A remarkable movie

Rating: 9/10 (25 August 2005)

True to the spirit of Tibet, with an incredible attention to details (both at materialistic and spiritual levels), this movie is a remarkable achievement. The challenge undertaken was all the more impressive that the main characters portrayed in the movie (Heinrich Harrer and the Dalai Lama) were still alive at the time the movie was made (50 years after the facts !), because of the political sensitivities involved in the making of the movie and (as a partial result) the various locations involved in the film-making. In the end, one has to wonder how everything was orchestrated for the movie to appear so seamless, so fluid.
Beyond the beautiful scenery and story, the movie also stimulates a genuine reflection on cultural clashes, spirituality and materialism, personal goals and true achievements. At times moving, at times funny, it manages to subtly superimpose the destinies of a people and the main characters.