Worth: $15.00
FilmInk rates movies out of $20 — the score indicates the amount we believe a ticket to the movie to be worth
Cast:
The Dalai Lama, Rani Singh, Har Mander Singh, Hugh Bonneville (narrator)
Intro:
… a quietly inspirational documentary that will leave the audience more than a little in awe of the Dalai Lama and the struggles he has faced in his life.
There’s footage of punk icon Patti Smith near the start of Jean-Paul Mertinez’s documentary, beaming as she introduces the Dalai Lama onstage. He places a white scarf around her neck, which is a symbol of friendship. Towards the end of Never Forget Tibet, DJ, producer, and rapper Richard West (a.k.a. Mr C) is interviewed. Yet Never Forget Tibet isn’t a documentary about the Dalai Lama and his famous friends, nor The West’s fascination with him. Instead, it’s about the Dalai Lama’s harrowing 1959 escape from Lhasa to India, following the 1950 invasion of Tibet by China.
The Dalai Lama narrates the story in his own words. His description is vivid, and his characteristic humour punctuates his sentences. Yes, he can look back and find moments of humour, even as his life was threatened. It is important to note that he remains, to this day, in exile and is considered an enemy of China.
Tenzin Gyatso is believed to be the reincarnation of the previous Dalai Lama, and according to Tibetan lore, is a manifestation of the Bodhisattva of Compassion – the patron saint of Tibet. Regardless of the audience’s own religious beliefs, what is clear is that His Holiness is no ordinary man. He embodies his own message of compassion – which is also the subtle message delivered by Mertinez’s documentary.
British actor Hugh Bonneville narrates, but mostly these true tales are told by those who were there. The first-hand accounts of a dramatic period in modern history makes the film an invaluable document. Never Forget Tibet is more than competently made and gives enough of a potted history of Tibet to orient the viewer and give them a sufficient idea the Dalai Lama’s story.
The documentary was inspired by the book An Officer and His Holiness by Rani Singh – an independent reporter and presenter for the BBC who features in the film. Singh’s uncle, Har Mander Singh, helped the Dalai Lama escape, and his story fortifies the film’s narrative. Rich with archival images, publisher Leslie DiRusso adds another angle as she discusses the photographs and text of Heinrich Harrer (the Austrian mountaineer with a Nazi background – portrayed by Brad Pitt in Seven Years In Tibet – who befriended the young Dalai Lama).
Singh is spellbound as she interviews His Holiness, and she gathers an impressive list of subjects to speak with, including the Dalai Lama’s youngest brother, his Buddhist nun sister-in-law, and his personal physician.
Never Forget Tibet is a quietly inspirational documentary that will leave the audience more than a little in awe of the Dalai Lama and the struggles he has faced. Struggles that he has forever dealt with by displaying a gentle humour and an unwavering adherence to the Buddhist faith.
