‘Dreaming Lhasa’ shortlisted for the 16th Films from the South Festival

The 16th  Films from the South Festival will take place in Oslo from October 5.– 15 2006.  Nobel peace prize winner Shirin Ebadi (Iran) and Norwegian minister for Culture Mr Trond Giske  will open the 16th Films From the South Festival on Thursday October the 5th. ‘Dreaming Lhasa,’ a feature film by Ritu Sarin and Tenzin Sonam  is among the selected films to be screened for the festival. (27-SEP-06)

This article is based on a press release from he Norwegian Tibet Committee. It has been prepared for publication here by HRH / Niels Jacob Harbitz. Photo of Chungdak Koren: HRH / Niels Jacob Harbitz. 

The film will be screened three times- on the opening day of the Festival  and on 7th and 10th October followed by discussion on Tibet. “We are very glad that the Festival has selected this film which is about contemporary Tibet and the issues faced by the Tibetans in exile. In fact, it is the first time that the Festival has selected a film made by an exiled Tibetan,” says Chungdak Koren, left, Chairwoman of Norwegian Tibet Committee.

First, we take Toronto, San Sebastian, Amazonas, Bangkok, Kerala ….
‘Dreaming Lhasa’ is the first internationally recognised feature film produced by Tibetans to portray the reality of the country and its people. Set in the backdrop of the Tibetan freedom movement, the film is about the journey of a Tibetan filmmaker from the US, who comes to Dharamsala to shoot a documentary on the ex-political prisoners from Tibet. But instead, she ends up joining a Tibetan refugee in his mission to fulfil his dying mother’s last wish. The film was screened at various international film festivals, including Toronto Film Festival, San Sebastian, Amazonas Film Festival, Bangkok Film Festival and the 10th International Film Festival of Kerala.

Unique
Films from the South is a Norwegian film festival based in Oslo that presents films and filmmakers from Asia, Africa, and Latin America. The festival is unique in that it is an issue-related and audience-oriented film festival. No other festival has the same goals and values. Films from the South is an annual festival, in co-operation with the local government of Oslo, Oslo cinematographer, and with support from the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign affairs. Thie festival is well known and recognised, in Norway and abroad, as a leading European festival for quality films from the three continents of Asia, Africa, and Latin America. The objective of the festival is to increase Norwegian esteem for films and filmmakers from the three continents. Films from the South works as a source of information about films from the South.

Chungdak koren
Den norske Tibet Komité
Menneskerettighethuset
Tordenskioldsgt  6b
0160 Oslo
Tel: 22479222 Fax: 22479201
Email: info@tibet.no    www.tibet.no