Maria Blumencron, born in 1965, is a trained actress, film maker and author. She has made films about the Himalayas, Christian spirituality and sacred places in Europe. Her film and book about the escape of Tibetan children across the Himalayas have made people more aware of the plight of Tibet and especially of the country's children. In order to provide them with practical aid, she founded Shelter108 e.V. to support children in need of help and homeless people all over the world. Her feature film Flucht aus Tibet (Flight from Tibet), for which she wrote the screenplay and directed, will be in cinemas early in 2012.