AllMovie

This documentary focuses on the recent history of Tibet and its treatment under Chinese occupation, and the unifying force behind the Tibetans at home and in exile is Tenzin Gyatso, the fourteenth Dalai Lama. A peasant boy, he was recognized at age three as the incarnation of Tibet's legendary leaders, and was given an accelerated education to prepare him to assume the throne when the crisis of Chinese claims to rule eventually came about. The 1989 Nobel Peace Prize winner is shown to be a humble man despite his high status as a world celebrity and the leader of his government-in-exile, who sincerely longs to set down the heavy burden of leadership and live the life of a simple monk. Even Tibetans who initially assisted the Chinese to take over because they were deeply dissatisfied with Tibet's medieval and highly conservative governance never imagined the genocidal policies that the Chinese imposed. In addition to devoting some attention to the live and aspirations of the Dalai Lama, this documentary explores the effects of modern China's polices on the Tibetan people.