Filmmaker Seth McClellan created a documentary titled “Others Before Self,” which focuses on the Tibetan Children Village in the Indian Himalayas.
The Tibetan Children Village (TCV) is a boarding school started by the Dalai Lama for refugees from Tibet and their children. During the 1950s, Tibet was invaded by Communists China, leaving many Tibetans killed, imprisoned, and forced into relocation. McClellan’s documentary shows how children and staff within the TCV have attempted to preserve their culture and identity. Throughout the film, individuals get a first-hand look at how the school teaches the wisdom of their culture and helps them work towards returning to their homeland. The hour-long documentary provides a meaningful portrayal of life, history, and belief for the refugee children within the village.
McClellan spoke with our correspondent Rebecca Eugene about the film and what he hopes viewers will take away from the documentary. He also provides links for different ways people can help the TCV and the community.
The Knockturnal: What made you want to create a documentary based on the Tibetan refugee children in the Indian Himalayas? How did the idea come about?
Seth McClellan: I started chatting with a guy while we waited to pick up our kids from school in Oak Park, just west of Chicago, and we talked about a film I had just finished about Native American children on a reservation in South Dakota. He brought up a school for Tibetan refugee children that he had supported for many years. The documentary I had just finished, LITTLE WOUND’S WARRIORS – https://www.amazon.com/Little-Wounds-Warriors-Seth-McClellan/dp/B07CNGGF2W – told the story of young Lakotas keeping their culture alive and confronting the problems on their reservation. Because Tibetan Children’s Village is also a place where young people experience the effects of having their land invaded and culture forbidden, the idea kept coming up in my head. As me and the guy, Mark Fredisdorf, a longtime education administrator, became friends, the film about this school started by the Dalai Lama for Tibetan refugee children in the Indian Himalayas took shape.
The Knockturnal: How does the documentary ‘Others before Self’ differ from other films regarding refugee children and their communities?
Seth McClellan: I think the biggest difference is that our film is told using almost exclusively the actual opinions of the children at the school. I interviewed many students and out of their own words have tried to create a truthful and comprehensive portrait of the benefits and the challenges the Tibetans face in the school and life as refugees overall. We are trying to give the viewer not just a compelling emotional story but also a clear window into the philosophies and structure of the school. How do you help young people develop into healthy and compassionate adults? TCV has an amazing system that can serve as an example to us all.
The Knockturnal: How did the people and community react when you began filming? Did they mention any concerns during the creation process? How receptive were they to the creation of the documentary?
Seth McClellan: They were gracious and welcoming. People are always concerned about how their community may be depicted, especially when children are involved. I have made films in the past that have been embraced by the communities depicted because I use their own words to tell the story. Also I was introduced to TCV by a long term sponsor of the school, so there was an initial level of trust. Most importantly, almost the whole time I filmed over a month I was with our Associate Producer Tenzin Gyal. Tenzin is a graduate of the school and still knew some of the staff. He also speaks multiple languages and is a compassionate, intelligent and perceptive person. He was able to open up lots of doors for us and help some of the people that I could not communicate directly to feel comfortable with our filming them and the kids. He was an indispensable collaborator. Without him the film would not have been as insightful and genuine.
The Knockturnal: As the film develops viewers are able to follow and hear from different individuals and see footage of the children and the community. What was the thought process when trying to make the movie flow through the dialogue of each person?
Seth McClellan: So many documentaries are seen through the lens of one person – the journey of the hero. Following one person helps with the drama and helps keep us more emotionally connected to the story – we “like” the story more because it is more accessible. However, I sincerely believe that there is danger for us as viewers and as a society with our overreliance on the journey of the hero as the main way to tell a story. It connects us with just one person and just one story. We have an emotional experience and then we move on to the next hero’s journey. We need to see people less as individual heroes and more as part of larger geopolitical stories. As storytellers we should try to find ways to engage with more complex ideas and group experiences rather than a single narrative arc. This was my approach for OTHERS BEFORE SELF. I’m not sure the western obsession with individualism and personal journeys has actually made us happier or more functional in the long term. We worship a person and think they are the best ever or we demonize them as sacrifices for our sins. Our outrage or adulation blinds us to the larger complex reality. Depicting the children as a collective voice, full of different experiences but with each voice valid, lets us experience a deeper understanding of the incredible strengths of the Tibetan community along with the horrific challenges they have faced in their struggle for justice and freedom.
The Knockturnal: What do you want viewers to take away from ‘Others before Self’? What is the goal you want to reach with this documentary?
Seth McClellan: It is my hope viewers will directly support Tibetan Children’s Village by sponsoring a student – https://tcv.org.in/ – or support a broader advocacy and aid organization like the International Campaign for Tibet – https://savetibet.org/ It’s been great to hear from many viewers that film has helped them understand that there are proven and quite clear methods to help make our kids happier – shared work and specific practices can help us save our world by creating more compassionate citizens.
The Knockturnal: What kind of challenges did you come across while creating ‘Others before Self’?
Seth McClellan: Filmmaking can be very challenging! At one point a street dog got into the rooms where we were staying and in its search for food, knocked over a bag breaking a lens. My advice to any filmmaker is to prepare as much as possible for filming and try to plan for all the problems that you can imagine. Even stray dogs!
The Knockturnal: How long did it take to create this documentary? What advice would you give to other filmmakers and creatives who are interested in creating a project based on subjects and people in other countries?
Seth McClellan: We filmed for a month in the summer of 2019 and then Covid came as we were editing. Film festivals shut down or were all online which is not the ideal space for a smaller film like ours to gain traction. Being shut down was frustrating but also gave us lots more time to edit and think about what we were trying to convey.
My biggest advice to people looking to film in other countries is to find institutional and individual partners to help support your efforts. This will help keep your story tighter and truer while also giving you invaluable allies. And have a good attitude when things get hard!
