Dharamsala Dec. 4 – The new Australian produced documentary “Tibet’s Cry for Freedom” will be screened on Czech TV – the public broadcaster of the Czech Republic – from January, 2009.
Directed and produced by first time filmmaker Lara Damiani, the documentary provides a snapshot of Tibetan contemporary history since the Chinese occupation.
The impending deal with Czech TV follows on the heels of His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s recent visit to the Czech Republic where he praised the Czech Government’s support for Tibet.
The documentary exposes the truth about why China wants Tibet and highlights Human Rights abuses, Environmental Destruction and the destruction of Tibet’s Indigenous Culture. It was filmed over 12 months in India, Australia, Beijing and secretly inside Tibet last year where Damiani was stopped and questioned for filming by Chinese military. Later, while filming in Tiananmen Square, Damiani was followed closely by Chinese police vehicles.
The documentary was made to raise awareness of the Tibetan freedom struggle, particularly aimed at audiences with little or no knowledge of the situation in Tibet. It provides a snapshot of the contemporary history of Tibet from the time of the Chinese occupation up to the current debate between the Middle Way Policy and Independence.
It has screened in film festivals in France, Finland and the USA and Damiani has been promoting the DVD to schools in Australia.
“I was inspired by the plight of Tibet and the Tibetans in 2006 and realised that I needed to act quick if I wanted to spread the message of Tibet to the world prior to the Olympics,” Lara says.
She quit her job and funded the documentary with personal cash reserves, bank loans and credit cards.
She had to sell clothes and furniture to keep the project going. Post production was stalled earlier this year until a generous donation was made by a couple who are supporters of Tibet.
“Most of the people who worked on this project have never been paid. Their commitment is testament to the universal principles that Tibet represents – freedom, democracy, non-violence, compassion and human rights”, says Lara.
