By Tenzin Dharpo
DHARAMSHALA, Aug. 22: An independently produced film by Indian-Tibetan couple Ritu Sarin and Tenzing Sonam, The Sweet Requiem, will have its World Premiere at Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) 2018 in the Contemporary World Cinema section.
The film tells the story of a Tibetan girl who crossed into exile to escape Chinese rule from Tibet through the treacherous Himalayan mountains only to experience a life-long traumatic incident and her consequent pursuit to seek answers and closure.
The lead in the film played by Tenzin Dolkar, a photographer and founder of Madiya Yoga and Dance told Phayul that she feels extremely proud to be a part of the project and that the film represents Tibet and its plight. She said the film presents, “a story of the refugee from a unique perspective. It takes you on a personal journey, exploring how the past can affect the present.”
Dokar feels that the film has the sincerity of depicting a story in an exile Tibetan setup that is unparalleled by productions anywhere else and that such narratives that weave originality and offer a different package altogether, is what is needed precisely these days. “At this crucial time of our diaspora, having this film premiere at the TIFF shows we have found yet another global space to spread awareness, show resistance and affirm our identity and culture,” she told Phayul.
The actress also said, “Art has always played very important role in any social movement and I hope this would bring forth the respect, encouragement and support to contemporary Tibetan artists in exile as they deserve.”
The directors Sarin and Sonam are looked at as pioneers of filmmaking in the Diaspora, often taking up Tibet and Tibetan themed projects that have been acclaimed by critics and audiences alike. Their production house ‘White Crane Films’ have produced films such as Dreaming Lhasa (2005) and The Shadow Circus: The CIA in Tibet (1998), among others.
“It’s been a long haul but so many people believed in our vision and supported us and worked so hard to make this film happen. A huge thanks to all of you! This is a vindication of your belief and the effort you put into the film,” the film’s co-director Sarin said.
The project’s kick-starter page that is seeking funds to take the film and some of its casts and crew to Canada in September also mentioned that the inspiration for the film came from an incident on the Nangpa-La Pass on the Tibet-Nepal border in September 2006 where Chinese border guards opened fire on a group of Tibetans attempting to escape to Nepal and shot dead a 17-year-old nun and injured others.
Sarin and Sonam have been making films together for more than 30 years. They have made several award-winning documentary films and a number of video installations. Their debut narrative feature, Dreaming Lhasa (2005), was executive produced by Jeremy Thomas and Richard Gere, and premiered at the 2005 Toronto International Film Festival. Their documentary, The Sun Behind the Clouds (2009), won the Vaclav Havel Award at the One World Film Festival, Prague. Their most recent feature documentary, When Hari Got Married (2012), is currently on Netflix.
They are also the founders and directors of the Dharamshala International Film Festival, one of India’s leading independent film festivals.
