Sun Behind the Clouds

Last year saw the 50th anniversary of the Chinese invasion of Tibet. Throughout the last five decades, the Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama has pushed his nation to accept a non-violent middle way based on dialogue with the government of China as a means to achieving autonomy. Nevertheless, Beijing has completely ignored those efforts, while the Dalai Lama's diplomacy around the world has so far led nowhere. Now radical Tibetans have run out of patience, leading both to bloody riots in Lhasa in March 2008 and demonstrations at the Dalia Lama's residence in India's Dharamsala, where protestors burned Chinese flags and demanded complete independence. This film by Tibetan filmmakers Rita Sarin and Tenzig Sonam features both the Dalai Lama himself and a number of Tibetan intellectuals. Making use of unique archive footage, it documents China's policy of occupation and raises questions about Tibet's future.