San Leandro, Calif. — “Tashi and the Monk,” a short documentary about a 5-year-old girl who joins a community of unwanted and orphaned children at a center in Arunachal Pradesh founded by a former Buddhist monk, took two prizes at the International Documentary Association Awards presented in Los Angeles Dec. 5.
The film, directed by Andrew Hinton and Johnny Burke and shot in striking, remote regions of the Himalayas, took the prize for best short film as well as the prestigious Pare Lorentz Award, which “recognizes films that demonstrate exemplary filmmaking while focusing on the appropriate use of the natural environment, justice for all and the illumination of pressing social problems,” said a statement from the jury.
“Tashi and the Monk” has appeared at numerous international festivals including the Banff Mountain Film Festival, where it won the Best Film on Mountain Culture prize Nov. 10. HBO Documentary Films will air the film starting early next year.