Films at 6th Tibet Film Festival 2014
Premiere at TFF
Kokonor
Dorje Tsering Chenaktsang ( Jangbu) | 2009 | Tibet | Doc. | 53` | Tibetan with English Sub
The Tibetan Nomads of the Mokru-Clan have lived along the shores of Lake Kokonor for centuries. Today, this historically Tibetan region is under Chinese jurisdiction. The remote area has been turned into a tourist attraction since the 90s, and huge building projects have changed the landscape dramatically. The protests of the local nomad families against the land expropriation were suppressed. Posing for pictures with Chinese tourists has now become a vital source of income for the local population. In his third movie Dorje Tsering allows us a glimpse into the world of a marginalized community, that is trying to overcome the cycle of poverty and discrimination.
Saving Dolma
Kelsang Tseten | 2010 | Nepal | Doc. | 62´ | Arabian / Nepali with English Sub.
Nepal is one of the poorest countries in the world. One fifth of its population suffers from malnutrition and only 60 percent of the adult population can read and write. Dolma is one of 25,000 Nepali migrant workers, who went to the Gulf region to work illegally, and under dehumanizing conditions. Dolma’s particular case came to attention when she was accused of murder and was sentenced to death. Tibetan Filmmaker Kesang Tseten opens our eyes to the plight of Nepalese migrant workers and explores the topic of modern form of slavery in the Gulf States, which came into the headlines during the preparation for the Football World Cup in Qatar.
Who Will Be a Gurkha
Kelsang Tseten | 2012 | Nepal | Doc. | 75´ | English
Whenever the British went to war in the past 200 years, the Gurkhas were always marching along with the British soldiers, right at the front. Over 100,000 Nepali elite-soldiers fought in the First, and almost 250,000 in the Second World Wars for the British Empire. Whether in Cyprus, the Falkland Islands, Sierra Leone, Iraq, Kosovo or Afghanistan – the Gurkhas are still feared by their opponents and are considered by many to be the ‘best soldiers in the world’. Kesang Tseten’s documentary has won several prizes and gives us insights into the way the soldiers are recruited, the relation between two nations and the connection between employer and employee.
A Family
Pema Shitsetsang, Beat Graf | 2014 | Switzerland | Fiction | 6´ | Swiss German with Englisch Sub
Switzerland 2035. Tenzin Peri, born in Tibet, raised in Switzerland, takes part in a series of interviews, where relatives of self-immolators can share their views.
Arise
Pema Dhondup | 2013 | USA | Drama | 27´ | English
While attempting to dissuade his friends from committing an attack on the Chinese consulate, Tapey ends up in a Chinese prison.
The Hunter and the Skeleton
Gentsu Gyatso (Bai Bin) | 2012 | TIbet | Animation | 26´ | Tibetan with English Sub
A hunter befriends a man eating a skeleton. An animation about a Tibetan folktale.
Tibetan Guerillas in Exile
Kelsang Rinchen | 2008 | India | Doc. | 32’ | English
The Tibetan resistance against the Chinese occupation is associated with the Dalai Lama, Buddhism and non-violence. However, there once was a Tibetan Guerrilla. It was founded within the Indian military through the support of the CIA and was a reaction to the Chinese expansionist policies. The guerrilla forces were stationed right at the Indian-Tibetan Border in March 1964, where they waited in vain on a command to move forward and attack, for many years. Contemporary witnesses tell their compelling stories.
Vara: A Blessing
Khyentse Norbu Rinpoche | 2013 | Bhutan | Drama | 96’ | English
Lila lives in poverty with her mother Vinata, a temple dancer ritually married to a Hindu goddess. Lilas emulates her mother and adapts to a religious life. When she unsuspectingly models the young artist Shyam from a deep caste, Lila is confronted with the world outside the temple walls. Unintentionally she attracts the attention of the son of the landlord, but also the disapproval of the villagers. After his award-winning films "The Cup" and "Travallers And Magicians", Khyentse Norbu tells in "Vara: A Blessing" the story of a young woman growing up in an Indian village that has not yet arrived in modernity. In his story about love and devotion he shows living dream worlds with Hindu deities, classical Bharatanatyam dance and music, but also the harsh reality of social constraints.
Tibet in Song
Ngawang Choepel | 2009 | USA | Doc. | 86’ | English/Tibetan with English Sub.
A Tibetan musician returns from exile to his homeland to track down original traditional Tibetan folk music before it falls into oblivion. Director Ngawang Choephel combines rarely seen traditional music performances with impressive footage of the Chinese invasion. He succeeds in an emotional and dramatic portrayal of a lived culture, which threatens to disappear more and more. Ngawang Choephel was imprisoned by the Chinese government for several years for his film.