FVCC International Student Club Screens "The Great Transmission"

Flathead Valley Community College's international student club, Global Friends, will screen "The Great Transmission," a 2015 documentary about the efforts of a Tibetan refugee lama to preserve sacred Buddhist texts. Barry Schieber, the film's producer, will provide introductory comments and facilitate audience discussion after the viewing. Free and open to the public, the event will begin at 6 p.m. on May 5 in room 139 of the Arts and Technology Building on campus.

As he witnessed the disintegration of his culture as a result of Communist China's 1959 invasion of Tibet, Buddhist lama Tarthang Tulku decided to dedicate his life to restoring the knowledge of his people. For the next 40 years, he worked to locate, edit, print and distribute Tibet's ancient texts. Working with a handful of volunteers, he eventually delivered more than four million free books to Tibetans.

"The Great Transmission" illuminates the deep love Tibetans have for their endangered culture and tells the story of the efforts of countless generations of Buddhist practitioners who have made great sacrifices for the sake of preserving knowledge.

Schieber began his professional life as an investment analyst before becoming a student of Tarthang Tulku at the Tibetan Nyingma Meditation Center in the early 1970s. Schieber served as co-director of the non-profit documentary film studio Guna Foundation from 2009 to 2015. "The Great Transmission" is his third film.

For more information, contact FVCC International Student Services Director Gerda Reeb at greeb@fvcc.edu or 756-3889.