For twelve years Maria von Blumencron fulfilled her dream to be an actress. Then one day whilst zapping between TV channels she was confronted by the picture of two young children who had frozen to death while trying to escape from Tibet. This moment changed her life completely. She swapped her role to become the one behind the camera in order to document the desperate flight on foot of Tibetan children over the Himalayas. She has worked as a filmmaker and author since completing her first documentation ,Flight over the Himalalays‘. Her attention is not restricted however only to Asia; her focus is also on Russia and Germany.
Maria’s books and films always elicit a huge amount of public willingness to lend a hand. Shelter108 was established in order to coordinate this support professionally and to ensure that help is brought to the right people in the right places.
Maria von Blumencron first met Jörg Arnold in 2000 shortly before ,Flight over the Himalayas‘ was to be filmed. It was Jörg’s spontaneous decision to assist Maria and accompany her and the six Tibetan refugee children on their arduous route to freedom.
Jörg was a founder member of Shelter108 and he is today chairman.
For more than two years Michael Landwehr was a natural sciences teacher in the Tibetan Children’s Village Dharamsala. He is one of very few foreign teachers to have worked there for an extended period of time. During his stay he developed close contacts to both colleagues and children. He himself has fostered three children in the Children’s Village. He returned to Germany in February 2009 and took charge of the Shelter108 office in Cologne. Apart from general administrative duties Michael is also in charge of sponsorships, sponsorship trips, educational tours for the
children and special projects.