heart of the Himalayas where a rich Buddhist culture still survives, cameras document the whole process of the death rituals with readings from the Book of the Dead. 

The programme features an interview with the Dalai Lama who speaks of his own views of life and death. Also included is the history of the Book of the Dead, or Bardo Thodol, plus coverage of its contemporary use in a hospice in the west. The Great Liberation follows an old Lama and his novice monk as they guide a villager into the afterlife, reading through the Tibetan Book of the Dead. The 49 day journey towards rebirth is envisioned through Buddhist ritual and animation from acclaimed filmmaker Ishu Patel. 

Narrated by Leonard Cohen, and directed by Hiroaki Mota, Yukari Hayashi and Barrie Angus McLean.