Tricycle | Awake in the World

In her documentary When the Iron Bird Flies, now showing at the Tricycle Film Club through the month of February, director Victress Hitchcock follows the journey of Tibetan Buddhism from its past seclusion in the Land of Snows to its current (almost) mainstream status in the West. The film explores a pressing question as Tibetan Buddhism's influence grows worldwide: In these incredibly chaotic, modern times, can these age old teachings help us find genuine happiness—and create a saner, more compassionate 21st century world?

Watch a trailer for the movie below and listen to our interview with director Victress Hitchcock. As British historian Arnold Toynbee once wrote, "The coming of Buddhism to the West may well prove to be the most important event of the twentieth century." If this is true, Hitchcock has her finger on the pulse of a changing society.

Watch When the Iron Bird Flies, now showing at the Tricycle Film Club.

Listen to another interview with Victress, about her film Blessings: The Tsoknyi Nangchen Nuns of Tibet, here.