People know of the glossy Hollywood films made about Tibet and its famous leader the Dalai Lama, but the films in this series show aspects of Tibetan life that have been rarely seen - the CIA and the guerillas fighting in Tibet in the 1960s, life in Lhasa before the Chinese arrived, Chinese environmentalists trying to save the Tibetan antelope, the extraordinary fly-on-the-wall documentaries, undercover human rights reporting, exile beauty contests, and contemporary children's cartoons in Tibetan. Some will charm and others will shock, but all will give a richer, fuller sense of what it's like to be a modern Tibetan in the world today. The films programmed in this series are intended to educate, inspire, entertain, and provoke discussion. Most screenings will anchor a nightly event that includes Tibetan refreshments, panel discussions, and live performances. Proceeds from Tibet in Harlem will go toward local Tibetan community organizations and NGOs working inside Tibet.

Robert Barnett

Director of Modern Tibetan Studies

Columbia University