#sparkchamber 022221 — Gesar Mukpo
Infinite and ephemeral, a raindrop in the ocean, today #sparkchamber goes deep with filmmaker, Gesar Mukpo. “My journey as a filmmaker began over 30 years ago, with a gifted 35mm still camera while visiting Nepal. Seeing the images I had captured earlier in the day come to life in print was a magical experience.” And, in a way, an allegorical fragment of an aspect of his life.
In his 2009 feature-length documentary film Tulku, Gesar details the experiences of five young Western men who were identified in childhood as being tulkus — reincarnated Tibetan Buddhist masters. This subject matter was, is personal to him as, at the age of three, he was enthroned as a tulku in Berkeley, California. The son of a British mother and a Tibetan father — eminent Tibetan Buddhist master Chögyam Trungpa — Gesar was identified as the reincarnation of one of his own father’s teachers. “You’re the reincarnation of your father’s teacher … now what?”
For over 700 years, tulkus have been sought out as highly revered leaders and teachers of Tibetan Buddhism. In the 1970s, tulkus began to be born in the West, confusing both the Tibetan system and the lives of the Western children involved. These new, Western-born, very modern tulkus lead lives prone to culture clash and identity confusion stemming from the ambiguity of their life purpose. In the film, Gesar sets out to interview other Western tulkus to see if their disorientation is similar to his own, and to see how each has coped with the unique status of Western-born tulku. “Inspiration on documentary work comes from a recognition of the profound qualities and truths embodied in each of us.”
In 2012, Gesar crafted an ethereal, sublime short-film tribute to his father. The final quote in the film begins, “the things you think exist are impermanent,” part of an elemental understanding of Buddhism. That everything — all things material and mental — are in continuous change; they come into being and they dissolve. Nothing lasts, everything decays, passes into constant rebirth and re-death — a truth applicable even to beings who have been reincarnated. A profound full-circle of which we are all a part and to which we all contribute. “Something should always be fresh or new in some way!”
In addition to his documentary achievements, Gesar also creates commercial work, music videos, television content, and short films. His captivating short film Triumphant Pie is an enchanting introspection sparked by a perfectly-timed unexpected event. With touches of nostalgia, empathy, self-awareness, self-defense, and eventually, moving on, it all does feel like one big interconnected thing. “On creative projects my motivation is to recapture my childhood fascination looking into a Viewfinder and turning the disc. Click!”
1.] Where do ideas come from?
Sometimes ideas can be collaborative but when they’re not I find inspiration comes from shutting down my conceptual thought and letting the unconscious mind do its thing. For music videos, I’ll grab a camera, shoot something, throw it into an edit and come up with an original idea that way. Some sliver of magic will be present. As they say trust the process!
2.] What is the itch you are scratching?
For me the deepest desire is to create something that someone watches and says, “Wait, what was that?” I want to create something with a thousand moving pieces all designed to mess with someone’s perception. To stop their mind for just a second. If I can’t do that, I at least want to make them laugh!
3.] Early bird or night owl? Tortoise or hare?
Sadly I must admit I am one of those 70-hour-week-up-all-night filmmakers. Lots of short breaks but I’m in it to power through.
4.] How do you know when you are done?
When every piece is perfect you know. It has to be polished to a mirror-like shine.