Tibet: Cry of the Snow Lion, Cry of a People

Tom Peosay's Vibrant Documentary of Cultural Genocide in Tibet

Oct 26, 2009

Martin Sheen narrates this colorful view of a peaceful people who have suffered greatly in defending their religion, their culture and their land from China and the world

Tom Peosay created his documentary, Tibet: Cry of the Snow Lion, after witnessing a demonstration by the Tibetan people against Chinese control. The demonstration was peaceful, the people were unarmed, yet Peosay and his wife were caught up in the massacre that followed. With only his camera to help the people, Peosay began documenting the events; he was to spend the next ten years continuing to film and record the struggle of the Tibetan people to keep their culture and religion alive, while under assault from outside forces. Tibet has her own language, her own religion, she even had her own army, yet she has been considered to be a territory of China during most of the past century. The snow lion is a mythic creature from Tibetan culture; it is the center of the Tibetan flag, and it is now outlawed in its own homeland.

Peosay's Cry of the Snow Lion is the Story of a Cultural Genocide

In Tibet, the monks have a special place in the heart of the people. Most every family there has one or more relatives that are monks; they are revered by the people. The culture is one of non-violence and, even amid the death and torture that has been inflicted upon them, they retain their values. Because they believe in Karma Theory, they believe that all beings are related, that one time you are Tibetan, one time, Chinese or American, one time a dog. It gives them a wider sensitivity to others and allows them to forgive their oppressors. This colorful heritage is seen in the film, most of which has been shot in Tibet itself, through the beautiful imagery of ceremony, natural settings, and a steadfast and determined people.

When first the Chinese Communists entered Tibet in the last century, they came as friends. The trusting Tibetans believed they were only there to help. But due to the strategic value of Tibet and its plentiful resources, China became determined to control and access Tibet and to suppress the traditions and culture of the Tibetan people. Even the Dalai Lama originally believed that Mao Tse Tung's ideals of equality and caring for all people would be in harmony with Tibetan values, but then he learned that Mao believed all religion was poison, and the complete disrespect shown to Tibetan monks alienated the people. In one touching scene, an elderly woman recalls the sadness of witnessing monks tied at the head upon whom urination and defecation were rained down by the oppressors. Such disrespect happened repeatedly to the monks while the people grieved.

Chinese Offiicials are Interviewed Speaking about Tibet

While most of the film is from the Tibetan vantage point, it also includes responses from Chinese officials. When one official states that all Chinese are free to worship as they please, it does not ring true after hearing the stories of Tibetans tortured by application of electric prods into their orifices, monks being called "parasites" for not working for the country, and anyone speaking out for independence being called an enemy of the state. In another scene, an official mentions that there is "no downside" for the railway that is being built -- perhaps none for China, but the Tibetans are not reaping the benefits of modernization. Their young people are becoming jobless as Chinese move into take the jobs created by modernization. Their young people are taught Chinese and as elders die, their culture is in jeopardy of disappearing as well.

The Dalia Lama removed himself from Tibet under cover of night in order to spare his people, who would have died to protect him. Now in the United States, he still speaks for non-violence and saving Tibet. It is believed that whoever controls Tibet, controls Asia, and it is a prize that the Chinese are not likely to release. The "Asian apartheid" that currently exists, keeping Tibetans as an underclass in their own homeland as the Chinese pillage and destroy their land, is a painful desecration.

A Film of Beautiful Imagery and Cultural Significance

Cry of the Snow Lion is a very easy film to watch, it is absorbing and moving. Archival footage and historical narrative put the current Tibetan dilemma into context clearly. The deep roots of culture and religion, the values of a peaceful and non-materialistic people are beautifully developed in Peosay's film. "They cannot torture my soul," exclaims one Tibetan. This portrayal of a determined and forgiving people and the beautiful landscape that was once their home will touch the heart and illuminate the mind. Definitely worth viewing, this is an exceptional film.

The copyright of the article Tibet: Cry of the Snow Lion, Cry of a People in Socio-Political Documentaries is owned by Barbara DeGrande. Permission to republish Tibet: Cry of the Snow Lion, Cry of a People in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.