Vision in Action: Mandala Productions — Mission Beyond the Lens

NATIONWIDE - OCTOBER 2025 - (USAnews.com) — Trusted across Asia for its expertise in production services, co-production, and multi-country facilitation, Mandala’s creativity and dedication extend far beyond the projects it produces. Its guiding belief remains simple yet powerful: vision must live through action.

For more than two decades, Mandala has worked with global broadcasters and streaming platforms to tell stories that connect cultures, uncover truths, and celebrate the human spirit. Beyond its professional scope, the company’s philosophy has always been one of presence — being rooted in purpose even while in constant motion.

A Legacy of Purposeful Work

From its earliest productions, Mandala has chosen to align with causes and partners that reflect compassion, community, and sustainability. Its extensive body of work across Asia is matched by advocacy for issues close to its heart, including environmental awareness, animal welfare, and humanitarian response.

This enduring commitment to socially relevant storytelling naturally led to an ongoing collaboration with Alpha Aid, an international organization focused on rescue, emergency response, and wildlife protection. The partnership began through GPS Safety, led by Hermann Binek, Mandala’s long-time collaborator for film safety and logistics.

Shared Values in Action

Mandala’s involvement with Alpha Aid stems not from a shift in direction but from shared principles. Both organizations believe in practical compassion — turning empathy into tangible results. 

Before expanding its work in Africa, Alpha Aid dedicated its expertise and resources, together with Mandala Productions, to conduct training in medic and rescue operations for teams working in the most disaster-affected areas of the Philippines. That early outreach remains a cornerstone of their shared advocacy: strengthening preparedness, building resilience, and putting care into motion.

Today, Alpha Aid continues to develop its wildlife conservation and anti-poaching efforts in Africa, while Mandala supports by amplifying their story through film and media. The collaboration represents an intersection of storytelling and service — combining Mandala’s creative reach with Alpha Aid’s field experience to raise awareness for those protecting both people and wildlife.

“Every film we make and every partnership we form stems from the same principle: care,” says Johanna Kirsten Lagman, Producer at Mandala Productions. “We pursue projects that connect people, and now we use our platform to connect purpose.”

Adding to that shared mission, Hermann Binek of GPS Safety and Alpha Aid notes, “Through local partnerships, we co-create solutions that uplift entire communities, putting resources, decision-making, and opportunity into the hands of the people we serve.”

A Life in Motion

In their line of work, the Mandala team and their partners are constantly on the move — from mountain villages to coastal towns, from dense cities to remote terrains. Yet amid the travel, the chaos, and the urgency of production, they have discovered a paradoxical truth: those who live in motion are often the most deeply present.

“People often ask how we manage to stay connected when our lives are constantly shifting,” Lagman reflects. “But connection isn’t just physical — it’s emotional, intuitive. Those in motion tend to carry with them the people, places, and experiences that have aligned with their journey. Setting roots is not about staying still; it’s about expanding what feels like home.”

For Mandala, this perspective has shaped not just how they work, but how they live. Conversations with the Alpha Aid team — often held on location or between flights — naturally drift from field updates to life reflections: how they integrate work and family, how they find stillness within the constant movement, and how shared purpose binds them despite distance.

“The work, the travels, the families waiting for us back home — they’re all connected,” Lagman adds. “There’s a give and take, a win and lose, but it’s always worth it. A vision in action is worth it.”

Balancing Purpose and Presence

The Mandala lifestyle — one of travel, mission, and constant adaptation — isn’t for everyone. It demands resilience and emotional clarity. Yet for those who choose it, it becomes a form of realized paradise, a life where work and purpose meet, boundaries blur, and self-awareness expands through motion and meaning.

Hermann Binek and the Alpha Aid team have found their version of home in their advocacy — a belief that the world can and must be better, and that protecting those who cannot protect themselves is both urgent and necessary.

Mandala shares that conviction. To them, advocacy is not a sideline but an extension of who they are. Taking care of others — and of oneself — exists on the same continuum. Being with like-minded people creates a community that is stronger, more conscious, and more compassionate.

“Our lives are not fragmented,” Lagman says. “The work, the friendships, the families we keep close — they are all part of one story. The point is not to escape reality but to live it fully. To be present beyond the mundane, yet embrace the stillness of the most basic moments.”

Creativity With Conscience

Mandala’s philosophy has never been about separating creativity from responsibility. Its work across Asia continues to reflect a holistic vision of filmmaking that integrates artistry, ethics, and advocacy.

To be a part of Mandala and Alpha Aid is no mean feat. But despite the challenges, we pursue. Because we believe in the interconnectedness of life- that one action affects another. And we want to be a part of that action. So we can be instruments in affecting change… in touching lives. 

“It is an immense problem that needs not just one big solution but many small, sustained actions,” Lagman adds. “Sometimes it begins with intention, and from there it grows.”

For Mandala, doing what it does best means using film not only to tell stories but to advance the causes that matter most. 

The company remains committed to providing world-class production services, creative support, and co-production partnerships while deepening its engagement in meaningful collaborations.

“We are always grateful for our friends and colleagues who never let distance or time zones separate aligned vision and action from moving forward,” Lagman reflects.

Mandala Productions continues to prove that creativity, when guided by compassion, can shape a better world — one frame at a time.

Explore more about Mandala’s projects and advocacy at www.teammandala.com. Learn more about Alpha Aid and how to support their mission at www.alphaaid.org and www.alphaaid-antipoaching.org.

Press Contacts
Johanna Kirsten Lagman
Producer, Mandala Productions
johannakirsten@icloud.com

Alpha Aid International
contact@alphaaid.org
www.alphaaid.org | www.alphaaid-antipoaching.org