Casts & Crew
Richard Kiley
Host
Also Directed by Rick Ray
This is the original version of the much heralded "Raising The Bamboo Curtain" narrated and produced by legendary travel filmmaker Rick Ray. (Rick later sold partial rights to this program to another producer who hired Martin Sheen to narrate - that cut down and rewritten version is not the same). Sneaking his cameras past Burmese and Cambodian customs officials and getting around the country to produce one of the best travel docs ever made, Rick has outdone himself - again!
In 2006, Charlie Lynch was invited by the civic leaders of Morro Bay, CA to open a medical marijuana dispensary within the city limits. Offered a business license and asked to join the Chamber of Commerce, Lynch opened and maintained his business according to the most rigorous standards available. However, marijuana remains a Class 1 narcotic according to the DEA, and Lynch's business soon became the target of a large Federal investigation. This film explores the horrific descent into hell faced by Mr. Lynch - previously a law abiding citizen without so much as a speeding ticket, as he is cast as a Pablo Escobar and thrown into Federal detention.
How do you reconcile a commitment to non-violence when faced with violence? Why do the poor often seem happier than the rich? Must a society lose its traditions in order to move into the future? These are some of the questions posed to His Holiness the Dalai Lama by filmmaker and explorer Rick Ray. Ray examines some of the fundamental questions of our time by weaving together observations from his own journeys throughout India and the Middle East, and the wisdom of an extraordinary spiritual leader. This is his story, as told and filmed by Rick Ray during a private visit to his monastery in Dharamsala, India over the course of several months. Also included is rare historical footage as well as footage supplied by individuals who at great personal risk, filmed with hidden cameras within Tibet.
