MAN FROM A MISSING LAND
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Year Published: 1959
Format: 16mm
Description: Subscribe and Produced by the U.S. Information Agency, "Man from a Missing Land" portrays the Chinese take‐over of Tibet and the 1959 Tibetan Uprising in Lhasa, culminating in the flight of the Dalai Lama, the spiritual leader of Tibet, to asylum in India. The film was produced and directed by Paul Cohen, edited by Eric Lawrence, narrated by Fritz Weaver, and made by Owen Murphy Productions. The USIA produced the film to be shown overseas as part of the USIA mandate to demonstrate the threat communism presents to freedom. Ironically, the movie was initially suppressed by the U.S. Government, as Secretary of State William P. Rogers lobbied Henry A. Kissinger, President Nixon's assistant for national security affairs, against its release. The fear was that the film would derail Nixon's planned trip to China in February, 1971. It was eventually released, although the dates are not clear but sometime after 1973. Notably, portions of the film were shot in Switzerland, where over 700 Tibetans were granted asylum. The film opens with a scene of Buddhist monks traversing snowy hills in order to conduct a ritual (:58). Traditional Buddhist artwork covers the walls (1:36) within a temple. Natives from Tibet are seen as the film announces Tibet is a nation in exile (2:19). They are gathering here as they do once each year in order to honor the events of the 1959 Tibetan uprising in Lhasa (2:42). A Tibetan man dances in traditional ceremonial attire (3:08). The walled cities are seen hidden deep within the Himalayas (3:23). Combat scenes follow from October of 1950 as Peking chose to invade Tibet (4:20). The Tibetan militia surrenders to the well-armed Chinese army (4:35). Chinese tanks move in as Tibet became an occupied land (4:40). Phalah (6:17) was the Senior Chamberlain to the Dali Lama when Tibet was freed in May of 1951. A very young Dali Lama is pictured during the time period with which Tibet was invaded (6:23). The Dali Lama and Phalah are seen traveling to Peking (6:38) as the nations struggled to coexist (6:38). Though they were assured in Peking the nation would retain it’s autonomy, in Lhasa (6:52) the Chinese flag is raised and natives were subjected to grueling labor as they worked to extend roads beginning from the heart of China (7:10). Chinese automobiles move in citizens for resettlement (7:20). The man pictured here, known as Abbot (7:36) studied at the Sera Monastery near the capital city of Lhasa. He recalls the great procession of his holiness as the Dali Lama went to Sera on a religious pilgrimage (7:47). Simultaneously, Chinese weaponry is moved through the country as they made threatening gestures towards the Dali Lama (8:26). Tibetan natives surround the castle in order to protect the Dali Lama (8:30). The Dali Lama fled at night under a disguise (8:40). Tibetans are pictured following the Dali Lama into exile (8:52). Refugees recall their stories (9:26). Chinese soldiers are pictured capturing a refugee here (9:45). Other refugees move down dirt roads with oxen (9:55) towards Bhutan. Many suffered for days without food (10:18). A female refugee recounts her time as they traversed the snowy mountains (10:42). Some perished during the journey as bodies are pictured stiff and frozen in the snow (10:58). Traditional dances derived from eastern Tibet are depicted (11:48). A nobleman and scholar in Tibet (12:19) is pictured acting as a guardian over a group of orphans (12:22). Photographs follow of occupied Tibet (13:36). John Lennon’s photograph hangs on the wall (13:40) next to a photograph of the Dali Lama (13:52) as a Tibetan man practices the flute (14:02). Much of the religious culture diminished after the occupation began (14:02). Scenes follow of the Chinese army burning tents, relics (14:22) and religious writings. Eventually, Buddhism was considered to be a disgrace in occupied Tibet (14:34). The credit screen appears at (16:41). End credits (16:49).
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Transcription
[Music] foreign [Music] two [Music] boys buddhas of the past present and future your spiritual sons and disciples who are the masters of a limitless ocean of attributes of perfection who consider all humble feeling beings as your only sons understand these true sad words [Music] [Music] foreign [Music] oh [Music] tibet is a nation in exile a scattered people whose land is missing [Music] once each year wherever they are tibetans gather to recall the terrible events of a day in march 1959 in the holy city of lhasa when many tibetans were killed in an heroic attempt to free their land from the communist invaders [Music] oh [Music] for two thousand years tibet chose to live in isolation deep within the himalayas the walled cities the palaces and monasteries the pure land of the buddha [Music] [Applause] [Music] um [Music] desiring only to be left alone the people of tibet were totally unprepared for the violence that would wreck their peaceful world [Music] in october 1950 peking ordered its armies into tibet announcing a plan to liberate its neighbor and restore it as an inalienable part of chinese territory no match for the well-armed troops the tiny tibetan militia was quickly overrun tibet was now an occupied land [Music] oh the buddhist culture of tibet was our last link to an ancient civilization in which time had stopped practiced by a people whose natural occupation was to pray [Music] from the king the word was reassuring the religious beliefs and customs of the tibetan people shall be respected the irreligious the barbarian bands without pity who have done many evil things oppress especially those born in tibet in our beloved land of snows let the immense power of mercy arise and stop the flow of blood and tears when tibet was free was senior chamberlain to his holiness the dalai lama when our country was invaded the dalai lama was hardly more than a boy for nine years as he came of age as the leader of our people we struggled to coexist with the chinese to prevent bloodshed and keep a little independence as senior chamberlain i accompanied his holiness on his visit to peaking where we were given solemn promises by chairman mao himself that tibet would have full autonomy as these promises were being made in peking they were being broken in lhasa it soon became clear why the chinese were so industrious in their extensive road building these roads led from the heart of china to the borders of tibet threatening our ancient neighbors and with the many chinese who were coming to resettle in tibet we were destined to become a minority people in our own country near the capital city of lhasa i recall as though it happened yesterday the great processional of his holiness that came to sarah on his religious pilgrimage it was one of his last public gestures [Music] it was only a short time after this great event when the chinese again made threatening gestures toward the dalai lama and many tibetans who feared for his safety surrounded the palace to protect him after much urging by his advisors and in the hope of avoiding bloodshed his holiness stole away from his quarters at night in disguise [Music] many tibetans followed him into exile i was one of those who fled our country on that bitter journey [Music] many thousands followed the dalai lama to seek refuge in india nepal bhutan and sikkim farmers yak herders shepherds monks and government workers and for each refugee there is a personal nightmare that recurs like a wound that will not heal [Music] there were 16 of us when we left kung pao where we lived intended our animals it took us many weeks to reach the southern region near india and it was getting worse each day with food running out and chinese soldiers grabbing those of us who straggled behind we were mostly simple farmers but after the chinese came many of my relatives and neighbors were put in prison or killed for refusing to give up their land so i became desperate to escape with my family we had a very difficult journey to bhutan for 10 days we were without food and every day we thought was the last [Music] the chinese took all our properties and animals we had nothing to live on it was terrible in the mountain passes frozen by the winds and when the sun was on the snow we had to cover our eyes with our hair not to go blind it became hopeless just stumbling on we didn't care if there were soldiers or a cliff ahead we felt like walking over it to our deaths to humble beings immersed in suffering all harried by terrible and endless bad karma unbearable diseases fighting starvation and all dangers to these bring peace let an ocean of bliss and happiness arise [Music] that's the kind of dance we used to do in eastern tibet where we come from we used to dance as soon as we learned to walk [Music] was a nobleman and scholar in tibet now he is a guardian of a group of orphans whose cultural my love of learning has made my present life more bearable and i feel i can give more to these children as a result for the ways of tibet are in my mind always i can only try to pass this knowledge unto the young so they may never forget who they are and the great land they come from even those born in exile must feel it we don't teach them to hate the intruders we must accept for now what has happened i may never again see tibet not in this life but perhaps they will [Music] once every tibetan family considered it an honor to send a son to the monastery to devote his life to monastic studies there was no higher achievement tell us is it time that devours its own children or ignorance answer answer in occupied tibet all that is gone [Music] the young tibetans scattered throughout the world in exile have never known a free tibet the memory has been passed on to them and they feel the burden of its loss what's the use of all the praying it can't bring back our country can it [Music] it's sad for our gurus they're good people but what chance do they have against the violence and hate in occupied tibet buddhism is in disgrace of the many thousands of monks in the once great monasteries not a one remains only those few scattered in exile of the caretakers of a vanishing [Music] tradition we did not mean harm to anyone even those who have taken our land have only harmed themselves they have diminished their own karma and all of us must suffer for them too [Music] foreign gone is the pure land of the buddha the land of snows [Music] yet it persists in the faith of a man from a missing land who profoundly believes that tibet is near tibet is real [Laughter] so [Music] so you
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