Mongolian spiritual leader will attend first public screening of ‘The Medicine Buddha’ at Arts Picturehouse Cambridge

The Cambridge premiere of a film about Mongolian spiritual leader Khamba Lama Natsagdorj titled The Medicine Buddha will be attended by the Lama during his visit to the city next week.

The Medicine Buddha, which will be screened at the Arts Picturehouse next Tuesday (May 16) evening, is narrated by Sir Ben Kingsley and is directed by Cambridge-based Benjamin Johns.

The film documents the activities of Khamba Lama Natsagdorj in various cultural settings in the remote and sparsely populated landscapes of Mongolia, which is best known for the Mongol Empire ((1206–1368) when Ghengis Khan was its unifying leader. At its peak in around 1290 the Mongol Empire stretched from the Pacific to the Mediterranean. The country’s horse-riding nomadism has been documented by archeological evidence from 3500BC.

Buddhism in Mongolia began with the Yuan dynasty (1271–1368) emperors’ conversion to Tibetan Buddhism. The Mongols returned to shamanic traditions after the collapse of the Mongol Empire, but Buddhism reemerged in the 16th and 17th centuries.

One of the biggest reasons is that, in 1578, Abtai Khan, one of Mongolia’s most influential military leaders invited the high-ranking monk Sonam Gyatso from Tibet. Khan offered Gyatso the title ‘Dalai Lama’, and thus was born one of humanity’s most legendary spiritual dynasties.

Today, the population of Mongolia is around 3m, of whom approximately half are Buddhists. The country, which is twice the size of Turkey, became independent in 1945.

This is the first opportunity to see the film on the big screen in Cambridge and Khamba Lama Natsagdorj – a national treasure in Mongolia and hugely respected for his ability to integrate faith with science - will be attending along with director Benjamin Johns, who filmed with Lord of the Rings camera operator Gerry Vasbenter in Mongolia (trailer here).

Benjamin Johns, producer and director of Eye-Cue Films, said: “We are delighted to have a screening of our special film at the Arts Picturehouse cinema in Cambridge and what’s incredible is that Khamba Lama Natsagdorj will be here on his first visit to the UK since 2019.

“I urge anyone who is interested in Buddhism and spirituality, or who likes visual documentaries about interesting cultures, to attend.”

A Q&A will immediately follow the screening with guests director Benjamin Johns and Khamba Lama Natasagdorj.

Further information and to book for the event, which starts at 6.10pm, click here.