The Tibet Within

Occupied by China in 1949, Tibetans are now a minority in their own country. They have been stripped of their basic human rights and are struggling to preserve their culture, language and identity. As a desperate act of appeal and protest, 120 of them have self-immolated since 2009. Tibet has been closed off to media and international observer delegations for the past several years.

Outside Tibet, more than 150,000 Tibetans live in exile. Freedom in exile has allowed them to continue their struggle and to preserve their culture, although their efforts have had to be doubled, in order to reflect the new cultural realities of their host countries.

In exile, Tibetans have rebuilt monasteries, schools and arts centers, and they participate very actively in the activist support movement for Tibet.

Their cause is supported by numerous non-Tibetans, who recognize that a culture based on compassion and non-violence is an asset for humanity at large, well worth preserving and nurturing.

‘The Tibet Within’ is an independent Canadian documentary dedicated to the struggle for the preservation of the Tibetan culture and identity outside Tibet. It aims to pay homage to the courage and determination of the Tibetan people, and highlight their fascinating culture, one of the world’s last ancient civilizations.

Filmed in India and Canada, the documentary depicts the same sense of urgency, either in large communities (100,000 Tibetans living in India) or smaller ones (such as the 100 Tibetans living in Montreal).