Interviews

A trailblazer whose writing spans fluidly between poetry and prose, nonfiction and memoir, Tsering Wangmo Dhompa needs no introduction. 

Born in exile and having lived across multiple countries, she is a memory keeper. She says her mother is her “guiding star” and that she often “listens with her mother’s ears” as she explores themes of exile, diaspora, and cultural memory.

Currently, an Associate Professor at Villanova University,  her notable literary works include the poetry collections Rules of the House (2002), In the Absent Everyday (2005), My Rice Tastes Like the Lake (2011) and Revolute (2021). Beyond poetry, she has authored the nonfiction book A Home in Tibet (2014) and, more recently, The Politics of Sorrow: Unity and Allegiance Across Tibetan Exile.

The inspiration for this film stems from the experiences of refugees and exiles, particularly Tibetans born in Tibet, who are in the diaspora, far from their families and the lands where they took their first steps. Where they have so many memories and established their earliest connections to nature. My partner, Tenzin Jigme and his friends who are from Tibet has inspired me greatly for this project. I plan to expand upon the concepts explored in this film and develop a more extensive version in the future.