Synopsis
In 1989, the documentary filmmaker Jennifer Fox took a hiatus from filmmaking and traveled for two years as the secretary of Tibetan Buddhist master Chögyal Namkhai Norbu Rinpoche at his talks on the international circuit. But what began as a small film project would continue for two decades. The title Rinpoche, or Precious One, is reserved exclusively for reincarnated lamas. The subject of this film, who lives in Italy, is one of the last reincarnated spiritual masters trained in Dzogchen meditation. Fox filmed his discourses, his private life and a meeting with his old friend the Dalai Lama. During this period, Fox also met Yeshi, the Italian-born son of Chögyal Namkhai Norbu, then only 18 years old. At birth, Yeshi was recognized as the reincarnation of the Khyentse Rinpoche Chökyi Wangchug, his father's uncle and master; all the omens suggested this was so. Yeshi preferred to pursue a career in business, rather than follow in the footsteps of his father, with whom he has a complex relationship. Nonetheless, as time passes, Yeshi feels pressure to continue his ancestor's cultural heritage. Now that his father is getting older, Yeshi decides to accept his responsibility. Although Fox is sometimes more than just a fly on the wall, she refrains from commenting. She followed Chögyal Namkhai Norbu and Yeshi with a hand-held camera over a period of 20 years, recording how the father-and-son relationship developed over time.