The Question(s) of Tibet - World Affairs Council

DOCUMENTARIES/FILMS ABOUT TIBET
THE BUDDHA – 2010 (120 MINUTES)
http://www.pbs.org/thebuddha/
Tells the story of the Buddha’s life, a journey especially relevant to our own bewildering times
of violent change and spiritual confusion. It features the work of some of the world’s greatest
artists and sculptors, who across two millennia, have depicted the Buddha’s life in art rich in
beauty and complexity. Hear insights into the ancient narrative by contemporary Buddhists,
including Pulitzer Prize winning poet W.S. Merwin and His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Join the
conversation and learn more about meditation, the history of Buddhism, and how to
incorporate the Buddha’s teachings on compassion and mindfulness into daily life.
Teacher Guide: http://www.pbs.org/thebuddha/lesson‐plans/
SUMMER PASTURE – 2010 (85 MINUTES)
http://www.khamfilmproject.org/SummerPasture.php
In recent years, growing pressures from the outside world have posed unprecedented
challenges for Tibetan nomads. Rigid government policies, rangeland degradation, and the
allure of modern life have prompted many nomadic families to leave the pastures for
permanent settlement in towns and cities. According to nomads, the world has entered
duegnan—dark times. Summer Pasture a.k.a. A Nomad's Life is a feature‐length documentary
that chronicles one summer with a young family amidst this period of great uncertainty. Locho,
his wife Yama, and their infant daughter, nicknamed Jiatomah ("pale chubby girl"), spend the
summer months in eastern Tibet's Zachukha grasslands, an area known as Wu‐Zui or "5‐
Most,"the highest, coldest, poorest, largest, and most remote county in Sichuan Province,
China. The story of a family at a crossroads, Summer Pasture takes place at a critical time in
Locho and Yama's lives,as they question their future as nomads. With their pastoral traditions
confronting rapid modernization, Locho and Yama must reconcile the challenges that threaten
to drastically reshape their existence. Includes a four minute trailer.
JOURNEY FROM ZANSKAR – 2010 (90 MINUTES)
http://www.digitalhimalaya.com/collections/films/zanskar/filmviewer.php
How far would you go to save your dying culture? Two Buddhist monks fulfill their pledge to the
Dalai Lama to help save their dying culture by leading a group of 17 poor children aged 4‐12 on
a journey from Zanskar in remote northwest India through the Himalayas. To seek an
education‐ on foot, on horseback, by jeep and bus, whatever it takes. Thirty years ago, when
they were children, these monks walked the same path. The 17 children with them now may not
return home for 10‐15 years or more. This is the story of their incredible journey. This film is
produced by Frederick Marx of Hoop Dreams, narrated by Richard Gere, and features His
Holiness The Dalai Lama.
THE SEARCH – 2009 (117 MINUTES)
http://asiasociety.org/arts‐culture/film/pema‐tseden‐tibetan‐films‐tibetan‐people
The Search is the first‐ever film made in Tibet to have been shot entirely with a Tibetan crew
and in the Tibetan language. In this road movie, a filmmaker travels from village to village
looking for actors to star in a film based on the Tibetan opera Drimé Kunden, a legendary
account of a prince who selflessly gives away his children and his own eyes to those in need.
The director holds auditions in the unlikely but all‐pervasive contexts of contemporary Tibetan
life—in building sites, streets, bars, nightclubs, and monasteries.
Trailer: http://v.youku.com/v_show/id_XMTAwODE0MDM2.html
World Affairs Council Teacher Resource Packet – The Question(s) of Tibet February 28, 2011
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