In 1980, the Dalai Lama, the exiled head of Tibetan Buddhism, was invited to Deer Park, Wisconsin in the United States to conduct the first-ever Kalachakra ceremony outside of Tibet or India. Ed Winslow Bastian, a filmmaker and student of Buddhism, was asked to document the occasion. After conducting interviews with the Dalai Lama and the monks of the Namgyal Monastery in Dharamsala, Bastian returned to Wisconsin to film the stunning sight of a Buddhist ritual being conducted in a rural cornfield before thousands. Despite the enormous efforts involved in this undertaking, lack of funding kept Bastian’s remarkable footage languishing in the Smithsonian Institution’s refrigerated archives in Washington, D.C. for 38 years. It wasn’t until 2024 that he and his team were able to complete this remarkable documentary, which captures a profound moment in history. The Dalai Lama's Gift is anchored by the Tibetan voices—monks, artists, and musicians—whose lived experiences and cultural heritage give the film its authenticity and depth. By weaving together the perspectives of Tibetan practitioners and Western seekers, the film celebrates the possibility of cultural dialogue and the universal yearning for meaning and connection.