Interview: Ritu Sarin & Tenzing Sonam (Part 2)
Filmmakers Ritu Sarin and Tenzing Sonam spoke to Buzzine Bollywood about their film, The Sun Behind the Clouds: Tibet’s Struggle for Freedom, which claimed the Audience Choice Award at the 2010 Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles and has been the talk of film festivals aplenty because of its stark, eye-opening commentary about the losing battle that is the Free Tibet movement. Part 1 of their discussion with Buzzine Bollywood provided insight on some of the more substantive issues of their documentary. In Part 2, the Indian-based directors spend some time talking about how personal the Free Tibet issue is to them, especially with Tenzing having familial roots in Tibet. Between June 25th and July 1st, the documentary will be screening at Laemmle’s Monica 4-Plex in Los Angeles, providing audiences with one of the freshest perspectives on an issue that has been the subject of many films — both fictional and true — for decades.
Relying upon their respective personal expertise on Tibet to direct a compelling documentary on a heartfelt issue, both Ritu and Tenzing took time out of their morning in Delhi to talk with Buzzine Bollywood about how The Sun Behind the Clouds: Tibet’s Struggle for Freedom is not just representative on an important issue but also how the film is a reflection of something that is near and dear to their collective hearts.
Below is the personal insight of what Ritu and Tenzing had to share with Buzzine Bollywood about how the film is representative of each of them as human beings:
Parimal M. Rohit: What were the struggles or uphill battles both of you faced in creating this movie?
Ritu Sarin: The biggest challenge we faced was to film events as they unfolded during the course of the year 2008. We had no idea the uprising would break out in Tibet in March (2008) and that this would instigate worldwide protests, especially against the Olympic Torch Relay. At the same time, we were following the Dalai Lama as he traveled in the U.S. and Europe. We were also shooting the Return to Tibet march that was taking place in India. So we had to cover several events taking place at the same time in different parts of the world. We managed by splitting up into two teams. Tenzing covered the march in India while I filmed the Dalai Lama on his travels. The other big challenge was to edit the more than 200 hours of footage we gathered into a cohesive film. That was a real battle!
PMR: How much of your personal lives are invested into this film and the overall issue of Tibetan freedom? If I remember correctly, both of you have significant ties to Tibet. How did such ties/relationships play into the development of this story?
TS: As a Tibetan who was born in exile to refugee parents, the issue of Tibet is completely a part of my life. Like most exile Tibetans, we were brought up with a strong belief that our role was to fight for Tibet’s freedom and to be the spokespersons for the people of Tibet who were under Chinese rule. So, of course, the film is very much something that I have a personal involvement with. The growing debate between those who want a return to the goal of independence for the Tibetan struggle and those who support the Dalai Lama’s Middle Way Approach is something that affects me personally.
RS: I’ve been involved in Tibet for more than 20 years, mainly because of my involvement with Tenzing but also because, over the years, I have learned so much about the issue. Tibet is one of the world’s last remaining colonies, and it is being destroyed in front of our eyes.
PMR: What is the impression you hope people will have of Tibet, the Dalai Lama, and the rebels as a result of this film?
TS: We hope people will understand that the Dalai Lama has sincerely tried everything in his power to reach a compromise with China, and yet the situation in Tibet remains as bad as ever. We hope it makes people think about the dilemma he faces between remaining true to his spiritual beliefs and having to deal with an authoritarian regime like the People’s Republic of China. We hope it makes people realize that Tibetans are like any other people with real problems and issues that need to be addressed and resolved in a real way, which means through political activism and action.
RS: What’s remarkable is that people seem to understand the complexity of the Tibet question and yet respond to it positively. We really hope that the film makes them take a more active and positive role in trying to bring about change in Tibet. This can only happen if the world puts pressure on China. This may seem impossible, given China’s growing power and influence, but we should never underestimate the role of people-power to bring about change.
