This film follows the daily life of three young contemporary Tibetans, cousins, who as children, witnessed the murder of their grandfather by Chinese authorities. One has assimilated the Chinese culture and seeks to profit from it, despite being blatanly exploited. Another; angry, disgusted and personally frustrated with his lot under the Chinese dominated Tibet, resorts to alcohol and a listless lifestyle. The third, a nun, becomes politically active and risks her life protesting the Chinese occupation. Paul Wagner has directed a striking portrait of the tragic plight of ordinary Tibetans. Apparently, his neice, who was arrested and detained by Chinese custom officials in Tibet, provided Wagner with the genesis for the project.
Before I saw this film I had been under the impression that most Tibetan monks/nuns suffered without a word of condemnation of the Chinese government which has slaughtered them by the thousands. This film certainly proves that notion to be false. It utterly dispels the romantic vision in films like Kundun and Seven Years In Tibet, which for all their beauty, fail to illustrate the passion of the Tibetan people found here. Highly recommended.
by Marlin Tyree | Source: NewYorker Video
22 May 2007 5:40 PM | Submit Comment
