Windhorse

New Internationalist, May, 1999

directed by Paul Wagner

The Tibetan `windhorse' is a winged creature believed to carry prayers along its back to spirits residing in lakes, mountains and trees. Since the Chinese invasion of Tibet, however, says the narrator of this quietly impassioned film, the windhorses have gone.

The source of these words is the narrator's deceased grandfather, killed by the Chinese authorities 18 years ago. Today his grandson, Dorje, lives with his family in Tibet's capital, Lhasa - jobless, disillusioned with peaceful methods of agitation, and suppressing his frustrations in drink. His sister Dolkar (played by Tibetan American singer Dadon) has assimilated easily into Chinese culture. A singer in a nightclub, she is on the verge - thanks to her Chinese radio producer boyfriend - of launching a recording career. Cutting a deal with a record company boss, she is told to sing pop songs lavishly praising the authorities, a task she pitches into with alacrity while her brother looks on in disgust.

Both Dolkar and Dorje (Jampa Kelsang) have accommodated themselves to life under occupation with varying degrees of complacency. However - days after a 1997 ruling outlawing the display of posters of the Dalai Lama and even the right to speak of him - their cousin Pema, a nun, launches an impromptu protest against the decree. In the centre of Lhasa, she raises a fist and cries out for Tibet's freedom. Thrown into prison, Pema is brutally tortured and only released into her family's care in order to die.

The script may come across as a little stilted at times, but this hardly matters: the passion and commitment of the cast and crew, many new to film-making, is whole-hearted. For the most part they belong to Tibet's exiled community in Kathmandu and the incidents portrayed in the film, including Pema's incarceration and torture, closely reflect life in Tibet today. The fact that many of the cast - including the delightfully animated grandmother and the dignified Pema herself - have refused to list their names in the credits for fear of reprisals, speaks volumes for the courage of the enterprise.

For all the strength of its message the film's tone is predominantly lighthearted, humorous even, particularly when grandma is allowed to take centre-stage. Similarly, flashbacks to Pema's torture in prison are especially effective for being portrayed with a spare elegance. All of which helps mitigate occasional lapses into didacticism.

Released to coincide with the fortieth anniversary of Tibet's occupation by China, The Windhorse is a reflective look at the society's loss of spiritual and political independence. Given the way the story dovetails into so many real, everyday tragedies, it's also a fitting tribute to a people still in considerable need of international support.

Politics *****

Entertainment *** EE