Published by: World Tibet Network News Wednesday, December 10th, 1997 International Human Rights Day

Coming Soon: "Kundun"

The Movie China Doesn't Want America to See

Despite Studio Discomfort, Hollywood Helps to Galvanize Tibet Movement

NEW YORK -- Despite the heavy-handed efforts of the Chinese government to keep it from being seen, Martin Scorsese's new film, Kundun, opens in New York and Los Angeles on Christmas Day and nationwide in January. Coming at a time of unprecedented interest and concern for Tibet in the U.S., the film portrays the early life of the 14th Dalai Lama, now one of the foremost religious leaders of the 20th century and the winner of the 1989 Nobel Peace Prize.

"The movie offers a compelling and spell-binding portrait of the profoundly spiritual culture of Tibet," says John Ackerly, Director of the International Campaign for Tibet. "Scorsese's ability to show the intricacies and ambiguities of Tibet's takeover by China makes Kundun an extremely intelligent movie that never stoops to glorify the Tibetans nor demonize the Chinese. Rather, through Melissa Mathison's incisive script -- the result of years of painstaking research -- Kundun shows a dignity in both sides of this conflict, and thus gives hope for a resolution," Ackerly says.

By a coincidence of timing, Disney is releasing the provocative movie just as Tibet is receiving heightened awareness in the media and among the public. Throughout Chinese President Jiang Zemin's controversial state visit to the U.S. in October, Jiang was dogged by throngs of pro-Tibet protesters at every stop. Tibet support groups in Washington and around the country grew demonstrably during that time, increasing their membership considerably, while turning up the pressure on the Clinton Administration and on Congress.

Despite studio unease with the politics surrounding the film, Kundun is likely to help further swell the ranks of the Tibet movement and help provide practical support for the Tibetan people -- from increased humanitarian aid, pressure to release prisoners of conscience, support for rebuilding monasteries to environment protection programs, protection of cultural traditions and momentum to start negotiations between Beijing and the Dalai Lama.

"This film will give a real boost to the Tibet movement and re-open the debate over America's policy toward the exiled Dalai Lama," says Bhuchung Tsering of the International Campaign for Tibet. "Our goal is to achieve negotiations between Beijing and the Dalai Lama so that the Dalai Lama can return to a Tibet controlled by Tibetans," Tsering adds. Kundun ends with the Dalai Lama fleeing into exile in 1959.

"Kundun represents the most important telling to date of a tragedy not yet resolved," says ICT's Ackerly. "It's a great movie, but more significantly, it's an important movie. It tells the unfinished story of Chinese oppression in Tibet which began in the 1950s, but continues to this day."

Since the Dalai Lama left Tibet in 1959, China has waged an ongoing campaign to re-settle Chinese in Tibet, suppress Buddhist monasteries and nunneries and undermine the Dalai Lama's influence. The Chinese language has now replaced Tibetan as the dominant language of government, commerce and higher education, and all of the larger cities and towns in Tibet now have a majority of Chinese settlers and military. Nevertheless, the non-violent Tibetan resistance remains viable and strong.

To turn awareness from Kundun into practical support, a growing coalition of Tibetan support organizations, religious and student groups are mobilizing in more than 40 States and 150 communities nationwide and will be distributing Action Kits outside theaters showing Kundun.

Some theaters showing Kundun may also choose to show a 60-second SPA co-produced by ICT featuring Harrison Ford, Richard Gere, Julia Roberts, Sting and other celebrities reading sections of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. VHS and Beta copies of the PSA are available from ICT.