Tibetan art is deeply religious sacred art.
Last updated: 26
Aug
2022

Documentary films about Tibet you must watch

EN English English

Tibet developed a distinct due to its geographic and climatic conditions.

While influenced by neighboring cultures from China, India, and Nepal, the Himalayan region’s remoteness and inaccessibility have preserved distinct local influences, and stimulated the development of its distinct culture.

Tibetan Buddhism has exerted a particularly strong influence on Tibetan culture since its introduction in the seventh century.

Buddhist missionaries who came mainly from India, Nepal and China introduced arts and customs from India and China.

Art, literature, and music all contain elements of the prevailing Buddhist beliefs, and Buddhism itself has adopted a unique form in Tibet, influenced by the Bön tradition and other local beliefs.

Documentary films about Tibet

This is a list of documentary films about Tibet you must watch to learn more about its culture.

My Reincarnation

is a 2011 documentary film directed by Jennifer Fox. It is a drama between father and son, spanning two decades and three generations. The film addresses spirituality, cultural survival, identity, heritage, family, growing into maturity, aging, Buddhism, and past and future lives.

10 Questions for the Dalai Lama

is a 2006 documentary film in which filmmaker Rick Ray meets with Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama at his monastery in Dharamsala, India. The film maker asks him ten questions during the course of the interview which is inter-cut with a biography of Tenzin Gyatso, a history of modern Tibet and a chronicle of Ray’s journey securing the interview.

A Song for Tibet

is a 1991 Canadian short documentary film about efforts of Tibetans in exile, led by the Dalai Lama, to free their homeland and preserve their heritage. Directed by Anne Henderson, A Song for Tibet received the Award for Best Short Documentary at the 13th Genie Awards as well as the People’s Choice Award for Best Documentary Film at the Hawaii International Film Festival. The film was co-produced by Arcady Films, DLI Productions and the National Film Board of Canada. Ali Kazimi was director of photography.

Blindsight (film)

Blindsight is a 2006 documentary film directed by Lucy Walker and produced by Sybil Robson Orr for Robson Entertainment. It premiered at 2006 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) in the category Real to Reel.

Bringing Tibet Home

is a 2013 documentary film produced and directed by Tibetan filmmaker Tenzin Tsetan Choklay about Tibetan contemporary Artist Tenzing Rigdol’s art piece “Our Land Our people”. The film premiered at the 2013 Busan International Film Festival in South Korea. This is a Tibetan-language film.

Digital Dharma

: One Man’s Mission to Save a Culture is a 2012 American documentary film directed by Dafna Yachin. The film depicts the 50-year journey by E. Gene Smith to hunt down and digitize over 20,000 missing volumes of ancient Tibetan text.

Fire Under the Snow

is a 2008 documentary film on the life of Tibetan monk, Palden Gyatso, recounting 33-years of his life spent as a political prisoner in Chinese prisons and labor camps. The documentary is directed by Japanese filmmaker, Makoto Sasa and based on the book by Palden Gyatso in Tibetan language.

High Plains Doctor: Healing on the Tibetan Plateau is a 2012 documentary film by Michael Dayan, who produced, directed, and shot the film. Premiering on the documentary channel in Canada, it focuses on documenting the life journey of Isaac Sobol, who recounts his professional experiences and personal insights as Chief Medical Officer of Nunavut and professor of Aboriginal People’s Health.

Journey from Zanskar

is a 2010 documentary film written, produced, and directed by Frederick Marx, for Warrior Films. It tells the emotional story of 17 small children who leave home and family, possibly forever, in order to save their dying Tibetan culture. Parting from one of the most remote and desolate places on Earth – Zanskar, in northwest India – the expedition must travel on foot over 17,000 foot Himalayan passes. The two monks serving as guides walked this same path 30 years ago when they were children. The 17 children with them may not return home for 10–15 years or more. Narrated by Richard Gere, featuring the Dalai Lama, the film tells the story of their incredible journey.

Leaving Fear Behind

, also known as Leaving Fear behind: I Won’t Regret to Die, is a documentary movie from Dhondup Wangchen and Jigme Gyatso about communist Chinese repression of Tibet. It was premiered in 2008 in the year when the 2008 Summer Olympics took place in Beijing, China.

The Forbidden Team

(film) is a 2003 Danish documentary film directed by Rasmus Dinesen and Arnold Krøjgaard. The leading cast consists of association football trainers Jens Espensen and Michael Nybrandt, the Tibet national football team and at the conclusion the Greenland national football team. Star-part is being played by the 14th Dalai Lama.

The Saltmen of Tibet

is a 1997 film that chronicles the trek undertaken by a clan of Tibetan salt harvesters across scenic but dangerous territory from their settlement to the sacred lakes where salt is harvested. The salt is then traded for foodstuffs to maintain the clan for the following year. Woven into the movie are excerpts of a Tibetan singer from the tribe telling the tale of King Gesar of Ling, a traditional Tibetan epic.

The Sun Behind the Clouds

looks at China’s occupation of Tibet from the perspective of the vocally secessionist Tibetan youth, and from that of their spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, whose reaction to the Chinese presence has been markedly less confrontational. Directed by Ritu Sarin and Tenzing Sonam, the film features interviews with the Dalai Lama and Tenzin Tsundue. The Sun Behind the Clouds premiered in the United States at the 2010 Palm Springs International Film Festival before playing at Film Forum in New York City.

Tibet: Cry of the Snow Lion is a 2002 documentary film about the Chinese occupation of Tibet directed by Tom Peosay. It is narrated by Martin Sheen and Tibetan voiceovers are provided by Edward Edwards, Ed Harris, Tim Robbins, Susan Sarandon and Shirley Knight. This film won the “Audience Award for Best Documentary” at the 2003 Santa Barbara International Film Festival. It was also the 2003 “Official Selection” at Toronto International Film Festival, Seattle International Film Festival and Los Angeles Film Festival.

Unmistaken Child

is a 2008 independent documentary film, which follows a Tibetan Buddhist monk’s search for the reincarnation of his beloved teacher, a world-renowned lama. It was directed by Nati Baratz.

What Remains of Us

is a 2004 Canadian documentary film exploring the survival of the nonviolent resistance movement in Tibet. The documentary was shot over eight years without the knowledge of the Chinese authorities.

Leave a Reply

Related posts

The Art of cultivating stillness

The Art of cultivating stillness

13
Jan
2024
Culture, Meditation
In Asian and movement practices, stillness is not just the absence of movement, it is seen as a powerful presence that infuses movement with depth and significance. An integral part of the movement It is truly captivating when , Noh actor, bugaku dancers or Balinese dancers pause in their performances because the stillness they exhibit is an integral part of the movement itself. This can be observed in Japanese Noh actors and Sufi dervishes .
Read More
Amitabha Buddha Buddhist Thangka Painting

The enigmatic blend of rationality and devotion in Buddhism

4
Nov
2023
Culture
At first, appears to be an enigma. On the one hand, it is highly logical and rational, without any dogmatic beliefs. On the other hand, when we come into contact with its , we find that it includes , doctrines beyond our understanding, and a program of training that emphasizes faith and discourages doubt. Empirical approach vs spiritual viewpoint When we attempt to understand our own bond with the Dhamma, we eventually face .
Read More

Cultivating inner enlightenment potential through the Tathāgatagarbha

27
Oct
2023
Culture
Within the realm of , the of the are not confined to esoteric doctrines and spiritual ideals but are, in fact, deeply rooted in profound insights into the nature of existence and the human condition. One such exploration is found in the and the teachings from the book ", , and " derived from it. This book stands as the third volume in The Library of and .
Read More
Chinese Early Qing Dynasty "Water and Land Ritual" Painting, 17th Century

Buddhist Rituals – A captivating fusion of materiality and spirituality

7
Oct
2023
Culture
have long been a subject of fascination and inquiry. They encompass a rich of practices, from and chanting to and ceremonies. Beyond their surface, these are deeply intertwined with materiality, forming a complex and meaningful relationship that merits exploration. On the surface, emphasizes detachment from the material world, yet its rituals employ material objects and sensory experiences to enhance the spiritual journey. This apparent contradiction is a central .
Read More

Buddhist religious clothing, amulets & talismans

16
Sep
2022
Culture, Handicrafts, Monks, Symbols
In Buddhism, religious clothing is not required however, many Buddhists choose to wear special clothing as a sign of respect for the Buddha and his teachings. It is important to remember that the purpose of religious clothing is not to show off or to attract attention, but rather to express respect and reverence for the Buddha and his teachings. Buddha taught that the path to enlightenment is within each of us, and that we all have .
Read More
Buddhist art by Midjourney

Buddhist New Religious Movements at a glance

7
Sep
2022
Culture, Dharma
A New Religious Movement (NRM), also known as alternative spirituality or a new religion, is a religious or spiritual group that has modern origins and is peripheral to its society's dominant religious . Some New Religious Movements deal with the challenges which the modernizing world poses to them by embracing individualism, while other Movements deal with them by embracing tightly knit collective means. Origin of New Religious Movements New Religious Movements can be novel in origin or .
Read More
A thangka of Buddha surrounded by 100 monks - Midjourney

The Mindfulness Movement – Rooted in the core practice of the Buddha

6
Sep
2022
Culture, Dharma, Meditation
is gaining a growing popularity as a practice in daily life, apart from Buddhist insight and its application in clinical psychology. Definition of the Movement In this context mindfulness is defined as moment-by-moment awareness of thoughts, feelings, bodily sensations, and surrounding environment, characterized mainly by "acceptance"—attention to thoughts and feelings without judging whether they are right or wrong. Mindfulness focuses the human brain on what is being sensed at each moment, instead of on its .
Read More

The Mysterious Goddess Taleju Bhawani, A Terrifying Demon and the Living Goddess

20
Aug
2022
Culture, Temples
Taleju Bhawani is considered as the goddess who made . Legend has it that the great kings established their powerful dynasty because they were granted kingship by goddess Taleju. There are Taleju in the three royal palaces of Malla Kings in Basantapur, and . When King Naryan Shah conquered the three kingdoms of valley, he continued the tradition of worshipping the goddess Taleju and the living goddess , a .
Read More
Dzongkhag dancers during a Tshechu in Jakar, Bhutan

Buddhist festivals – The profound influence on various cultures

14
Aug
2022
Culture, Dharma
Buddhism has had a profound influence on various , especially in Asia. Buddhist philosophy, Buddhist art, Buddhist architecture, Buddhist cuisine and Buddhist festivals continue to be influential elements of the modern Culture of Asia, especially in East Asia but also in Southeast Asia. For instance, Japanese, Burmese, Tibetan, Indian, Nepalese, Bhutanese, Chakma, Marma and Barua festivals often show the influence of Buddhist culture. The in Myanmar is one example and the traditional cham .
Read More
Bhutanese painted thangka of the Jātakas, 18t–19th century

Jataka tales – The previous births of Gautama Buddha

31
Jul
2022
Culture, Jatakas
The Jātakas are a voluminous body of literature native to South Asia which mainly concern the previous births of Gautama Buddha in both human and animal form. Some of these works are also considered great works of literature in their own right. In these stories, the future Buddha may appear as a king, an outcast, a deva, an animal—but, in whatever form, he exhibits some virtue that the tale thereby inculcates. Often, Jātaka tales include an extensive .
Read More