An Uncommon King is the biography of Tibetan spiritual teacher Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche who seeks to end aggression in the world. “It does matter what a society thinks about itself.” He says. “The notion of human dignity and worthiness could be a foundation principal for society.”

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An Uncommon King was shot over 17 years in Tibet, India, China, Europe and North America. Through verité footage, interviews and archival material the documentary follows Rinpoche’s life story from his father’s escape over the mountaintops of Tibet, to his birth in a refugee camp in India, to growing up in Colorado, to moving to Nova Scotia and finally, to taking up the mantle after his father’s death and teaching around the world. It embraces the universal themes of family, heritage and cultural survival. But above all, it is a story about human goodness.

“…[An Uncommon King] is a colourful, fast-moving filmography, orchestrating and integrating image, action, and interview, in which the Uncommon King’s uncommon kingdom is revealed as a kingdom of the heart, his realm as the realm of the mind and its only law the gentleness of the actions the enlightened heart leads to,”
Stephen Pedersen, The Chronicle Herald
“Thank you so much for this [film]. What a gem.. this basic goodness concept is like a joy virus… just holding it in awareness destroys the concept of original sin and seems to rearrange DNA… I have read about it many times but something happened when I watched this and it went way deeper… Faith, hope, courage all arose.”
Wide Awake
“Incredible! I cried! I cheered! It took my breath away. Looking forward to the theatrical release.”
Tom Berthoff