THE FOUNDATION FOR UNIVERSAL RESPONSIBILITY
of His Holinlai Lama
ess The Da Culturpresent
& Tibetan Canadiane Centre, Toronto
Tibetan Film Festival 2009
18 TO 24 OCTOBER 2009
Tibetan Canadian Culture Centre,
40 Titan Road, Etobicoke ON M8Z 2J8,
CANADA
Teg
l: +1416‐410‐5606, E‐mail: This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it Film Festival Schedule
18 OCTOBER 2009, SUNDAY
11.00 am
THE MESSAGE OF THE TIBETANS
Arnaud Desjardins
50’ |English|Tibetan|English subtitle
The message of the Tibetans is a film by Arnaud Desjardins about the people of the Tibet and their life. It also shows the life style of Tibetan people and the way of life they follow.
12.00 pm
THE TIBETANS: A LIFE IN EXILE
Robb Bradstock
63’ |English|Tibetan|English subtitle
After fifty years in exile the Dalai Lama and the Tibetans face a crisis. Can those in exile continue to preserve their culture as the modern world intrudes more and more? Or is this community in danger of losing its identity and disappearing forever?
Various aspects of exile life are shown in this film including the role of the monasteries where monks and nuns are trying to preserve ancient traditions and cope with the influences of the modern world.
The political and spiritual role of the Dalai Lama is crucial but what will happen to the culture after his death? What will be the long term effects on the culture as Tibetan youth faces a
prolonged life in exile? Prominent members of the exile community talk honestly about these important issues and this film illuminates the challenges facing Tibetans in exile today.
www.sixdegreeproductions.com
2.15 pm
ART IN EXILE
Nidhi Tulli | Ashraf Abbas
37’|English|Hindi|Tibetan|English subtitle
A film about the Tibetans living in exile in India and the role their art is playing in keeping their identity and the larger Free Tibet movement alive. From the prolific activist poet, Tenzin Tsundue to the enigmatic, ex‐tibetan Youth Congress President/ poet Lhasang Tsering, rock band JJI Exile Brotehrs, to the traditional, institutes like TIPA and Norbulingka, the film offers glimpses into an alternate Tibetan revolution.
www.psbt.org
3.00 pm
SPIRIT OF TIBET
Matthieu Ricard
47’|English|Tibetan|English subtitle
The Life and World of Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, Primary Teacher of the Dalai Lama.
This film is an authentic portrait of Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, one of the primary teachers of the Dalai Lama ‐ poet, scholar, meditator and considered the "Master of Masters" among the four schools of Tibetan Buddhism.
Ten years in the making, this film began in 1989 when Matthieu Ricard, a French monk, began taping extensive footage of his teacher. When he died in 1991 they determined to share the life of this Great teacher with the world. Many leading film makers, artists and musicians have contributed resources to the work of students and organisations to complete this tribute. Shot in rarely filmed Eastern Tibet, Nepal, India, Bhutan and France, the film shows the rich and intricate tapestry of Tibetan Buddhism and is a witness if the strength, wisdom and depth of the Tibetan Culture.
Revenues from the 'Spirit of Tibet' go to the non‐profit making organisation Shechen Inc.
www.matthieuricard.org
4.00 pm
HH THE DALAI LAMA IN CONVERSATION WITH RAJIV MEHROTRA
Doordarshan
48’|English|Tibetan|English subtitle
An exclusive interview with His Holiness the Dalai Lama conducted by Rajiv Mehrotra in the wake of 50th year of Tibetans in Exile on 31st March 2009.
www.psbt.org
5.00 pm
TIBET’S CRY FOR FREEDOM
Lara Damiani
52’|English|Tibetan|English subtitle
Through the eyes of the Dalai Lama and exiled Tibetans in 2007 and 2008, Tibet’s cry for freedom explores both past and present in Tibet’s long suffering non‐violent freedom struggle. Discover the truth about Tibet’s history and ponder the future of a nation whose time is fast running out.
www.tibetscryforfreedom.com
6.00 pm
MILAREPA‐ MAGICIAN, MURDERER, SAINT
Neten Chokling
Feature Film
96’|English|Tibetan|English subtitle
An inspirational biopic of Tibet's greatest yogi, Milarepa unveils the dark past of greed and vengeance that once consumed this remarkable spiritual leader. It is an epic, redemptive tale of one young man whose love for his family drove him to black magic and murder before ultimately finding his path to enlightenment.
In 11th century Tibet, a saint was born among the mountains. This Bhutanese film follows the baby boy who would become Milarepa, a man who overcame family tragedy and poverty to become a great spiritual icon.
www.tibetanculture.org/mila/
7.50 pm
THE SHADOW CIRCUS: THE CIA IN TIBET
Ritu Sarin|Tenzin Sonam
96’|English|Tibetan|English subtitle
The Tibetan people are well known for being devoutly religious and peace loving. What is less known is that thousands of Tibetans took up arms against the invading forces of Communist China and waged a bitter and bloody guerrilla war. From the mid‐1950s until 1969 they were aided in their efforts by an unlikely ally, the CIA. This project, code‐named ST CIRCUS, was one of the CIA's longest running covert operations. The withdrawal of the CIA's support in 1969 was as abrupt as its initial involvement was unexpected: the Tibetans had simply fitted into America's larger policy of destabilising or overthrowing Communist regimes, and when that no longer applied, they were abandoned. With unique archive footage and exclusive interviews with former resistance fighters and surviving CIA operatives.
The Shadow Circus: The CIA in Tibet reveals for the first time this hitherto unknown chapter in Tibet's recent history ‐ a tale that is both heroic and tragic, full of sad ironies and unexpected twists that overturn all preconceptions about both Tibet and the CIA.
www.whitecranefilms.com
19 OCTOBER 2009, MONDAY
3.00 pm
RECOLLECTING TIBET
Karin Stowe
40’|English|Tibetan|English subtitle
The narration reflects back upon the histories witnessed leading up to the demonstration in March 2008 and beyond to the perpetual past and future histories of the Tibetans.
www.munen‐mushin.com
3.50 pm
BUDDHA’S LOST CHILDREN
A breathtaking true story of compassion and tough love
Mark Verkerk
Feature Film
97’|Thai|English subtitle
In the remote borderlands of Thailand’s Golden Triangle, an unorthodox Buddhist monk devotes himself to the care of the poorest hill tribe children. This intimate, emotionally charged
portrait, charts how the monk’s unique brand of tough love unlocks the boys’ potentials. This is a story of self‐discovery and new awakenings, an inspirational journey into a hidden world.
www.buddhaslostchildren.com
5.40 pm
JOURNEY INTO TIBET
with Prof. Robert Thurman
Rich Martini
120’|English|Tibetan|English subtitle
Join Professor and Tibetologist Dr. Robert Thurman as he takes a journey into Tibet, giving a tour of Lhasa, the Potala Palace, the monasteries their, Shigatse, Gyantse, all the way to Mt. Kailash where he makes a dangerous trek around the most sacred mountain on earth and leads his group to the waters of Lake Mansarovar.
www.richmartini.blogspot.com
7.50 pm
UNDERCOVER IN TIBET
Jezza Neumann
48’|English|Tibetan|English subtitle
Tibetan exile Tash Despa returns to the homeland he risked his life to escape eleven years ago to carry out secret filming with director Jezz Neumann. Risking imprisonment and deportation, he uncovers evidence of the 'cultural genocide' described by the Dalai Lama. He finds the nomadic way of life being forcefully wiped out as native Tibetans are stripped of their land and livestock and are being resettled in concrete camps.
Undercover in Tibet reveals the regime of terror, which dominates daily life and makes freedom of expression an impossibility. Tash meets victims of arbitrary arrests, detention, torture and disappearances and uncovers evidence of enforced sterilizations on ethnic Tibetan women. He sees for himself the impact of the enormous military and police presence in the region, the hunger and hardships endured by many Tibetans and hears warnings of the uprising taking place across the province now.
www.truevsiontv.com
20 OCTOBER 2009, Tuesday
3.00 pm
A JOY OF LIVING
Kelsang Tsering Khangsar
52’ |Tibetan|English subtitle
The Joy of Living is a documentary film about the life story of Anni Sonam Tsering an elderly Tibetan Buddhist nun who has been living an unconventional life for more than 30 years in Dharamsala. The home, a small shack, has become an abode of street dogs. Unlike other Tibetan nuns, neither is she clad in traditional red robes nor does she spend long hours chanting prayers. The film explores the founding of relationship between Anni and the dogs. Her love and compassion on these poor animals leads to the adoption, which ultimately transformed her own life. For more than 3 decades, Anni has devoted her life to their service and has given life to more than 100 dogs. Her deep sense of responsibility and the extent of sacrifice for her dogs shall be discovered through the film. Apart from the arising social challenges due to he pack of dogs, she now suffers the economic poverty at her old age. Today, she goes out everyday in the town in search of food for her dogs, collecting scraps from different homes, hotels, roadsides, parties and weddings. Despite all the miseries, Anni Sonam has always loved and cared them like her own children. But this abode of dogs got completely destroyed during the saddening fire accident.
Does anybody come to salvage Anni and her dogs.....? Her Karma becomes the savor.
The film is an attempt to inspire the inborn nature of human love and compassion to other sentient beings.
4.00 pm
HOPE AND COMPASSION
Michel Gardey|Dawa Thondup|Françoise Bottereau
52’ |Tibetan|English subtitle
The compassion eliminate fear. Let authentic and pure compassion grow in us in place of hatred and fear. If fear disappears, the confidence and inner peace will resurface.” Tenzin Gyatso, 14th Dalai Lama of Tibet
www.inspiration‐productions.com
5.00 pm
ONE DAY WITH RINPOCHE
Ritu Sarin|Tenzin Sonam
30’ |Tibetan|English subtitle
The story of 20 year old Phara Khentrul Rinpoche, an insight into what it means to be a young incarnate lama living in exile at the dawn of 21st century.
www.whitecranefilms.com
5.40 pm
BLESSINGS
The Tsoknyi Nangchen Nuns of Tibet
Victress Hitchcock
104’ |Tibetan|English subtitle
This is the story of an extraordinary journey—a unique meeting of east and west, an homage to the heartfelt dedication of the Tsoknyi Nangchen nuns of Tibet and an inspiration to human beings everywhere seeking a spiritual path through the challenges of 21st‐century life.
BLESSINGS brings us the compelling story of these women. Through unforgettable images and words, the film documents their encounter with western women who come to help, but who leave enriched by the power, compassion, and unfailing good humor of the nuns.
www.pundarika.org/BlessingsFilm.html
6.40 pm
ME‐TSE
Sonam Wangdue
Feature Film
90’ |Tibetan|English subtitle
How long could a father work and bring up his children is the central theme of the movie Me‐tse. During the early years of Tibetans' life in exile in India, many of them had a hard time fighting poverty and other related issues. Me‐tse is the story of one such family, Jamyang's ‐ with his wife Dolma and two sons Londhen and Gonpo.
Jamyang runs a noodle factory partially owned by his colleague Phuntsok. The money he makes out of this business is so meagre that it is sufficient only for daily living expenses. He works extra hours to earn more and save for his sons' future.
Londhen, the elder son, is not so bright in studies. He discontinues his studies and joins a tailoring institute with the help of Jamyang's financial assistance. The younger son Gonpo is good at his studies so he gets a place in an engineering college.
The remaining story deals with how the future of the two sons develops, and how they handle the responsibility of taking care of their parents in their old age.
21 OCTOBER 2009, Wednesday
3.00 pm
PEOPLE IN EXILE
Michel Gardey|Dawa Thondup|Françoise Bottereau
52’|English|Tibetan|English subtitle
Ama Adhe’s experience of torture, death and destruction under the Chinese Communist occupation is a mirror reflecting the Chinese policy of annihilating the Tibetan Culture and the Tibetan Identity inside Tibet.
www.inspiration‐productions.com
4.00 pm
DIASPORA IN REFUGE
Harshwardhan Verma
30’|English|Tibetan|English subtitle
The film looks at the Tibetan community that has lived in exile for more than forty years in India and the emotions, traumas, successes and failures that form a part of their everyday life.
www.psbt.org
4.40 pm
DEMOCRACY IN EXILE
Tashi Wangchuk |Tsultrim Dorjee
30’|English|Tibetan|English subtitle
The film explores the debate among the general mass of Tibetan people in India about the two major possible goals of future Tibet – ‘Genuine Autonomy’ a middle path proposed by the Tibetan Exile Government and an ‘Independent Tibet’ as proposed by the Tibetan Youth Congress.
www.psbt.org
5.20 pm
SPOT THE DIFFERENCE
Vivek Mohan
30’|English|Tibetan|English subtitle
The film Documents the everyday, lives of two families living in India‐ One Chinese and other Tibetan, in an attempt to depict that economic well‐being and peaceful co‐existence is more important than political and religious differences.
www.psbt.org
6.00 pm
THE STORY OF TIBETAN PHOTO PROJECT
Wangden |Jamyang Norbu | Logsang Topgyal
76’|English|Tibetan|English subtitle
The Story of The Tibetan Photo Project ‐summary: This is the documentary filmed in India on the creation of The Tibetan Photo Project. Tibetans living in exile have directed this film.
www.tibetanphotoproject.com
22 OCTOBER 2009, Thursday
3.00 pm
TO LHASA AND SHIGATSE
C. Suydam Cutting |Arthur Vernay
Silent & B/W film
73’|1935|Digitally Restored Film
Charles Suydam Cutting, American ethnologist and botanist, visited Tibet in 1930, 1935 and 1937. In 1928 he traveled in Tibetans areas of China. Filmed during a Field Museum of Natural History expedition to China, Tibet, and Vietnam, 1929.
The main interest of this silent film is the footage of the forbidden cities of Shigatse and Lhasa, including the Tibetan monastery at Gyantse, with their chortens and prayer wheels. This film is rich in exotic images made by Cutting, a man exulting in his special permission to visit the once forbidden cities of Tibet.
This expedition film is a record of a collecting trip organized under the auspices of the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago.
The expedition team of Theodore Roosevelt, Jr., his brother Kermit, and Charles Suydam Cutting went to China and Tibet in order to collect indigenous animals, in particular, the giant panda.
www.amnh.org
4.20 pm
TIBETAN REFUGEES:
A STRUGGLE BEYOND GENERATIONS
Tanaka Kunihiko
120’|English|Tibetan|English subtitle
"A people in exile daily live their love for their homeland far away"
More than forty years have passed since the Fourteenth Dalai Lama, a Nobel laureate, was forced to flee his homeland. Yet Free Tibet remains a living struggle for his people.
This documentary records the cry for freedom of exiled Tibetans.
www.10system.com
6.30 pm
DREAMING LHASA
Ritu Sarin|Tenzin Sonam
Feature Film
90’|English|Tibetan|English subtitle
Karma, a Tibetan filmmaker from New York, goes to Dharamsala, the Dalai Lama's exile headquarters in northern India, to make a documentary about former political prisoners who have escaped from Tibet. She wants to reconnect with her roots but is also escaping a deteriorating relationship back home.
One of Karma's interviewees is Dhondup, an enigmatic ex‐monk who has just escaped from Tibet. He confides in her that his real reason for coming to India is to fulfill his dying mother's last wish, to deliver a charm box to a long‐missing resistance fighter. Karma finds herself unwittingly falling in love with Dhondup even as she is sucked into the passion of his quest, which becomes a journey into Tibet's fractured past and a voyage of self‐discovery.
www.whitecranefilms.com
8.10 pm
THE STATE ORACLE OF TIBET
Francoise & Michael |Gardey |Dawa Thondup
52’|English|Tibetan|English subtitle
The Dalai Lama, his government in exile and 200,000 Tibetan refugees have been living in Dharmsala since in the Chinese invasion of Tibet in 1959. This small village is located in north of India, in a state named Himachel Pradesh. The main Tibetan Monasteries have been reconstructed throughout the years thanks to the generosity of the donors. The monastery of Nechung has a very special position among these: indeed his abbot is the medium of the protective spirit of Tibet which guides the Dalai Lama and his government in Exile.
www.inspiration‐productions.com
23 OCTOBER 2009, Friday
3.00 pm
BREAKING THE WALL OF SILENCE
Øystein F. Rakkenes
50’|English|Tibetan|English subtitle
Breaking the Wall of Silence is a documentary that portrays the courageous struggle of a peaceful, vulnerabe culture against domination by an aggressive neighbour – a story of personal sacrifice and spiritual fortitude.
Breaking the Wall of Silence will take you behind the scenes of the Tibetan struggle. It presents monks and nuns willing to risk their lives in trying to march across the Himalayas back home to Tibet. It also portrays icons such as the Dalai Lama and the writer Tsering Woeser.
and it all starts with The Voice of Tibet – a small Radio Station trying to broadcast free and independent news into Tibet. China is doing everything possible to stop it.
www.mpowermedia.no
4.00 pm
STRANGE SPIRIT ‐ ONE COUNTRY'S OCCUPATION
Ronny Novick |Rebecca McClen Novick
40’|English|Tibetan|English subtitle
Strange Spirit tells the story of a country behind bars. Through the eyes of Tibetan exiles, this 40 minute documentary chronicles the passionate struggle by the Tibetan people in a country where hopes for democracy and religious freedom are routinely punished by imprisonment and torture.
Through their personal experiences they tell the moving story of invasion, occupation, resistance, imprisonment and torture from the first battles in 1950 up to the present day. Soldiers describe the fall of capital city of Lhasa and how they smuggled the Dalai Lama across the Himalayas into India.
www.hetibetconnection.org
4.50 pm
A STRANGER IN MY NATIVE LAND
Ritu Sarin|Tenzin Sonam
32’|English|Tibetan|English subtitle
A Stranger in My Native Land is the poignant and personal account of Tenzing Sonam’s first ever visit to his homeland. From the far reaches of Amdo Province, where Tibetans have lost
their language, to Lhasa, the heart of the country, the film captures his meetings with long‐lost relatives and conveys a sense of the desperation of Tibet as a country under occupation.
www.whitecranefilms.com
5.30 pm
CHINA AND TIBET
C. Suydam Cutting
Silent & B/W film
15’|1929|Digitally Restored Film
It was filmed during a Field Museum of natural history expedition to China, Tibet, and Vietnam, 1929.
This expedition film is a record of collecting trip organized under the auspices of the field museum of natural history in Chicago.
www.amnh.org
6.00 pm
LEAVING FEAR BEHIND
Dhondup Wangchen| Jigme Gyatso
25’| Tibetan|English subtitle
Soon after sending out their tapes on March 10, 2008, Dhondup Wangchen and Golog Jigme were arrested. They remain in detention today. Dhondu Wangchen was last seen in detention in Guangsheng Binguan in Xining (Qinghai). Golog Jigme was last seen in a detention center in the town of Lingxia (Gansu).
What do Tibetans in Tibet think about the Beijing Olympic Games?
The documentary‐‐Leaving Fear Behind‐‐examines this question and a lot more besides. For five months, from October 2007 to March 2008, amateur filmmaker Dhondup Wangchen and his monk camerman, Golok Jigme, secretly filmed in Tibet. They were both arrested at the end of March after the protests erupted, but not before they had managed to smuggle their tapes safely to Switzerland.
www.leavingfearbehind.com
24 OCTOBER 2009, Saturday
11.00 am
10 QUESTIONS FOR THE DALAI LAMA
Rick Ray
85’|English|Tibetan|English subtitle
How do you reconcile a commitment to non‐violence when faced with violence? Why do the poor often seem happier than the rich? Must a society lose its traditions in order to move into the future? These are some of the questions posed to His Holiness the Dalai Lama by filmmaker and explorer Rick Ray. Ray examines some of the fundamental questions of our time by weaving together observations from his own journeys throughout India and the Middle East, and the wisdom of an extraordinary spiritual leader. This is his story, as told and filmed by Rick Ray during a private visit to his monastery in Dharamsala, India over the course of several months. Also included is rare historical footage as well as footage supplied by individuals who at great personal risk, filmed with hidden cameras within Tibet. Part biography, part philosophy, part adventure and part politics, “10 Questions for The Dalai Lama” conveys more than history and more than answers ‐ it opens a window into the heart of an inspiring man.
www.thedalailamamovie.com
12.30 pm
OCEAN OF WISDOM
Rajiv Mehrotra
30’|English|Tibetan|English subtitle
A biographical film on His Holiness the Dalai Lama.
www.psbt.org
2.15 pm
TIBET: CRY OF THE SNOWLION
Tom Peosay
104’|English|Tibetan|English subtitle
Ten years in the making, this award‐winning feature‐length documentary was filmed during nine journeys throughout Tibet, India and Nepal. CRY OF THE SNOW LION brings audiences to the long‐forbidden "rooftop of the world" with an unprecedented richness of imagery... from rarely‐seen rituals in remote monasteries, to horse races with Khamba warriors; from brothels and slums in the holy city of Lhasa, to magnificent Himalayan peaks still traveled by nomadic yak caravans. The dark secrets of Tibet's recent past are powerfully chronicled through personal stories and interviews, and a collection of undercover and archival images never before assembled in one film. A definitive exploration of a legendary subject, CRY OF THE SNOW LION is an epic story of courage and compassion.
www.cryofthesnowlion.com
4.10 pm
VAJRA SKY OVER TIBET
John bush
89’|English|Tibetan|English subtitle
Vajra Sky Over Tibet is a cinematic pilgrimage that bears witness to the indomitable faith of Tibet’s Buddhist community and the ultimate threat to its very survival. Set against a backdrop of breathtaking Himalayan terrain, this feature‐length documentary offers a direct experience of some of the most revered temples, monasteries and festivals still surviving in Tibet today.
Tibetans respond to the denial of the human right to practice one's religion without interference with a defiant devotion. As interviews were not appropriate because of likely retribution, VAJRA SKY employs the evocative voices of Tenzin Choegyal and Dadon, both Tibetans in exile. Many of Tibet's most legendary musicians and singers are featured in the compelling soundtrack.
www.vajra‐sky.com
5.50 pm
DREAMING OF TIBET
Will Parrinello
58’|English|Tibetan|English subtitle
Driven from their homeland by the draconian Chinese occupation many Tibetans now live in exile. The majority has settled in Northern India while many other thousands are scattered throughout the world. Will Parrinello's objective yet heart rending documentary traces the lives of three of exiles as they build new lives as 'strangers in strange lands' while striving to maintain their own culture. Narration by Peter Coyote, Richard Gere and Goldie Hawn.
www.bullfrogfilms.com
7.00 pm
THE UNWINKING GAZE
Joshua Dugdale
74’|English|Tibetan|English subtitle
‘The Unwinking Gaze’ offers a unique, behind‐the‐scenes insight into the recent working life of Tibet’s would‐be saviour and revered world icon the Dalai Lama.
The Unwinking Gaze was filmed over a period of three years with exceptional access showing the daily agonies of the Tibetan leader as he tries to strike a balance between his Buddhist vows and the real politick needed to placate China. David and Goliath is played out in front of
us as the world’s emerging superpower and the Dalai Lama walk a tightrope over an issue of global importance.
‘The Unwinking Gaze’ is not 3 years in the life of the Dalai. It is his life’s work in 3 years. This film takes you inside the Titanic struggle of one of the great spiritual and political figures of our time, as he tries to lead his people to a peaceful resolution with China.
www.theunwinkinggaze.com
8.25 pm
WINDHORSE
Paul Wagner
Feature Film
97’|English|Tibetan|English subtitle
Academy Award ‐ winning filmmaker Paul Wagner’s courageous exploration of the political and cultural oppression of Tibetan people by the Chinese regime has stirred major controversy since its first US screening in the spring of 1998.
Based on true events, WINDHORSE focuses on the lives of two siblings and their cousin who as young children witnessed their Tibetan grandfather brutally murdered over his resistance of Chinese aggression. Eighteen years later, the memory of losing their grandfather has affected each of the kids very differently. On the verge of pop‐stardom, Dolkar has assimilated herself comfortably into Chinese culture while her disgusted brother Dorjee’s hatred of the Chinese has turned him into embittered vagrant. Their cousin Pema has since retreated to the solace of life as a Buddhist nun until, like her grandfather before her, she too riskes her life by defying Chinese rule in Tibet.
When Dolkar and Dorjee are called to help Pema, the brutal realities of Chinese occupation in Tibet strike the family once again‐this time they must join forces to do everything in their power to help stop it.
www.windhorsemovie.com