The Lost World of Tibet

Presented by Dan Cruickshank, this astonishing film reveals a treasure trove of colour footage from a time before the Tibetan people lost their country, nearly 50 years ago.

After the popular and successful TV and DVD collaborations The Lost World of Mitchell & Kenyon and The Lost World of Friese-Greene, the BFI and BBC co-produced The Lost World of Tibet, broadcast on BBC Four on 3 March 2008. This DVD features the 90-minute director’s cut.

A rare treasure trove of amazing colour footage, preserved and restored by the BFI, The Lost World of Tibet reveals the story of the Dalai Lama and his secret Himalayan kingdom in a way never told before.

An exclusive interview with the Dalai Lama, focusing on his early life and childhood is intercut with colour archive film from the 1930s, ’40s and ’50s as well as revealing interviews with ordinary Tibetan people who remember life before China sent in troops.

Presented by Dan Cruickshank, this astonishing film allows us to glimpse into the rich culture of Tibet, showing us ancient ceremonies, Buddhist rituals and family life, from a time before Tibetan people lost their country, nearly 50 years ago.

We were just so engrossed in our little pond, recalls one interviewee. We knew nothing, what was happening in the world, what could happen. And so we lost our country.

The Lost World of Tibet is produced and directed by Emma Hindley.

Special features

  • 60-minute Worldwide TV version.
  • Footage of contemporary life in McLeod Ganj, Dharamsala (23 min).
  • Colour archival footage of Tibetan flora and fauna (6 min).

Product information

    • Certificate

      Exempt

    • Colour

      Colour

    • Sound

      Sound

    • Running time

      90mins

    • Subtitles

      English for the hard-of-hearing

    • Original aspect ratio

      1.33:1

    • DVD region

      • 2 Europe (except Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus), Middle East, Egypt, Japan, South Africa, Swaziland, Lesotho, Greenland, French Overseas departments and territories

    • Catalogue number

      BFIVD747

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