Director Biography
Leon Stuparich is an award winning independent film-maker, who made his debut with the celebrated documentary Road to Peace in 2012, providing a rare insider view into the life of the Dalai Lama and his powerful message of Peace and Universal Responsibility.
With an extensive background in UK and US film and television spanning 20 years, Leon specializes in editing documentaries and factual entertainment programmes for the BBC, Channel 4, Discovery and various other global TV productions. Like many directors with a background in editing, he brings a unique storytelling style to his films.
Witnessing his Croatian family endure the violent war years of the early 1990s in former Yugoslavia, by his early 20s, Leon had developed a keen interest in conflict resolution and began to seek peace in his inner life, avidly exploring religious and spiritual ideas and pathways for self-transformation which would come to inspire and inform his work.
Today Leon is dedicated to awakening inner peace within other people, in order to participate in creating a more harmonious environment for all.
Director Statement
The Dalai Lama is a remarkable philosopher who reminds us that love, compassion and kindness are vital to creating a peaceful world and a happy life. The message of peace is universal and in many ways, it’s timeless. From the Vedic Brahman 5000 years ago, to Buddha 2500 years ago – to Jesus, Gandhi, Martin Luther King,
I made the film with the intention for it to be relevant for 50-100 years. Something that goes beyond the current desire in media to produce something that’s timely. I didn’t want this film to get old, or to date. It is now serving as a kind of time capsule of the Dalai Lama, so that when is no longer here, people can watch the film and understand who is, what his message is about and why he is some important to so many people.
In my experience one person can and does make a difference, if your motivation is to make the world a better place, then simply by thinking it, you’ve already instigated positive change. But put some action and determination behind your intention and you’ve already made a massive impact. I believe every person has that potential. And if more people started to act, or simply tried to improve their personal world, then very quickly we would see a large change across society.
Road to Peace is a Call to Action. A reminder of Gandhi’s legendary invitation “To Be the Change You Want to See in the World”. An appeal for each and every one of us to step up, become an agent for change and join the global conversation.
Click here to Watch Road to Peace