From the film’s website, http://tibetterredesbraves.net/en/accueil/
A cinematic journey to one of the most remote places on the planet, Tibet: Land of the Brave transports the audience into the everyday lives of Tibetan herders, seen through the eyes of Gyamtso, Marijo and their daughter, Yangchen. Following this Tibetan-Canadian couple, who are expecting their second child in Tibet’s snowy mountains, Tibet: Land of the Brave explores how China’s radical turn toward a market economy has devastating effects on the nomadic lifestyle.
Gyamtso Sotse lives in Canada with his wife, Marijo Demers, a young Quebecker passionate about the Tibetan language and culture. Gyamtso left his native Tibet in 1992, but has not been back in the past thirteen years. With a Canadian passport in hand, he sets out to rediscover for himself and to introduce his wife and daughter to his ancestral heritage without fear of reprisal from the Chinese authorities.
Gyamtso’s community in Tibet have raised yaks for generations and have managed to preserve a nomadic existence for thousands of years. For the young family, the journey is an opportunity to immerse themselves in the local customs and daily tasks, which little Yangchen seems to have no problem with.
Herding yaks, preparing food and crafting wool by hand form the daily routine of Tibetan nomads. Yet to maintain this mode of existence the nomads must fight a daily struggle against China’s rapid modernization which threatens to sweep their traditions aside. Filmed over several years, this documentary is a witness to the effect of China’s sedentarization policies on the nomadic life.
Through the experiences and culture shock of a Westerner, a Tibetan and their daughter, Tibet: Land of the Brave looks at the daily life of Tibetans in China and exposes the dangers threatening their traditional existence.
The film Tibet: Land of the Brave marks the fruition of a long journey that began with director Geneviève Brault’s research on the Tibetan community in Québec in 2001. Geneviève met Marijo Demers while directing two short television stories about the community. She continued to attend various Tibetan events with Marijo and her family, building a level of trust that would allow Geneviève to accompany the couple and their daughter on two different trips to Tibet. In 2005, Geneviève stayed with the family for three months while embedded in a nomad community in the mountains, opening up a unique reporting opportunity with fascinating and dynamic people. This first immersion in Tibet revealed the urgency of a people whose way of life was threatened and compelled her to tell their stories.
Tibetan nomads, who until recently have managed to preserve their ancestral heritage, now face serious threats to their daily lives. The Chinese government, convinced that the nomad population should follow the Western development model, ordered the sedentarization of 80 percent of Tibetan plateau nomads in 2010. During her time there, Geneviève witnessed first-hand the effects of government policies: Tibetans nomads, forced to fence in their herds with barbed wire, are hammering the nails in their own coffins.
Through this highly intimate and original creation process, Tibet: Land of the Brave reflects candidly on the condition and future of the Tibetan people. Giving them a voice and a face, it reveals the vestiges of an ancestral lifestyle under constant threat.
Productions Multi-Monde is proud to announce the première of Tibet: Land of the Brave at Cinéma du Parc in Montréal, Québec, on Friday, September 9, 2011.
Projections at Cinéma du Parc:
- Première : September 9, 7pm
- September 10, 5pm
- September 11, 5pm
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