Sixteen years later, the directors revisit the reincarnation of Khensur Rinpoche at Drepung Monastery in South India, where he has been brought up within the age-old traditions of Tibetan Buddhist monastic life. He is now 20 years old, and his devoted attendant, Choenzey, continues to take care of him. His spiritual teacher is Geshe Wangchen, one of the most respected masters in the monastery, who was himself a disciple of Khensur Rinpoche.

The Thread of Karma offers an intimate look at the life of the young lama as he aspires to live up to the reputation of his former incarnation. It also explores his moving relationship with the two people closest to him, his attendant and his spiritual master, both of whom were connected to him in his previous life. By focusing on these ties that cut across lifetimes, the film paints a touching and insightful portrait of the Rinpoche even as it demystifies the Tibetan Buddhist tradition of reincarnation.

“After we made The Reincarnation of Khensur Rinpoche in 1990, we maintained our connection with the young Rinpoche and his attendant. Over the years, we visited him in his monastery in South India and also met him several times in other places. We have followed his progress and have, on occasion, even helped to support some of his educational requirements. So, in a sense, we have become almost like family. However, we never felt it was appropriate to make a follow-up film until last year, when we were invited to attend a major ceremony that he was undergoing. On this occasion, the time felt right, and both Rinpoche and his attendant were happy for us to film him again. We’ve been very impressed with the way he has grown up to become a gentle, thoughtful, and happy person who is also doing remarkably well in his Buddhist studies”

Ritu Sarin was born in New Delhi. She finished her schooling in London and returned to India to do her undergraduate studies at Delhi University. She then studied German and moved to Brussels, where she worked for three years at the Tea Board of India as one of their marketing representatives. This involved non-stop travel throughout Europe, wearing nice saris, smiling a lot and drinking endless cups of tea at various trade fairs. Having always had a passion for cinema, Ritu then decided to study filmmaking and did an MFA in Film and Video from the California College of Arts and Crafts in Oakland.

Tenzing Sonam was born in Darjeeling in northeastern India of Tibetan refugee parents. After graduating from Delhi University in 1978, he worked for a year in the Tibetan Government-in-exile in Dharamsala. He then travelled for a few years, working at a number of odd jobs − dishwasher, landscape "artist" (lawn-mowing and cleaning swimming pools), manager of a car wash, etc. − in Switzerland, New York, Scottsdale and Los Angeles before ending up at the Graduate School of Journalism at the University of California in Berkeley, where he specialized in documentary filmmaking.