What is Paragami?
Paragami is a non-profit cultural and educational initiative rooted in creative documentary practice. It is dedicated to amplifying the lived experiences, teachings, and resilience of women and LGBTQI practitioners within Buddhist traditions across Southeast Asia.
The word Paragami comes from Pali and means “one who has gone to the other shore.”
Traditionally used to describe enlightened beings, the title honors the journeys of women and queer monastics who are forging their own paths inside deeply patriarchal structures, transforming them quietly from within.
Through documentary film, storytelling, and community-based programs, Paragami’s goal is offer alternative ways of understanding spiritual life, preserves and shares teachings and lived wisdom that rarely reach Western audiences, supports monastic and lay communities on the ground and explores the interconnections between spirituality, gender, ecology, and social justice.
Paragami is founded on the principles of generosity (dāna), accessibility, and care. All educational resources, including films, interviews, Dharma texts, and public events, are offered free of charge, ensuring that knowledge and spiritual inquiry remain open and shared rather than commodified.
The platform is currently entirely self-funded; donations will make possible to continue this work, cover basic production and operational costs, fairly compensate collaborators, and build a sustainable team to support the project’s long-term growth.
Participate:
We are in need of translators for Thai, Sinhala and Khmer languages.
If you would like to participate in any way, feel free to contact via the page bellow.
Who we are
Elisa Cucinelli
Elisa Cucinelli is a French/Italian multidisciplinary artist and filmmaker based in Berlin, Germany.
Her film work sits at the intersection of documentary, experimental cinema, and mixed-media visual storytelling. Her practice often merges observational filmmaking with techniques such as hand-drawn animation, collage, and stop-motion, creating films that feel both intimate and tactile. Rather than following conventional narrative structures, she frequently builds her films around atmosphere, sensory detail, and emotional proximity to her subjects.
This current documentary on gender within Theravada Buddhism is her most personal project yet, inspired by her own search for female wisdom and alternative paths to social cohesion. Elisa’s close connection with these monastic communities has granted her a rare opportunity to capture their stories with genuine intimacy and authenticity. She approaches the subject both as a filmmaker and a seeker, offering a unique, artistically driven lens through which to explore resilience and wisdom in these women’s lives.
Her previous documentary work spans projects across Europe and Asia, including films about Kurdish youth in Berlin, an artist residency in southern China, and an ongoing project on single mothers in Berlin. Elisa’s dedication to storytelling through a subjective yet artistically driven lens, brings depth and intimacy to each of her films, and this project promises to share an unseen world with equal nuance and emotional impact.
To learn more about her approach and the project, read the article bellow from Daniel Millet:
https://festivalcinemabudista.cat/en/interview-with-elisa-cucinelli-crossing-to-the-other-shore/
Get in touch
For partnerships, collaborations, screenings, or support:
paragamifilm@gmail.com
www.elisacucinelli.com
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