Dreaming Lhasa is part of The Human Rights Watch Collection.

Karma, a Tibetan filmmaker from New York, goes to Dharamsala, the Dalai Lama's exile headquarters in northern India, to make a documentary about former political prisoners who have escaped from Tibet. She wants to reconnect with her roots but is also escaping a deteriorating relationship back home.

One of Karma's interviewees is Dhondup, an enigmatic ex-monk who has just escaped from Tibet. He confides in her that his real reason for coming to India is to fulfill his dying mother's last wish, to deliver a charm box to a long-missing resistance fighter. Karma finds herself unwittingly falling in love with Dhondup even as she is sucked into the passion of his quest, which becomes a journey into Tibet's fractured past and a voyage of self-discovery.

"The beauty and lyricism of this film is transformative, evoking the splendour of nature and humanity in metaphysical, historical and culturally specific terms."
- Tammy Stone, The Festival Daily, Toronto

"Propelled by the powers of gentle persuasion and emotional subtlety... well worth the effort and time." - Hindustan Times

"Handled with a light, deft touch... the first feature film that challenges the conventional view of Tibet in a pleasant and thoughtful manner." - Neue Zürcher Zeitung (Switzerland)

www.dreaminglhasa.com

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