In 1998, an air of trepidation hung over the Jokhang Monastery. Years of unrest were still reverberating across Tibet, yet the minutiae of daily life continued unabated. Since 647, this holiest of temples has been at the religious, social and political epicentre of Tibetan life. Devotion, meditation and prayer have always constituted the very core of every single monk, pilgrim and worshiper.

A Dangerous Smile not only documents a life that has been lived for centuries, but also reflects upon the very modern point at which the pursuit of inner peace intersects with the pursuit of politics. Tibetans have always managed to combine a healthy mix of genuine happiness and resolute pragmatism in the face of adversity. One can only guess at the plots, schemes, hopes and dreams carefully and deliberately hidden within.