TALES OF THE MILITANT GODLESS

After seven months in Mongolia, the land of militant Lamas and nomadic Warriors, I have come to the conclusion that my purpose here is to write and direct a film about the outrageously interesting and nauseatingly bloody history of the country's path to freedom. I have spent the better part of my time teaching English in a Mongolian-Russian school with an administration riddled with Communist charm. My escapes from the dirty, but colorful, frozen Soviet city of Ulan Baatar have been life changing. Days on end racing though the Mongolian steppes on dogsled, horseback or ancient Russian Jeep. Battling the winter chill (Ulan Baatar is the coldest capital city in the world) or spending long nights conversing with elders in yurts tucked into a mountain, far from another human's view.

This is my life here. And every day thus far has provided me with greater inspiration to tell their story. Not only of Chinggis Khan, the warrior we all know so well, but of the last thousand years and the wars they fought, brothers they betrayed, women they trusted, countries they conquered, and lives they lost to get to where they are today.

The film's working title is, 'Tales of the Militant Godless', named after Josef Stalin's 'League of the Militant Godless', a youth organization designed to destroy monasteries, temples, texts, and anything Buddhist in Mongolia.

I will be updating this site with excerpts from the script, photos, and progress of the film, as well as news from my life and travels in the center of Asia.