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Chenrezig Institute was founded in 1974 on Eudlo land — 160 acres donated by devoted students of Lama Yeshe: Nick Ribush, Yeshe Khadro, and Tom and Kathy Vichta. With the approval of Trijang Rinpoche, who confirmed that the land was most auspicious, it became the first FPMT center and Tibetan Buddhist center in Australia.
This inspiring story has now been brought to the screen with the documentary The Origin of Tibetan Buddhism in Australia, made by independent filmmaker Małgorzata Ola Dobrowolska — known as Malgo.
For Malgo, the film was a way of giving back what she had received during her four years at the Institute. Originally from Poland, she arrived in Australia in 2019 to travel and make documentary films. When she landed at Chenrezig Institute, what was meant to be a few-month stay became a four-year journey that deeply transformed both her life and her work.
“As a filmmaker, I have always been guided by a strong inner conviction that lasting world peace can only arise through profound spiritual transformation,” Malgo reflects. “Shortly after arriving at Chenrezig Institute, I felt a clear inner calling to create a documentary about the origins of the center. The project gradually became not only a documentary but also a personal journey of connecting more deeply with the meaning of Dharma in the modern world.”
The documentary features stories from community members involved with the Institute from its very beginning, archival images of founders Lama Yeshe and Lama Zopa Rinpoche, and a portrait of their vision for the Institute. Alongside this historical material, Malgo weaves in her own more recent footage, skilfully capturing the many qualities that make Chenrezig Institute what it is today.
Please watch the trailer of the film:
Screenings That Bring the Community Together
On February 1, 2026, the documentary premiered at Chenrezig Institute to an audience of over 70 people, creating a warm and joyful atmosphere. A second screening followed at Buddha House in Adelaide on February 7, 2026, welcoming more than 50 participants.
The response at both premieres was heartfelt and enthusiastic. The documentary offered a sense of continuity across generations of students and created meaningful points of connection for newer members of the community. Many expressed gratitude for the opportunity to reconnect with the Institute’s history, while others said the film helped them better understand FPMT’s roots and feel more connected to the broader community. As one attendee put it: “It was very moving to see the documentary in the heart of the place it is based on.”
These screenings have naturally become more than film events — they have turned into spaces for community connection, reflection, and shared appreciation of the center’s history and lineage.
“I am grateful that what began as a personal calling has grown into something that can serve the community,” Malgo shares. “It is my hope that similar events may continue to support connection, reflection, and rejoicing within the wider FPMT network.”
To learn more about the film and to arrange a screening at your center, please visit the film’s website.
The Community Support Fund proudly offered a grant toward the completion of this project.
About the Filmmaker
Małgorzata Ola Dobrowolska (Malgo) is an independent documentary filmmaker from Warsaw, Poland, whose work is rooted in her own spiritual journey. Her award-winning feature-length documentary Bhikkhuni – Buddhism, Sri Lanka, Revolution explores the revival of women’s ordination in Theravada Buddhism. She holds a Master’s degree in Intercultural Psychology and a postgraduate degree in Multimedia.
Foundation for the Preservation of Mahayana Tradition (FPMT), is a Tibetan Buddhist organization dedicated to the transmission of the Mahayana Buddhist tradition and values worldwide through teaching, meditation and community service.