The two Tibetan men were detained by Chinese authorites in March this year, soon after the documentary footage they shoot was smuggled out of the country under "extraordinary circumstances", says the website for their film, 'Leaving Fear Behind'. They are still in custody today.
The documentary, which was filmed between October 2007 and March this year, is a series of interviews with ethnic Tibetans in Tibet. From the film's website:
" … The filmmakers traversed thousands of miles, asking ordinary Tibetans what they really feel about the Dalai Lama, China, and the Olympic Games …
" … The footage reveals with stark clarity that Tibetans are frustrated and embittered by the deterioration and marginalization of Tibetan language and culture; the destruction of the lifestyle of Tibetan nomads through Chinese forced settlement policies; the lack of religious freedom and the vilification of the Dalai Lama; and the broken promises made by the Chinese government to improve conditions in Tibet in the run up to the Olympic games …"
At the weekend, Dhondup Wangchen's wife sent another letter to the International Olympic Committee president urging him to support efforts to free the two men. A spokesperson says she has yet to receive a reply to her letters.
"This really is an amazing piece of filmmaking," says Boing Boing. Thanks for the original link.
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