Chasing the Light

An idealistic dream becomes a world-renowned centre of Tibetan Buddhist practice on an Irish peninsula in Chasing the Light, a hopeful and inspiring feature documentary from director, Maurice O’Brien.

Set amongst the spiritual community of misfits on the wild cliffs of West Cork, the documentary centres on married couple, Peter and Harriet Cornish, and the sanctuary they created in Dzogchen Beara, a centre for meditation and retreat based on the tenets of the Tibetan Buddhist faith.

When their dream of building a safe haven is disturbed by shocking allegations against their spiritual leader, Peter is forced to confront the fragile reality of his life's work.

Striking landscapes and the light and shade of the cinematography provide a neat metaphor in this empathetic, optimistic and ultimately uplifting story of redemption.

Chasing the Light will be preceded by Lewis Landini's Sphagnum, a poetic, experimental short film set in the peatlands of West Yorkshire and Finland's Teijo National Park.

SMHAF 2025: Comfort & Disturb

Our theme, Comfort & Disturb, references the famous Cesar A Cruz quote that “art should comfort the disturbed and disturb the comfortable”. It is a simple expression of the power of art both to challenge and to console, often having a transformative effect on people and societies. The theme was collectively chosen by SMHAF’s team of regional coordinators, along with the arts team from the Mental Health Foundation. Across Scotland, hundreds of programme events have been developed in response to this powerful theme.