Tibetan Tourism Info > Facts For The Visitor > Films

Films

The following is a short list of the more popular films dealing with Tibet and its history. For an even more exhaustive list that contains many shorter films and documentaries go to http://tibet.com/films.html

Lost Horizon (1937)- Film version of James Hilton’s novel about a plane crash that delivers a group of people to the secluded land of Shangri-La. Directed by Frank Capra.

The Golden Child (1986)- Supposedly inspired by the young Karmapa of Tsurphu Monesery.

The Horse Thief (Dao ma zei) (1986)- Tian Zhuangzhuang’s documentary-style take on the nomads of eastern Tibet.

Little Buddha (1993)- Merges the life story of the Buddha with the tale of a young boy in Seattle who is discovered to be a reincarnated lama. Directed by Bernardo Bertolucci

Seven Years in Tibet (1997)- This tells the story of the escape of Henrich Harrer (Brad Pitt) and Peter Aufshenaiter (David Thewlis) from a prisoner-of-war camp in northern India, their trek across Tibet and their seven year stay in Lhasa as aides to the young Dalhai Lama.

Kundun (1997)- A Martin Scorsese film that tells the story of the Dalai Lama and the Chinese invasion of Tibet. The entire cast is Tibetan and Chinese and many of the characters are portrayed by their actual descendants. Beautiful cinematography.

Red Corner (1997)- Set in Beijing but is concerned with the judicial system and human rights. Starring Richard Gere who is an avid activist in work for Tibet.

The Cup (1998)- This was the first major movie directed by a Tibetan and is about soccer-crazed monks at a monastery in northern India.

Windhorse (1998)- A drama set in Lhasa that follows a Tibetan singer popular with the Chinese. She faces a crisis when her cousin who is a nun is imprisoned and tortured for her religious beliefs. Segments of the film were illegally shot in Tibet.

Saltmen of Tibet (1998)- About the salt route caravans that run from Tibet to Nepal but is now a mostly extinct trade. It was filmed in Tibetan and the secret salt language.

Xiu Xiu: The Sent Down Girl (Tian yu) (1998)- A young teen girl is sent to the Tibetan countryside to work during the Cultural Revolution.

Himalaya (l'enfance d'un chef) (1999)- A story about the succession of Tibetan yak herders on the salt caravan from Nepal to Tibet. The cast is entirely Tibetan and there is gorgeous cinematography.

The Touch (2002)- A Buddhist monk calls on a family of acrobats to retrieve a valuable artifact. Somewhat corny plot but beautiful cinematography.

Tibet: Cry of the Snow Lion (2002)- A pro-Tibetan documentary narrated by Martin Sheen with voice-overs by Ed Harris, Tim Robbins and Susan Sarandon.

We’re No Monks (2004)- A fictional story about four disaffected young Tibetan exiles in Dharamsala who are hurtled into a violent mission of protest. Filmed on a very small budget with unknown actors.

Contributors to this Page

Pamela Riis