Living Sanctuaries: The Monasteries of Zanskar (2025) - A Film Screening

Speakers:

Tenzin Nyandak, Founding Principal, Studio Nyandak

Sonal Sahni Beri, Adjunct Associate Professor, Columbia University's Graduate School of Architecture, Planning & Preservation (GSAPP)

Gray Tuttle, Leila Hadley Luce Professor of Modern Tibetan Studies, Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures

High in the Western Himalaya, the Zanskar Valley is home to a remarkable architectural tradition shaped by centuries of Buddhist practice, extreme climate, and geographic isolation. At elevations nearing 13,000 feet, its monasteries and nunneries are not only places of worship but living records of Tibetan and Himalayan craftsmanship—built from earth and stone, adorned with vibrant murals and intricately carved woodwork.

Living Sanctuaries follows Studio Nyandak—an architecture and engineering firm based in New York City and Dharamshala—as they undertake a research expedition to document these structures and engage with the people who sustain them. Working in partnership with scholars and local community members, the team conducts architectural surveys, oral history interviews, and site assessments to better understand both the resilience and the vulnerability of Zanskar’s built heritage.

Weaving together fieldwork, reflection, and local voices, Living Sanctuaries illuminates the complexities of preservation in a landscape where history, devotion, and architecture remain deeply intertwined.

The film was produced and directed by Drung, a nonprofit film collective based in Dharamsala, with support from Folkstreams and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Living Sanctuaries_Trailer.mp4

The full running time: 43 mins and 19 seconds; Aspect Ratio: 1.9:1Shooting format: Blackmagic RAW (BRAW)

Directed by Tenzin Tsetan Choklay at Drung Tibetan Film Collective.

This event is co-hosted by the Weatherhead East Asian Institute (WEAI), together with its Modern Tibetan Studies Program (MTSP), the Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation (GSAPP), and the Center for Buddhist Studies (CBS).

For non-Columbia affiliates, registration is required to access the Morningside campus. After registering you will receive an email with a QR code that must be presented along with a government-issued ID (your name must match exactly the name registered for the event) at either the 116th Street & Broadway or 116th Street & Amsterdam gates for entry. Please register using a unique email address (one email address per registrant) by 4:00pm on Oct. 1 for campus access.

Names will be submitted for QR codes 1-2 days prior to the event. Registrants will receive an email from CU Guest Access with the QR code before or on the day of the event.

Host or Publisher Weatherhead East Asian Institute