SERSHÜL

Sershul is a collection of Participatory Videos, part of the Kham Film Project's Participatory Video Series

Home to 1300 monks, Sershül Monastery is the largest Gelug monastery in Kham, and the religious center of Dzachukha County—the highest, largest, poorest, coldest, and most remote county in Sichuan Province. Sershül was established in 1760. Many of the buildings were destroyed during the Cultural Revolution, but have since been rebuilt. It is home to numerous important relics, including a tooth belonging to Tsongkhapa, founder of the Gelug Order.

The films below were created in September 2007, as part of a collaboration between Sershül Monastery's resident videographers and facilitators from the Kham Film Project. The participants filmed an overview of Sershül Monastery, depicting its history and important landmarks. The resulting short film was edited by project facilitator Tsering Perlo, with input from Lynn True and Nelson Walker.

In recent years, filmmaking, photography, and other forms of digital media have played an increasingly important role in Tibetan and Himalayan communities. Digital technology has begun to emerge as a tool for communication, instrument of creative self-expression, and vital means of re-imagining and re-invigorating traditional culture.

The aim of our participatory video workshops is to encourage creative media-making among Tibetans and other Himalayan communities. The workshops are designed to share the excitement of filmmaking with individuals of all ages, backgrounds, and levels of experience. In the workshops, we focus on filmmaking as a process that can empower individuals and strengthen the bonds of community.