New Release

“Chenrezig Institute:
The Origin of Tibetan Buddhism in Australia”
– a full‑length documentary

This documentary traces the remarkable journey of Tibetan Buddhism into the Western world. Through intimate personal stories, it reveals the vision, challenges, and devotion behind the founding of Chenrezig Institute for Wisdom Culture, the first centre established by Lama Yeshe and Lama Zopa in the West.

Through the voices of those who were there, the film follows the story from the early days in Kopan to the establishment of a thriving spiritual centre in Australia. It captures not only the history of the centre, but also the early emergence of what later became the global FPMT network, as well as the spirit, spontaneity, and courage that made it possible.

Set against the spiritual revolution of the 1960s and 1970s, and the rise of the hippie movement, it shows how a generation of young seekers, inspired by a deep hunger for meaning, helped shape a grassroots movement that made Tibetan Buddhism accessible in the West.

More than a historical account, this is a story of courage, dedication, and the making of a spiritual community, one that continues to touch lives today.

“Historical gem”

Philippa Rowland
Co-Chair of Religions for Peace Australia and President of MultifaithSA

“A legacy for the whole of FPMT.”

Venerable Thubten Chokyi
Director of International Mahayana Institute

“An inspiring story of spiritual seekers who dedicated their lives to helping bring Tibetan Buddhism to the West.”

Kamila Prochera
Software Developer & Traveller

Preserving history. Honouring teachers.
Inspiring hearts.

Preserving History

Chenrezig Institute is one of the oldest Tibetan Buddhist centres in the Western world. This film documents its beginnings and evolution, safeguarding an important cultural and spiritual legacy for future generations.

Honouring the Founding Teachers

Through the voices of long-term students, the documentary reflects on the vision, courage, and guidance of Lama Yeshe and Lama Zopa Rinpoche. Their teachings and leadership not only shaped the Chenrezig Institute, but also profoundly transformed the lives of individuals and the entire community.

Inspiring Others

The film shares the story of a group of young seekers who devoted themselves to learning and spreading the Dharma — and how Buddhist teachings changed their lives. Their journeys reflect the power of dedication, compassion, and inner transformation, offering inspiration to anyone on a spiritual path.

With gratitude to all who shared their presence and stories
(in order of appearance):

Geshe Tsultrim
Venerable Robina Courtin
Venerable Thubten Chökyi
Shannon Murphy
Andy Weber
Kathy Vichta
Venerable Kartsön
Colin Crosbie
Tom Vichta
Venerable Ailsa Cameron
Adele Hulse
Lama Yeshe
Garrey Foulkes
Venerable Tenzin Tsapel
Venerable Paylon
Losang Demchog
Ruby Karmay
Aunty Bridgette Chilly Davis
Karma Singey

CREDITS

Genre: documentary
Time: 80 min.
Directed, produced and edited by Małgorzata Ola Dobrowolska
Cinematography: Małgorzata Ola Dobrowolska
Additional cinematography (drone): Neil Reckers
Music and audio post-production: Krzysztof Horn
Translation Services – Tibetan language: Jenny Dzidowski, Venerable Kartsön
Founding: This film was made possible thanks to the generosity of all those who contributed to the crowdfunding campaign, and with additional support from FPMT. Thank you!
Archival Footage Courtesy of Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive, Chenrezig Institute and BBC
Acknowledgments: I wish to thank Chenrezig Institute community,
and everyone who shared their wisdom and stories.
Special Thanks to Chenrezig Institute and Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive
First in-person screening: Chenrezig Institute, Australia (2026)
On the website and in the film: photos courtesy of Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive and Chenrezig Institute.
© 2026 Małgorzata Dobrowolska. All rights reserved

What Viewers Are Saying

A legacy for the whole of FPMT.

I think centres would really be interested [in showing the film].

Historical gem

You have captured a really important part of history that took place in Australia and was part of the global spread of Tibetan Buddhism. It’s a really valuable documentary.

I’m not connected to Buddhism in any way. Maybe I meditate from time to time, but I was deeply impacted by this grassroots, hippie movement.

What touched me was the hunger for spirituality that led people to start the institute from scratch and dedicate their lives to it, without any financial benefit. It was clearly a very special moment in history.

This film also reaches people who are not connected to Buddhism.

You traced the story all the way back to Kopan and told it through the voices of the people who were actually there.

For me, the biggest testimony was seeing that they were just young hippies back then , and seeing who they have become now, as well as the centre that exists today.

It was so wonderful to hear the voices and stories of the Sangha and old students, many of whom I came to know when I had the good fortune to be a resident and volunteer there for a couple of years. The best part of the film for me was how you managed to capture the very early history, with footage going back to Kopan, and then follow the development through to modern times. Even seeing the new garden area in front of the prayer wheel was something new since I was last there.

It’s a brilliant job you have done, Malgorzata, in telling the history, but also in the storytelling from the interviewees, who just exude so much love and joy in their accounts of their experiences at Chenrezig. The film is a very true testimony to the vision of Lama Yeshe that has come into being and continues to unfold, and is now so wonderfully captured for posterity.

I loved how the film highlights strong women and their influence on the story.

I really appreciated that you showed women like Anila Ann, who helped start the centre, as well as figures like Mummy Max and Zina, who was one of the early figures.

I’m glad you integrated these women and their influence into the story of how everything came into being. It really highlights the role of strong women in this history.

And having Aunty Bridgette Chilly in the film… I really appreciated that this women’s history was part of the story, and that she was included as part of that history.

I noticed the way you speak about inequalities concerning women in Tibetan Buddhism. Although this is a topic that touches me personally, the way you presented it did not turn the film into a manifesto, a claim, or even an expression of strong resentment about inequality. Even though the issue was very clearly present, I did not feel any pressure as a viewer that I should emotionally engage either “for” or “against.” I experience this as a certain kind of honesty in the way something is being told. Thank you for addressing this topic, and thank you for doing it so clearly and at the same time so gently, perhaps in the way I myself would like to speak about it.

I also really appreciated the balance with which you “told” about the difficulties that appear within communities. Again, I had the feeling that there was honesty in this story, and at the same time a reminder of the shared path, values, and goal. These are things that are sometimes easy to forget when difficult emotions arise and narrow our perspective.

There was a lot of content I did not know about, especially so many historical details about the founding of the center in Australia or Kopan Monastery, and about the people who created them. I learned many things I had no idea about, thank you for that.

I am not a film critic and I cannot analyze a film layer by layer and talk about it that way, but as an ordinary viewer I was impressed by the refinement and a certain calm balance in this film. At the same time, despite that calmness, I did not feel bored even once. The film held my interest from the first to the last frame.

I found the film very rewarding to watch. I was astonished by the role nuns played in establishing the institute.

A beautiful film that captures an important part of Australia’s social history.

Thank you so very much Malgorzata Ola Dobrowlska for capturing the essence of Tibetan Buddhism at Chenrezig Institute. It was a delight to watch full film.

The section on the Aboriginal roots of the land and the water spirits was fascinating. I had never heard that about Chenrezig Institute.

I visited Chenrezig last week to watch a newly released documentary called Chenrezig Institute: The Origins of Tibetan Buddhism in Australia, about how this place came to be. I felt such deep appreciation, especially hearing that it was a place for sacred First Nations women’s business long before the Institute existed. The Elder shared that water flows there and that the water spirits are all female. For me, the nurturing energy of this place has always been palpable, like a warm hug. It turns out that although the centre includes monks, it was always intended as a place for nuns.

People have asked whether there could be some kind of history of Chenrezig Institute, and you have definitely started to make that happen.

So much of what you captured is truly historical, in the sense of the making of history.

It’s a vivid portrait of the history of the place and the people that made it.

A wonderful window into the history of Chenrezig Institute, the film features stories from community members involved since its inception, archival images of the founders, Lama Thubten Yeshe and Lama Zopa Rinpoche, as well as many magical moments along the journey. With more recent footage taken by Malgo, she skilfully edited together some of the many nuances that make Chenrezig Institute what it is today.

Congratulations, Małgorzata Ola Dobrowolska, on the wonderful film you have made. Wishing you every success in getting the message of compassion out to the world.

It’s a really well-made and professional production.

One thing I thought worked very well in the film was how the characters of Lama Yeshe and Lama Zopa came through, particularly Lama Yeshe.

The images of them and the way their story developed and was presented in the film really conveyed their presence and power.

Also, the spontaneity of coming to give a course, then agreeing that it would be good to establish a centre, and accepting the land — all of that held together very nicely in the way it was presented in the film.

I thought it was very well done.

It was wonderful to hear the stories from the early days. You covered such a large part of the centre’s history and many aspects of its development, as well as the development of FPMT.

It’s nice to have this really holistic collaboration of everyone involved in the project, and to hear the story told by so many different people.

It really covered the origins and the ideas — from just a course to the idea of a centre, and how things came together in quite a magical way.

It’s also the story of starting from nothing, really just land and not much else, with people wanting to dedicate their lives.

I think all of that created a very strong foundation for the whole story to unfold. It was very nicely done.

Very touching and inspiring

The documentary is so rich with history. I loved hearing the personal stories and seeing the archival photographs of such interesting characters, as well as the more recent footage showing how things have evolved and the dynamic elements that make up the whole. The music was great too.

It was wonderful to see the early days of Chenrezig Institute.

Upcoming Film

The Path of the Goddess follows the transformative pilgrimage of eleven women guided by a spiritual teacher to the sacred sites of Crete, exploring the ancient culture of the Goddess civilization described by Maria Gimbutas. The film delves into the peaceful matrilineal society that thrived for millennia, raising the crucial question of what we can learn from their values of harmony and collaboration to bring about positive change in today’s world. Through their journey, the women reconnect with ancient wisdom and uncover timeless lessons for healing and unity in the modern era.

“Chenrezig Institute: The Origin of Tibetan Buddhism in Australia” – a full‑length documentary