Kundun - Movie

 1997. Martin Scorcese's biopic of the fourteenth Dalai Lama (the current one) based on his writings. It starts at the death of the 13th Dalai Lama in 1933 and the search for the fourteenth by Reting Rimpoche. They discover a young Tenzin Gyatso, test him with items that are similar to see whether he can choose right, and decide he is the one. They take him to the palace where he grows up until he can claim the title when he comes of age. Gyatso grows up in times when China begins its moves to occupy Tibet, first with the

cooperation and intent to help, and then with more stringent and oppressive measures. The young Dalai Lama meets Chairman Mao who tells him that religion is poison and that is why Tibetans are inferior. As it becomes clear that the Chiinese may harm the Dalai Lama, he plans his escape to India but not before seeing visions of a successful escape and return to Tibet. I learned much about Tibet and China thanks to the movie. It had a very authentic feel to it, almost like someone was shooting live-action. Kundun was what the Dalai Lama was called s. it means 'presence'.