Seven Years in Tibet ( 1997 film ) - wikipedia Seven Years in Tibet ( 1997 film ) Seven Years in Tibet Film poster Directed by Jean - Jacques Annaud Produced by Jean - Jacques Annaud Iain Smith John H. Williams Screenplay by Becky Johnston Based on Seven Years in Tibet by Heinrich Harrer Starring Brad Pitt David Thewlis B.D. Wong Mako Jamyang Jamtsho Wangchuk Lhakpa Tsamchoe Jetsun Pema Music by John Williams Cinematography Robert Fraisse Edited by Noëlle Boisson Production company Mandalay Entertainment Distributed by TriStar Pictures ( US ) Entertainment Film Distributors ( UK ) Release date October 8, 1997 ( 1997 - 10 - 08 ) ( United States ) November 21, 1997 ( 1997 - 11 - 21 ) ( United Kingdom ) Running time 136 minutes Country United States Language English German Nepali Hindi Mandarin Tibetan Budget $70 million Box office $131.5 million Seven Years in Tibet is a 1997 American biographical war drama film based on the 1952 book of the same name written by Austrian mountaineer Heinrich Harrer on his experiences in Tibet between 1944 and 1951 during World War II, the interim period, and the Chinese People 's Liberation Army 's invasion of Tibet in 1950. Directed by Jean - Jacques Annaud and starring Brad Pitt and David Thewlis, the score was composed by John Williams and features cellist Yo - Yo Ma. In the story, Austrians Heinrich Harrer ( Pitt ) and Peter Aufschnaiter ( Thewlis ) are mountaineering in British India in an area that is now Gilgit - Baltistan in Pakistan. When World War II begins in 1939, their German citizenship results in their imprisonment by the British in a POW camp in Dehradun in the Himalayan foothills, in the present - day Indian state of Uttarakhand. In 1944, Harrer and Aufschnaiter escape the prison, and cross the border into Tibet, traversing the treacherous high plateau. While in Tibet, after initially being ordered to return to India, they are welcomed at the holy city of Lhasa, and become absorbed into an unfamiliar way of life. Harrer is introduced to the 14th Dalai Lama, who is still a boy, and becomes one of his tutors. During their time together, Heinrich becomes a close friend to the young spiritual leader. Harrer and Aufschnaiter stay in the country until the Chinese military campaign in 1950. Contents 1 Plot 2 Cast 3 Production 4 Music 5 Comparisons between the film and the book 6 Release 6.1 Critical reception 6.2 Controversy 6.3 Accolades 7 See also 8 References 9 External links Plot Austrian mountaineers Heinrich Harrer ( Pitt ) and Peter Aufschnaiter ( Thewlis ) are part of a team attempting to summit Nanga Parbat in British India ( present - day part of Pakistan ). When World War II begins in 1939, they are arrested by British Indian authorities and imprisoned in a POW camp in Dehradun in the Himalayan foothills, in the present - day Indian state of Uttarakhand. Harrer 's pregnant wife, Ingrid, sends him divorce papers from Austria. In 1944, Harrer and Aufschnaiter escape the prison and cross into Tibet. After being initially rejected by the isolated nation, they manage to travel in disguise to the Tibetan capital city of Lhasa. There, they become the house guests of Tibetan diplomat Kungo Tsarong ( Mako ). The Tibetan senior official Ngawang Jigme ( Wong ) also extends friendship to the two foreigners with gifts of custom - made Western suits. Aufschnaiter falls in love with the tailor, Pema Lhaki, and marries her. In 1945, Harrer plans to return to Austria. However, he receives a cold letter from his son, rejecting Harrer as his father, and this deters him from leaving Tibet. Soon afterwards, Harrer is invited to the Potala Palace and becomes the 14th Dalai Lama 's tutor in world geography, science, and Western culture. Meanwhile, political relations with China sour as they make plans to invade Tibet. Ngawang Jigme leads the Tibetan army at the border town of Chamdo to halt the advancing People 's Liberation Army. However, Ngawang Jigme ends up surrendering and blows up the Tibetan ammunition dump after the one - sided Battle of Chamdo. During the treaty signing, Kungo Tsarong tells Harrer that if Jigme had not destroyed the weapons supply, the Tibetan guerrillas could have held the mountain passes long enough to appeal to other nations for help. As the Chinese occupy Tibet, Harrer condemns Ngawang Jigme for betraying his country, declaring their friendship over. Harrer further shames the senior official by returning the jacket that Ngawang Jigme gave him as a present, which is a grave insult in Tibetan culture. Harrer tries to convince the Dalai Lama to flee, but he refuses ; not wanting to abandon his people. The Dalai Lama encourages Harrer to return to Austria and be a father to his son. After the coronation ceremony, in which the Dalai Lama is formally enthroned as the spiritual and temporal leader of Tibet, Harrer returns to Austria in 1951. Harrer 's son Rolf refuses to meet him at first, but Harrer leaves a music box that the Dalai Lama gave him and this piques Rolf 's interest. Years later, Harrer and Rolf ( now a teenager ) are seen mountain - climbing together, suggesting they have mended their relationship at the end of the film. Cast Brad Pitt as Heinrich Harrer David Thewlis as Peter Aufschnaiter B.D. Wong as Ngawang Jigme Mako as Kungo Tsarong Danny Denzongpa as Regent Victor Wong as Chinese ' Amban ' Ingeborga Dapkūnaitė as Ingrid Harrer Jamyang Jamtsho Wangchuk as Dalai Lama Tenzin Gyatso, 14 years old Sonam Wangchuk as Dalai Lama Tenzin Gyatso, 8 years old Dorjee Tsering as Dalai Lama, 4 years old Lhakpa Tsamchoe as Pema Lhaki Jetsun Pema as The Great Mother Ama Ashe Dongtse as Tashi Ric Young as General Chang Jing Wu Ven. Ngawang Chojor as Lord Chamberlain Production Most of the shooting took place in Argentina, in the city of La Plata ( the railway station where Heinrich leaves for Unserberg is the Main Train Station of La Plata, for example ), and in the Mendoza Province, in such places as the Andes mountains. Some time after the film 's release, director Annaud confirmed that two crews secretly shot footage for the film in Tibet, amounting to approximately 20 minutes of footage in the final film. Other footage was shot in Nepal, Austria and Canada. Music John Williams Seven Years in Tibet Film score by John Williams Released September 30, 1997 Genre Soundtrack Length 65 : 53 Label Sony John Williams chronology The Lost World : Jurassic Park ( 1997 ) The Lost World : Jurassic Park 1997 Seven Years in Tibet ( 1997 ) Amistad ( 1997 ) Amistad 1997 show Track listing No. Title Length 1. `` Seven Years in Tibet '' 7 : 08 2. `` Young Dalai Lama and Ceremonial Chant '' 2 : 14 3. `` Leaving Ingrid '' 2 : 43 4. `` Peter 's Rescue '' 3 : 45 5. `` Harrer 's Journey '' 4 : 05 6. `` The Invasion '' 5 : 08 7. `` Reflections '' 4 : 41 8. `` Premonitions '' 2 : 56 9. `` Approaching the Summit '' 5 : 44 10. `` Palace Invitation '' 4 : 46 11. `` Heinrich 's Odyssey '' 8 : 03 12. `` Quiet Moments '' 4 : 21 13. `` Regaining a Son '' 1 : 48 14. `` Seven Years in Tibet ( Reprise ) '' 7 : 13 Comparisons between the film and the book There are a number of significant differences between the book and the film. In the film, Harrer is hailed as a ' German hero ', and replies `` Thank you, but I 'm Austrian ''. To have said that in 1939 would have been extremely bold, since Austria had been part of Greater Germany since the Anschluss of April 1938. In the book, Harrer says nothing about any such remark. Harrer at the train station in 1939 appears hostile to the Nazi Party, taking the Nazi flag with reluctance. The real - life Heinrich Harrer was in fact a Nazi Schutzstaffel ( S.S. ) NCO. The film makes his son a key theme, but in the book, Harrer does not mention his wife or son. He had in fact been married and divorced, as the film shows, but his ex-wife's new husband was killed in the war and Harrer 's son was raised by his ex-wife's mother. In his autobiography, Harrer gives details of his contact with his son, but nothing to support what the film shows. In the book, Harrer says there was little to tie him to home as one of the reasons for staying in Tibet and not returning to Europe. The pre-invasion visit of Chinese Communist negotiators to Lhasa, arriving at an airfield constructed by Tibetans, and their departure for China after a brief conference with their Tibetan counterparts -- including the desecration of the sand mandala as well as the `` religion is poison '' remark as depicted in the film, do not occur in the book or in any of the numerous histories that have been written about the matter. There was no air link until Lhasa Gonggar Airport was constructed in 1956 -- when the Dalai Lama visited Beijing in 1954, he used the still - incomplete road system. The whole sequence of negotiations and the installation of the Dalai Lama as ruler are out of sequence. Tenzin Gyatso, 14th Dalai Lama was enthroned as the temporal leader of Tibet on 17 November 1950. After the Chinese crossed the Jinsha River and defeated the Tibetan army in October 1950, a Tibetan delegation was sent to Beijing and agreed on the Seventeen Point Agreement for the Peaceful Liberation of Tibet. Meanwhile, the Dalai Lama left Lhasa and took refuge on the border with India and Sikkim. The Dalai Lama disliked the agreement. He returned to Lhasa, and for several years tried to work within its terms. Release Seven Years in Tibet premiered on September 13, 1997 at the 1997 Toronto International Film Festival before a commercial release on October 8, 1997 in the United States and Canada, distributed to 2,103 theaters for its domestic opening weekend. After its run, the film grossed $37,957,682 domestically and $93,500,000 overseas with an overall box office gross of $131,457,682. Critical reception Monks passing under the Pargo Kaling chorten or `` Western Gate '' in Lhasa near the Potala during Monlam Festival in 1938 Tibet. This structure was destroyed in 1967, rebuilt in 1995. See the image in the original movie poster above. Based on 33 reviews collected by Rotten Tomatoes, the film received a 59 % approval rating from 34 critics, with an average score of 6.3 / 10. Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating in the 0 -- 100 range based on reviews from top mainstream critics, calculated an average score of 55, based on 18 reviews. Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun - Times acclaimed the film in general, stating that `` Seven Years in Tibet is an ambitious and beautiful movie with much to interest the patient viewer, but it makes the common mistake of many films about travelers and explorers : It is more concerned with their adventures than with what they discover. '' Additionally, Ebert believed the film was told from the perspective of the wrong character and thought the casting of Pitt and Thewlis should have been reversed. Derek Elley of Variety praised the film 's overall production value but thought : `` for a story with all the potential of a sweeping emotional drama set in great locations, too often you just long for the pic to cut loose from the ethnography and correct attitudes and go with the drama in old Hollywood style. '' Controversy As the film was being released, it was condemned by the government of the People 's Republic of China, which stated that Communist Chinese military officers were intentionally shown as rude and arrogant, brutalizing the local people. The Chinese government also decried the film 's positive portrayal of the 14th Dalai Lama. Director Jean - Jacques Annaud and stars Brad Pitt and David Thewlis were banned from ever entering China. Annaud was since welcomed back to China in 2012 to chair the jury of the 15th annual Shanghai International Film Festival. Pitt later visited China in 2014 and 2016. Also in dispute is the use of the terms `` Chinese Embassy in Tibet '' and `` occupation of Tibet '', in view of the Tibetan sovereignty debate. Accolades Ceremony Recipient Result 55th Golden Globe Awards Best Original Score John Williams Nominated Japan Academy Prize Outstanding Foreign Language Film Seven Years in Tibet Nominated 40th Grammy Awards Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media John Williams Nominated Political Film Society Peace Seven Years in Tibet Won Exposé Nominated Human Rights Nominated Guild of German Art House Cinemas Foreign Film Jean - Jacques Annaud Won Stinkers Bad Movie Awards Most Annoying Fake Accent Brad Pitt ( also for The Devil 's Own ) Nominated Rembrandt Award Best Actor Brad Pitt Won YoungStar Award Best Young Actor in a Drama Film Jamyang Jamtsho Wangchuk Nominated See also Kundun, another 1997 film depicting the Dalai Lama during his youth. References Jump up ^ `` SEVEN YEARS IN TIBET ( PG ) ''. British Board of Film Classification. October 21, 1997. Retrieved January 3, 2015. Jump up ^ http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/328901/Seven-Years-in-Tibet/ ^ Jump up to : `` Seven Years in Tibet ( 1997 ) ''. Box Office Mojo. IMDb. Retrieved September 12, 2012. Jump up ^ Canada Tibet Committee : Director Secretly Filmed In Tibet Jump up ^ Shirer, William L., The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich, Chapter 13. Shirer says of the plebiscite `` it took a very brave Austrian to vote No ''. Jump up ^ Weinraub, Bernard ( June 21, 1997 ). `` Dalai Lama 's Tutor, Portrayed by Brad Pitt, Was n't Just Roving Through the Himalayas ''. The New York Times. Jump up ^ Beyond Seven Years in Tibet, by Heinrich Harrer ^ Jump up to : Seven Years in Tibet Jump up ^ Dalai Lama, Freedom in Exile, Hodder & Stoughton 1990 Jump up ^ Shakya, Tsering. The Dragon In The Land Of Snows. ( 1999 ). Columbia University Press. ISBN 0 - 231 - 11814 - 7. pp. 32 - 45. Jump up ^ `` Seven Years in Tibet ( 1997 ) ''. Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved March 5, 2018. Jump up ^ `` Seven Years in Tibet Reviews ''. Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved March 5, 2018. Jump up ^ Roger Ebert ( October 10, 1997 ). `` Seven Years in Tibet : : rogerebert.com : : Reviews ''. Chicago Sun - Times. Retrieved September 12, 2012. Jump up ^ Derek Elley ( September 27, 1997 ). `` Variety Reviews - Seven Years in Tibet - Film Reviews -- Review by Derek Elley ''. Variety. Retrieved September 12, 2012. Jump up ^ Canada Tibet Committee : `` Hollywood 's New China Syndrome ( The Los Angeles Times ) ' Red Corner, ' ' Seven Years in Tibet ' and ' Kundun ' take the country 's human rights record to task, especially regarding its treatment of Tibet. How will the Chinese react to filmdom 's scrutiny ? '' Jump up ^ Filmmaker Jean - Jacques Annaud goes from outcast to ally in China Jump up ^ Jonathan Landreth ( June 15, 2012 ). `` Shanghai Film Fest : Q&A with director Jean - Jacques Annaud ''. Los Angeles Times. Tribune Company. Retrieved September 11, 2012. Jump up ^ Brad Pitt breaks the ice with China visit after ' Seven Years in Tibet ' issue Jump up ^ Brad Pitt Back in China After Reported Ban Over Tibet Film External links Seven Years in Tibet on IMDb ( 1997 ) Seven Years in Tibet at Box Office Mojo Seven Years in Tibet at Rotten Tomatoes Seven Years in Tibet at Metacritic Seven Years in Tibet on IMDb ( 1956 ) documentary The Wild Things of God : Seven Years in Tibet Seven Years in Tibet credits for this film entered into the Cannes Film Festival in 1956 Films directed by Jean - Jacques Annaud Black and White in Color ( 1976 ) Coup de tête ( 1979 ) Quest for Fire ( 1981 ) The Name of the Rose ( 1986 ) The Bear ( 1988 ) The Lover ( 1992 ) Wings of Courage ( 1995 ) Seven Years in Tibet ( 1997 ) Enemy at the Gates ( 2001 ) Two Brothers ( 2004 ) His Majesty Minor ( 2007 ) Black Gold ( 2011 ) Wolf Totem ( 2015 ) The 14th Dalai Lama Books Ancient Wisdom, Modern World : Ethics for the new Millennium The Art of Happiness Essential Teachings Freedom in Exile : The Autobiography of the Dalai Lama How to See Yourself As You Really Are My Land and My People An Open Heart The Power of Buddhism The Universe in a Single Atom The World of Tibetan Buddhism Beyond Religion : Ethics for a Whole World The Book of Joy Organized vision Foundation for Universal Responsibility of His Holiness the Dalai Lama Library of Tibetan Works and Archives Dalai Lama Center for Peace and Education Family Thubten Jigme Norbu ( brother ) Jetsun Pema ( sister ) Related Thupten Jinpa ( translator ) Recognition Travels Seven Years in Tibet ( 1997 film ) Kundun ( 1997 film ) 10 Questions for the Dalai Lama ( 2006 documentary ) Dalai Lama Renaissance ( 2007 documentary ) The Sun Behind the Clouds ( 2010 documentary Dalai Lama Awakening ( 2014 documentary ) Compassion in Action ( 2014 documentary ) Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Seven_Years_in_Tibet_(1997_film)&oldid=853101094 '' Categories : 1997 films 1990s adventure films 1990s biographical films 1990s drama films 1990s war films Adventure drama films American films American biographical films American drama films American war films British films British adventure films British biographical films British drama films British war films English - language films German - language films Mountaineering films 1990s Hindi - language films Mandarin - language films Tibetan - language films Films directed by Jean - Jacques Annaud Screenplays by Becky Johnston Films scored by John Williams Films about Buddhism Films about Tibet Films based on actual events Films based on non-fiction books Films set in Austria Films shot in Argentina Films shot in Canada Films shot in China Films shot in Nepal Tibetan Buddhist art and culture TriStar Pictures films Films shot in Tibet Films shot in Austria Films shot in Chile Cultural depictions of the 14th Dalai Lama Hidden categories : Use mdy dates from January 2015 Articles with hAudio microformats Music infoboxes with deprecated parameters Talk Contents About Wikipedia Български Català Čeština Deutsch Eesti Español Esperanto Euskara فارسی Français Galego 한국어 Bahasa Indonesia Italiano עברית Lietuvių Magyar Nederlands 日本 語 Polski Português Română Русский Suomi Svenska தமிழ் ไทย Türkçe Українська 中文 22 more Edit links This page was last edited on 2 August 2018, at 12 : 40 ( UTC ). 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Question: where did they film seven years in tibet
Answer: Argentina