Tibetans, who have inspired many a scriptwriter across the globe for years, have learnt to romance with the medium

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Tibetans' romance with the film medium
By R.K. Prashar, Indo-Asian News Service

Dharamsala (Himachal Pradesh), Aug 13 (IANS) Tibetans, who have inspired many a scriptwriter across the globe for years, have learnt to romance with the medium
themselves.

The days of the Tibetan monks holding silent candle light processions for a cause - immortalised in documentaries and feature films alike - are clearly over. No longer are the
monks passive subjects of film festivals. They are participating in the fests, experimenting with the many genres of filmmaking and trying to break the many stereotypes
through their stories.

But they do have a long way to go.

Khyentse Norbu has given a fresh insight to the old monk story in "Travellers and Magicians", a film written and directed by him. The film is about Dondup, a university
graduate who thinks he will be better off picking grapes in the US, and Tashi, a restless farm youth studying magic.

This mystical fable of lust, jealousy and murder holds up a mirror to the restless Dondup, leaving him wondering if the grass is truly greener on the other side?

In "Dreaming Lhasa", the protagonist, Karma, a Tibetan filmmaker from New York, comes to Dharamsala. She is here to make a film about former political prisoners who
have escaped from Tibet. Their stories of courage and suffering heighten her own sense of cultural alienation.

Karma meets Dhondup, an enigmatic ex-monk who has escaped from Tibet after spending four years in prison for his role in anti-Chinese activities. Karma finds herself
unwittingly falling in love with Dhondup even as she is sucked into the vortex of his quest, which becomes a journey into Tibet's fractured past and a voyage of self-discovery.
The film is by Ritu Sarin and Tenzing Sonam.

"Milk and Opium" is a film by Joel Palombo and edited by Tenzin Tsetan Choklay, a Tibetan now living in South Korea. The protagonist, Swaroop, a young Muslim boy,
leaves his desert village in search of work with his Uncle Nizam, a musician.

Swaroop meets Santosh, a Hindu boy studying to become a priest. Santosh decides to join Swaroop to become a musician. The film leaves the viewer wondering about
what will become of Swaroop and traditional India.

"Phun Anu Thanu" is a film by Tashi Wangchuk and Tsultrim Dorjee. It is a story narrated by a magician from Tibet. The magician travels all over the world and tells the story
of Phun Anu Thanu - two brothers who have been exiled.

The film takes off on March 10, 2005 when every Tibetan goes to Dehradun to commemorate the 1959 Tibetan Uprising in Lhasa, an event that led to the Dalai Lama's
historic flight to India. Apart from entertainment, the film touches social, political, moral and health issues.

"New York Ma Ray Mi York Ray" is a short film directed and written by Namgyal Dorjee. It details the lives of a group of young Tibetans who moved to the US from India. The
film aims to showcase life in America to Tibetans in India, Nepal, Bhutan and especially Tibet. Dhondup, a young Tibetan beggar in New Delhi, moves to the US with the
help of his friend, Tenzin. He soon realises that without any skill or proper education, life is harsh in the US.

"Voices in Exile" is a documentary directed, filmed and edited by Tenzin Wangden Andrugtsang, who lives in Dharamsala. It is a documentary on the Tibetans in exile from
a Tibetan perspective. As the Tibetan people stand on the edge of extinction, "Voices in Exile" speaks out against the continued brutal policies of the Chinese government.

"We Homes Chaps", a film by Kesang Tseten, explores the fragile ground where love and "unlove" cohabit, illuminating a rare space where the two are in close proximity but
distinct.

"On The Road With The Red God: Machhendranath" is a film by Kesang Tsetan, a Tibetan in Nepal. Every 12 years, impassioned devotees pull a 65-feet-tall unwieldy
chariot in the Kathmandu Valley, its rider an enigmatic god worshipped by Hindus and Buddhists.

"The Yogi Who Built Iron Bridges" is a documentary by Tsering Rhitar, another Tibetan in Nepal. "The Joy of Living" is Kelsang Tsering's directorial debut. The documentary
is about an elderly Tibetan nun who looks after stray dogs in McLeod Ganj, which in Dharamsala is known as "Little Lhasa".