Windhorse (film)


Windhorse is an American film from 1998, directed and produced by Paul Wagner, co-directed by Thupten Tsering and co-produced with Julia Elliott. The leading roles were played by Dadon, Jampa Kalsang Tamang and Richard Chang.
The film premiered at the Santa Barbara Film Festival in March 1998, where it won the award for Best U.S. Independent Film and was the co-winner of the Best Director award. The film's international premiere was at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 16, 1998. The film was released theatrically in 1999 by Shadow Distribution and played in over 100 theaters in North America.

Story

The film is set in Tibet. In a remote Himalayan village in Western Tibet, three young Tibetans - Dorjee, his sister Dolkar and their cousin Pema - witness their grandfather murdered by Chinese soldiers. Years later, the three children are living in Lhasa, the capital of Tibet, and their lives have taken different directions. Dolkar becomes a pop-star and assimilates into contemporary Chinese culture. Dorjee turns to hating the Chinese government. Pema becomes a Buddhist nun, joining a nunnery a few miles from Lhasa. When Pema is arrested after demonstrating against the Chinese government, her cousins are caught up in the dangerous activities of the Tibetan resistance movement.

Awards and nominations