Chinese pressure forces Tibetan films' ouster

MUMBAI: Two films from the Tibetpackage, one based on the political situation in Tibet and the other on the lifeof the Dalai Lama, have been pulled out of the Third Eye Asian Film Festival tobe held in Mumbai between August 21 and 28.The decision to pull out''Kundun'' which chronicles the life of the Dalai Lama and ''Seven Years in Tibet''based on Heinrich Harrer''s account of life in Tibet, was allegedly taken afterthe organisers were asked by the Chinese Consulate in Mumbai not to screen thefilms.General Secretary of Friends of Tibet (India) Tenzin Tsundesays he is shocked at the Chinese government for "cunningly trying to curb thetruth (about the situation in Tibet) through politicalpressure".Friends of Tibet, the organisation that has arranged forthe films, has been extensively campaigning for a free Tibet. "TheChinese government has taken objection to the propaganda and has complained tothe I&B ministry," says festival director Sudhir Nandgaonkar. Hedid not deny that the officials from the Chinese consulate had called him up forthe purpose. However, Nandgaonkar claims the real reason for dropping the filmsis that they had reached him very late and hence could not be sent to the reviewcommittee."I had asked them to arrange for seven films and they sentme only four, and that too quite late. And since the Chinese officials hadalready approached the I&B ministry with their grievance, we decided to playsafe and not include the controversial movies," Nandgaonkar says.ButAspi Mistry, spokesperson for Friends of Tibet, is not convinced. "If that wasthe real reason, how is it that they are screening the other two films in theTibet package-'' Himalaya'' and ''Little Buddha''- which reached them around thesame time?" he countered.Founder and president of the organisationSethu Das says this is not the first time that the Chinese consulate has triedto meddle in cultural events that involve Tibet.During the FilmFestival of Tibet 2000, the organisers were allowed to go ahead with thescreening only after they had sent a list of films and other details to theexternal affairs ministry, he alleged.Friends of Tibet is now vyingfor a parallel screening of the rejected films.