AUDIENCE AWARD FOR BEST SHORT - SF DocFest | OFFICIAL SELECTION - Tibet International Film Festival
Himalayan Culture • Diasporic Identity • Modern Art • Buddhist ArtDate of Completion: 2022 | Run Time: 35 minutes | Language: English with English & Spanish subtitles | Captions: Yes | Includes: Transcript | Director: Sheri Brenner-Hall | Producers: Sheri Brenner-Hall & Marc Smolowitz | Editor: Sheri Brenner-Hall | Directors of Photography: Andrew Black (San Francisco) & Chandramon Dongol (Nepal) | Narrator: Peter Coyote | Musical Artists: Yungchen Llamo & George Brooks | Composer: Victor Spiegel
When Artist Tsherin Sherpa came to San Francisco from Kathmandu, Nepal in 1998, he was a religious artist painting sacred Buddhist meditation images. He struggled to find a place for his art in a new land, and wanted to express stories and ideas that went beyond the Buddhist niche. But moving forward meant leaving the art and identity that defined him behind. He had to find a bridge between his tradition and the world he now inhabited. ABOVE AND BELOW follows Tsherin’s remarkable journey over a 19-year period, presenting key moments and artistic milestones that define his personal and career arc. We experience this breakaway artist’s movement from strictly held Buddhist traditions, towards honesty and expression, to international art stardom. In doing so, he finds new meaning for an ancient art form, and establishes a global voice and platform for modern Himalayan art.
School Library Journal | Reviewed by Maggie Knapp
"Art classes can examine Sherpa’s comments on his artistic process, his inspirations, and the meanings in his works. On a motivational level, there is broader appeal as Sherpa notes that through art he seeks to connect with the world, and as a human being, he seeks to contribute positively."
AWARDS
Audience Award for Best Short | SFDocFest
FESTIVALS
Buddhist International Film Festival
Big Sound Film Festival, Ontario
Tibet International Film Festival, Global Premiere, Zurich
SCREENINGS
Virginia Museum of Fine Art
Peabody Essex Museum
The Rubin Museum
Berkeley Art Museum (BAMPFA)