Windhorse

Directed by Paul Wagner & Thupten Tseing

(In Tibetan + Mandarin) Former documentary director Wagner incorporates footage shot clandestinely inside of Tibet for his powerful fiction début WINDHORSE. Three children witness together the brutal oppression of the Chinese army but years later their lives have taken very different paths. Pema has become a Buddhist nun, while her cousins have moved with their family to Lhasa. One of the cousins has cooperated with the Chinese hoping to become a famous singing star and poster girl for the ‘New Tibet’. Meanwhile her brother haunts pool halls, embittered by his inability to take action against the oppression. But circumstances will bring the three together again. The non-professional actors, many of them unidentified due to fear of reprisal, offer excellent performances whilst the script, co-written and co-directed by a Tibetan man, deals effectively with the complex issues at stake.

Duration:
97 minutes

Country of origin:
USA

Year of production:
1999