Movies - Seven Years in Tibet

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	Movies - Seven Years in Tibet

Seven Years in Tibet is a non-fiction book by Heinrich Harrer, originally published in 1953. In 1997 it was made into a Hollywood film.

Both book and film tell how the Austrians Harrer and Peter Aufschnaiter, having been interned by the British while mountaineering in the north of India at the beginning of World War II, escape across the border into Tibet. There they become acquainted with a completely different way of life, and are introduced to the Dalai Lama, still a boy. They remain in the country until the Chinese invasion of 1950.

The film was directed by Jean-Jacques Annaud and starred Brad Pitt and David Thewlis. The score was composed by John Williams and features cellist Yo Yo Ma.

Controversy

The film was not well received by the Chinese government. They claimed that Chinese military officers were shown in a bad light, brutalizing the local people. The Dalai Lama, regarded as a traitor and an imperialist tool by the Chinese government, was shown as somewhat of a hero in the film. As a result, the starring actors Brad Pitt and David Thewlis were banned from ever entering China.

It was also revealed by the German magazine Stern that the real life Heinrich Harrer was a member of Adolf Hitler's Nazi party and a member of the Austrian SS. In the movie, however, he is shown to have contempt for the Nazis.

Two years after the film's release, director Jean-Jacques Annaud confirmed that two crews secretly shot footage for the film in Tibet. While the Chinese government strongly discouraged the production and release of Seven Years in Tibet, Annaud was able to put about 20 minutes of actual footage from Tibet into the final film.

[ Visit the complete Wikipedia entry for Seven Years in Tibet ]

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