The poster of movie "Kekexili". [Photo/ baidu]

In recent years, the Tibetan themed movies have developed rapidly, with more and more well-known movies appearing, such as “Kekexili”, "Ganglamedo”, "Kora”, and so on. As people’s interests to Tibet grow, this kind of movies has become a new field of movie making. However, some movies are superficial, without in-depth connotation. The Tibetan culture and history have been neglected in these so called Tibetan movies. Of course, there are also some movies which truly reflect the traditional Tibetan life, such as "Yeshe Drolma", "Himalaya", "The Silent Holy Stones" and so on.

Yeshe Drolma: Art is derived from life

Poster of Movie "Yeshe Drolma"

By telling love stories of a Tibetan woman with three men, it presents the historical society of snow-covered Tibet. All the actors are Tibetan and it is also the first movie with authentic Tibetan dialogue. Shot on the plateau, it shows the magnificent scenery and mysterious folk custom as they were.

In the movie, Yeshe Drolma told her grandchild her life stories with three men. Though her stories would happen in any age, the background of great social changes, the unique Tibetan religious culture and belief in fate and reincarnation, make her stories full of rich and unique aesthetic value.
 
Xie Fei, the director wants to present the changes of society, national history and fate by telling a Tibetan woman’s story. He also stressed the modernization of Lhasa, capital of Tibet, by giving the scenes of Internet bar, Kara OK hall, etc. to reflect the life of Lhasa and people there.

"Himalaya": stories of the relationship between man and nature are the most stirring

Poster of the movie “Himalaya”

A good movie could not only give the audience a strong visual impact, but also have power to reach audiences’ emotion, bringing a deep thought and enlightenment. The "Himalaya" is such an extraordinary movie.

"Himalaya" is one episode of Jacques Perrin’s trilogy, "Heaven, Earth, and Life". It shows the struggle between human beings and nature by praising the unyielding tenacity of life. In the movie of human beings, we can see the continuous snow-capped Himalayan Mountains, the tireless climbing yaks in queue, and a group of humans who admire nature but also struggle tenaciously with it.

The film's director Eric Walli, who used to work for National Geographic magazine, is a professional photographer with superb photography and picture cut capacity. He tries his best of his photography talent and gives audiences a picturesque plateau. Scenes in the movie are spectacular and full of charm. It was nominated for Oscar Best Foreign Film Award in 2000.

The Silent Holy Stones: Unveil mystery, and present the most authentic Tibetan way of life

Poster of the movie “The Silent Holy Stones”

The Silent Holy Stones is the maiden work of Tibetan director Padma Cedai, and a production of Beijing Film Academy Youth Film Studioin 2006. It is about the life of Tibetan monks. Though there are no wonderful sceneries, nor compelling Tibetan style, the movie moves audiences with a rare real calm. It won the 25th Golden Rooster Best directing debut.

It is the first Chinese film about Tibetan life shot by Tibetan director, and a total Tibetan film. Its director Padma Cedai is a Tibetan young writer, and it is an author film telling what happened to a little from New Year's Eve to the third day of the New Year.

Compared with Lu Chuan's "Kekexili", the movie is permeated with an ethnic style. Through the movie, we can see Tibetan people's psychology, emotion, moral values and customs, which are not intentionally artificial, but an indirect showing. 

Tibetan director Padma Cedai

Those excellent Tibetan themed movies present the Tibetan culture, history and unique humanistic spirit through normal stories.