Private Project

Dolma

Having lost a friend to tuberculosis, the filmmaker weaves through memory and spaces once inhabited by Pasang Dolma, a young Tibetan refugee in India. Guided by Buddhist teachings, the filmmaker creates a meditative space to reflect on what it means to live a purposeful life.

  • Purandhya Sharma
    Director
    Have A Good One, Smaran
  • Purandhya Sharma
    Writer
    Have A Good One, Smaran
  • Tenzin Choedon
    Producer
  • Shriya Sharma
    Producer
  • Pasang Dolma
    Key Cast
  • Lama Tashi
    Key Cast
  • Lama Sonam
    Key Cast
  • Jamyang Tenzin
    Key Cast
  • Kunsang Tsephel
    Key Cast
  • Chemi Lhamo
    Key Cast
  • Tenzin Choedon
    Key Cast
  • Purandhya Sharma
    Key Cast
  • Abhinava Bhattacharyya
    Cinematographer
  • Neelansh Mittra
    Sound Mixer
  • Purandhya Sharma
    Editor
  • Ben Kipgen
    Production Assistant
  • Jamyang Tenzin
    Production Assistant
  • Kunsang Tsephel
    Production Assistant
  • Ninou Kipgen
    Production Assistant
  • Project Type:
    Documentary, Short, Student
  • Runtime:
    17 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    June 30, 2025
  • Production Budget:
    3,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    India, United States
  • Country of Filming:
    India
  • Language:
    English, Hindi, Tibetan
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    Yes - Loyola Marymount University
Director Biography - Purandhya Sharma

Purandhya is an independent filmmaker from India, currently based in Los Angeles. Purandhya's journey in visual storytelling is deeply rooted in the personal and the political. She believes storytelling is about understanding the forces that shape our choices and define us as individuals capable of driving change. This awareness steers her focus towards exploring lived human experiences, divulging into memory, history, culture and socio-political realities through her films. Her first short 'Smaran' (2019) won the Best Screenplay award at the 2020 Kolkata International Film Festival and screened at other festivals including Lift-off Global Network First-Time Filmmaker Sessions, 2020 Meihodo International Youth Visual Media Festival, and 2021 IAWRT Asian Women’s Film Festival. Her recent films, 'Sweet Savory Life' and 'Have a Good One' are centered on South Asian women and the Indian diaspora.

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Director Statement

DOLMA is a poetic reflection on the life of Pasang Dolma, a young Tibetan in exile. Among the countless resilient Tibetan children forced to flee their homeland to escape the indoctrination under Chinese colonial rule, Pasang's journey serves as a poignant reminder of their collective struggle. Set against the backdrop of the Tibetan refugee community in India, the film portrays the myriad challenges faced by these displaced youths as they grapple with the complexities of leaving their homeland behind. As she mourns the loss of her friend to tuberculosis, Purandhya embraces the Buddhist ethos for dying well being tied to living a meaningful life as she hopes to visually find closure to losing Pasang Dolma.