- Pin it
- SubscribeUnsubscribe
- Embed
Joel Crisp hasn't added a story.
My name is Joel Crisp and I'm a videographer in San Diego, California. I started feeling the tug to make a documentary about Mandarava around 2005. She is an important but lesser-known figure in Tibetan Buddhism. Meditations based on her have contributed to the health and longevity of my beloved teacher Chogyal Namkhai Norbu, and for this I'm grateful.
Slowly, with the help of my endlessly patient wife Mary Elisa Tuton, I started to piece together an expedition to India and Nepal where the events of Mandarava's life took place.
In 2010 we packed our gear, and accompanied by our friend Lacey Segal, set off to shoot at Tso Pema lake in Himachal Pradesh in northern India, and Maratika, Nepal, 125 km south of Mt. Everest.
At one point a small plane dropped us off on a hilltop in remote Nepal. Our guide had not shown up and we watched the plane fly away, wondering what we were going to do. We hiked in the dark and rain for 8 hours until we arrived at the monastery in Maratika. We were shaken. While we adjusted our eyes to the naked light bulb, a mama dog forced her way into the room and had her puppies at our feet right then and there. Mary had a twisted ankle, Lacey had a migraine, and my legs were gone, but we settled down to nice hospitality. Ramen noodles have never, ever tasted so good! The next morning was gorgeous and bizarrely we weren't even sore. We filmed for a glorious month that I will never forget.
Since then I've been writing and recording the soundtrack, editing the footage, and searching for an illustrator to portray these events from 1200 years ago. I've tried every way I know how to not ask anyone for money. I've tried to pay for it myself out of what I earn shooting weddings, but more often than not my saint of a wife has borne the burden of expenses. As generous as she's been, I broke the bank, and we can't cover the costs of a professional illustrator.
Paola Minelli has done many official pieces of Mandarava art for the Dzogchen Community of which I've been a part for 25 years. Having visited Tso Pema, India and Maratika, Nepal herself she is the ideal artist for this project. We're so happy she has allowed us to hire her. Also the wonderful actor Vj Kesh has come on board to do the narration. Born in south India, he himself has walked India in a dhoti, coming near death on a pilgrimage to the holy sites of the north.
But it's all dependent on financial help form our friends like you who are interested in seeing this project finished. It will generate no profit for the filmmakers. It will be posted on YouTube for free so as many people as possible can see it. And when someone Googles Mandarava in the future there will be quality content for them to enjoy.
As a musician with Catawampus Universe in the past I made quite a racket, but these days I don't self-promote much on the internet. Now I'm asking for you to share this Fundrazr campaign with your friends. Because Mandarava was and is a powerful force for good in the world, because her meditations have extended the life of one of the planet's greatest spiritual masters and scholar, and because I promise to make good art. Thanks! - Joel Crisp
Perks
Highlights
See all activity89Activity
Delete media item?
Delete this item from the media gallery? It will also be deleted from any related story update.
Set as ?
The campaign video will appear in social media and email.
The campaign cover picture will appear in social media and email.
The will appear at the top of your campaign page and in social media and email.
Reset ?
It will be removed from the top of your campaign and won't be used as default in social media and email. The will remain in the media gallery.
Embed
Share a link
Delete update
Delete this story update?
Any pictures or videos will remain in the campaign's media gallery.
Report campaign
Report submitted
Thank you. We take reports like yours very seriously. Our goal is to keep the community safe.
Please know that we may contact you for more information, but that we won't notify you personally of our decision. If the campaign remains available within a few days, it's likely that we determined it not to be in violation of our policies.
Thank you. We've already received your previous report. If the campaign remains available within a few days, it's likely that we determined it not to be in violation of our policies.
Tell us about the problem. Please fill in both fields below.
Record a video
Upload a video
Nothing grabs attention for your cause like a personal video. Take a minute or two to record one now. Record a short video message of support. Or upload one from your device. You can preview or redo your video before you post it.
Nothing grabs attention for your cause like a personal video. Upload a short video message of support. Upload a short video message of support. Or record one right now.
- Most effective video length: about a minute.
- Maximum length: 5 min.
- You can preview or redo your video before you post it.
Heads up! The existing video will be replaced.
Email your friends
Join our team
Tell people why our cause matters to you. Your personal message will encourage others to help. Easy, effective, optional.
Say it in video
Short personal videos by supporters like you are incredibly powerful. Record one right now and you'll help us raise more money. Easy, optional, effective.
Add a personal goal
Set a personal fundraising goal. You'll encourage more contributions if you do. And rest easy. There's no obligation to achieve your goal or bad consequences if you don't. Easy, optional, effective.
We have a video!
Video thumbnail
We'd love to show you our campaign video. Want to take a look?
, you're already on the team.