Tibet in Song

Tuesday, June 2, 2009

Winner of a Special Jury Prize at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival, TIBET IN SONG goes beyond familiar sloganeering about Tibet to explore the country’s cultural repression from the inside. Director Ngawang Choephel will be on hand for a Q&A that’s not to be missed.From the Variety review:

“In 1995, Ngawang Choephel returned to his native Tibet to document the country’s fast-disappearing folk-singing tradition. Instead, he was accused of being a spy and sentenced to 18 years in prison by the Chinese, inspiring international demand for his release. Despite the personal hardship he suffered, Choephel puts the local musicians and their endangered traditions first. But the helmer’s own experience strongly amplifies “Tibet in Song’s” political subtext, revealing a form of cultural Darwinism in which Chinese control threatens to extinguish centuries of cultural heritage….the docu’s very existence is something of a miracle.”

Part of the Spring 2009 season of the Stranger Than Fiction documentary series.

  • Rating NR
  • Year 2009
  • Running Time 86 minutes
  • Director Ngawang Choephel

IFC Center does not generally provide advisories about subject matter or potentially triggering content in films, as sensitivities vary from person to person. In addition to the synopses, trailers and other links on our website, further information about content and age-appropriateness for specific films can be found on Common Sense Media, IMDb and DoesTheDogDie.com as well as through general internet searches.