The IV Cultural Festival of Tibet and the Peoples of the Himalaya, in Paris, which was inuagurated today by former Kalon Tripa, Mr. Kelsang Yeshi, who is visiting the city, was a success despite the fact that the event took place immediately after the holiday season and the rather the inclement weather preceeding it. The two-day festival from September 6 to 7 is organised by the Maison Du Tibet under the Bureau Du Tibet, France, attracted about 7000 persons.
The main attraction of the two-day event was the Tibetan village. It attempted to create an ambience of Tibetan village, replicating a Tibetan home, a section for sacred Tibetan arts exhibiting thangas and thanga painting, another section exhbiting artisans in form of wood curving and metal sculpture. The aritisans have been especially invited from India, from the Norbuling Institute.
Yak and Senge daces were the highlight of the Tibetan evening – an open-air evening of dances and songs – on the first day. 550 people attneded it paying a nominal entry fee.
Other features included photo exhibitions, film shows, Tibetan and Indian restuarants, shops, stands for Tibet Support Groups and Bhuddhist Associations, lectures, story telling and dances from the Tibetan Community, France, Mr Tshering Wangdi from Paris and Ms Yangdu Tso from Brussels. A contingent of Tibetan dog khyi were on show as well.
The venue of festival, Bois de Vincennce, is a large green belt park in the 12th district of Paris. While the photo shows and other Tibetan artifacts were exhibited in Pagoda, the film shows were held in the Kagyu Dzong. The shops, lectures and stands by associations and Buddhist centres were located in a vast open-air adjacent to the monastery.
Among the highlights in the forum were the lectures on The Mountains, Lakes and Rivers of Tibet by Dr. Fabrice Midal and on The Evironmental Degradation in Tibet by Mrs Facoise Bonzon of Eco-Tibet, France. The focus therfore continues to be on the environment of Tibet. Last year there was also a lecture on “Kailash – the Mountain between the Land and the Sky”. Perhaps it reflects the immense feeling of fraternity amonst French people for the Tibetans as the people of the mountains, in particular Mt. Kailash and Mt. Everest.
For the film buffs there were choice selections. Among which were: “Le trottoires de Lhassa, by Marie Louville, on prostitution in Lhasa, Everest: Trek, Bouddhisme et Dollars by Nina Barbier on trekking, religion and money, Le dieu de la danse by Richard Kohn, on mani rimdru performed by Kaybji Trulshik Rinpoche. A la recehrche de Kundun, by Michael Wilson on making of Kundun by Martin Scorcese and The Forbidden Team, by Ramsus Dinesen and Arnold Kroigaard, on Tibetan football team’s efforts to play football in Europe, are others fims on show.
The festival has undoubtedly become the main Tibet related cultural event in the annual Parisian diary.
Submitted by:
Mr. Wangpo Bashi
Secretary
Bureau du Tibet, Paris
