Accessibility: Subtitled / Captioned Screening
In the remote foothills of the Himalayas, former monk Lobsang Phuntsok has built Jhamtse Gatsal—“The Garden of Love and Compassion”—a community for children who have endured abandonment, neglect, and profound trauma. Once a spiritual teacher in the United States, Lobsang returned to India to create the kind of refuge he never had as a troubled child himself.
Tashi is the youngest and most volatile arrival. Carrying the pain of an alcoholic father and a fractured early childhood, she pushed against every rule and every adult who tried to help her. Yet Lobsang saw possibility within her turmoil, recognizing the same wounded resilience that once defined him.
Loving Karma revisits Jhamtse Gatsal twelve years after the Emmy-winning short Tashi and the Monk, following Lobsang, Tashi, and a new generation of children who are learning to care for one another. In a context where Western institutions might rely on clinicians, diagnoses, and medication, Jhamtse Gatsal offers a radically simple alternative: a community where healing emerges from shared responsibility, affection, and presence.
As the children grow, falter, and flourish, the film asks a fundamental question: What happens when suffering meets compassion? Through intimate portraits and unfolding stories, Loving Karma reveals a living experiment in how pain can be reshaped into love—and how even the most wounded child can become both healed and healer.
Johnny Burke is an award-winning director and editor. Beneath their surface drama his films often include an exploration of the human psyche, delving into complex issues involving trauma and interpersonal relationships with humour and an empathetic touch. His work has won various awards, including the Outstanding Short Documentary Emmy, Banff Best Film Adventure and Exploration, and Amnesty International Best Documentary.
Andrew Hinton is an Emmy-winning independent documentary filmmaker based in Portland, Oregon. Originally from the UK, he produces evocative, self-shot documentaries rooted in human resilience, hope and social change. His acclaimed work includes Tashi and the Monk, Amar, and This Is Where I Find Myself. He is father to two young children whose existence inspires relentless humility and an occasional state of wonder.
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