Tibetan Film Festival
September 20, September 27, and October 4, 2010
All films at White Hall 208 (note the room change) on the Emory University campus at 8:00 p.m.
Sponsored by Emory-Tibet Partnership, the Film Studies Department, Center for International Programs Abroad, and Students for a Free Tibet.
All films are free and open to the public
This mini-festival showcases three recent, award-winning films related to Tibet. The Sun Behind the Clouds (2009), a riveting documentary by Tenzing Sonam and Ritu Sarin, focuses on a series of tumultuous events leading up to the 50th year anniversary of Tibet’s occupation.No. 16 Barkhor South Street (1996), a cinema vérité piece by Duan Jinchuan, depicts the day-to-day workings of a Chinese government office located in the heart of Lhasa, and the complex, politically charged, sometimes humorous interactions between cadres and citizens. The Prince of the Himalayas (2007) is a lavish Tibet-centered adaptation of Hamlet by Sherwood Hu; We have chosen these films not only for their cinemagraphic excellence, but in order to expose our audience to Tibetan, Indian, and Chinese directors rarely shown in the United States. These works are also notable for the light they shed on the differing ways in which Tibet, Tibetans, Tibetan-ness, etc., are represented by contemporary, non-western filmmakers. All screenings will include a brief introduction and a Q & A session immediately after the movie.
View information about each film
Remaining films
Monday, September 27, White Hall 208 8:00 p.m.No. 16, Barkhor South Street by Duan Jinchuan
(Documentary, China, 1996, 100 minutes, color, Tibetan & Chinese with English subtitles)
This cinema vérité documentary is a study of the day-to-day workings of the Barkhor Street Neighborhood Committee, located in the heart of Lhasa, as it implements official Chinese government policy, organizes religious and secular events, and attempts to mediate and solve local conflicts. Shot with only one camera, and influenced by the ‘observational mode’ of Frederick Wiseman, this remarkable work by Chinese director Duan Jinchuan provides rare insight into Lhasa’s rapidly changing society through the experiences of ordinary people. In particular it elegantly conveys the intimate, politically charged, yet often humorous interactions between citizens and cadres. In 1997, Duan won the Grand Prix du Festival du Réel (Paris) for No. 16 Barkhor South Street. Duan Jinchuan was born in Chengdu, China. After graduating from Beijing Broadcasting
Institute in 1984, he worked at Tibet TV Station. In 1992, he returned to Beijing and became an independent documentary filmmaker. Seen as one of the pillars of the ‘New Documentary Movement’ in China, he has made numerous films, most of which explore the relationship between institutions and individuals. According to Duan, he is a member of “the avant-garde, post-1989 movement of documentary makers . . . . [who have] found that the reality of Chinese history is completely different from what we learned in school. So,” he notes, “we feel we have a responsibility to convey reality.”
Introduction and Q & A by Tawni Tidwell, doctoral student in anthropology
Monday, October 4, White Hall 208 8:00 p.m.
The Prince of the Himalayas by Sherwood Hu
(Feature, China, 2006, 108 minutes, color, Tibetan with English subtitles)
Setting Hamlet in early Tibetan history, Prince of the Himalayas is richly suggestive of the enduring relevance of Shakespeare's classic tragedy for the modern world. The film, which is Chinese director Sherwood Hu’s first about Tibet, is a visually ravishing historical epic with stunning scenery and lush costumes. Particularly noteworthy is that this feature is the most successful example so far of artistic cooperation between a Chinese director and Tibetan writers (Dorje Tsering Chenaktshang and Tashi Dawa). Moreover, the actors are all Tibetan, they speak in their native tongue, and the entire film was shot inside Tibet. The film has won numerous awards at international film festivals, and was nominated for a Golden Globe.
Sherwood Hu was born in Shanghai and raised by an artistic family. He received his MA degree from New York State University and his Ph.D. in directing from the University of Hawaii at Manoa. He also studied at The Public Theater in New York under Joseph Papp. He has directed several feature films, including Lani Loa, or “The Passage,” which was produced by Francis Ford Coppola and Wayne Wang, and was one of the first U.S./China co-productions. Mr. Hu is also a guest professor at the Shanghai Drama Academy where he supervises graduate students.
VOLUNTEER NEWS
- Registration has now OPENED
- Mark your calendar for training dates (must attend one) on October 1 and 2 (times TBA).
