Page 52 - EH 71

50 EASTERN HORIZON | FEATURES

Never Forget Tibet

My post-viewing experience

By Zhi Yi

From the left: Fabi, Yavuz, myself and May at The last picture of the Dalai Lama inside a free
the cinema before the film Tibet. (Image taken from the official website)

One night, as I was scrolling through the help from an Indian Political
my Facebook feeds, I saw the movie Officer, the late Har Mander Singh,
poster about the Dalai Lama’s who located Dalai Lama at the Indo-
untold story. I have always been a Chinese border and smuggled him
fan of the Dalai Lama, especially his across treacherous terrain of the
message of love and compassion. Himalayas to the safety in the Indian
Immediately, I bought two tickets plains. It was the first and only
His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama disguised as
for my partner and myself, knowing time that both have told the story
a layman walking down the road, during his
that the documentary was only together on film.
escape from Tibet in 1959. (Image taken from
screened for one night. I also invited the official website)
two very close friends of mine Fabi There were rumours that the Chinese
and Yavuz for the documentary. forces were coming any time. ‘The
In the evening after work, we situation is very difficult. The Chinese
cycled together from our research forces had already reached.’ His
institute to Phoenix Picturehouse in Holiness recalled. His aides kept
Jericho, Oxford. I was very curious monitoring the situation and told His
to hear about the story of the Dalai Holiness to leave when the time was
Lama’s daring escape from Tibet. right. His Holiness left the Norbulinka
The documentary started with a at exactly 10 o’clock in the evening.
short, guided meditation session There was real danger threatening
with Deepak Chopra on the screen, their lives, but he told the story in
I found this very refreshing as it such a relaxed manner that I could
helped me to reset my mind after a feel he did not hold any grudges
whole day of work. against the Chinese.

The documentary was directed by I remember vividly how His His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama escaping
from Tibet in 1959. (Image taken from the
Jean-Paul Mertinez and narrated by Holiness recalled a conversation
official website)
Hugh Bonneville. I did not realise with an elderly Tibetan monk who
until then that the Dalai Lama’s was kept as a prisoner during the
escape from Tibet in 1959 involved Chinese invasion. His Holiness