The Search

Kino Aero         19th of April        20:30

A Tibetan film director travels from village to village looking for actors to star in a film based on the Tibetan opera Prince Drimé Kundun, a quintessentially Buddhist legend about compassion and self-sacrifice. Travelling by car, the director holds auditions in the unlikely but all-pervasive contexts of contemporary Tibetan life—in building sites, streets, bars, night clubs, and monasteries. Exercising formalistic restraint with a contemplative pace and unique camera placement, Pema Tseden has made a road movie that takes the viewer straight into the heart of a changing Tibet, raising penetrating questions about what identity means in the modern world. This film is the first ever film made in Tibet to be shot entirely with a Tibetan crew in the Tibetan language, with production support from renowned Chinese 5th Generation filmmaker Tian Zhuangzhuang.

“A charming … film within a film … with easy grace [and] a meditative aesthetic.”

Giovanna Fulvi, Toronto International Film Festival

 ”An offbeat cultural album of Tibetan people as well as a cinematic pilgrimage to understand their lifestyles and religious heritage.”

Maggie Lee, The Hollywood Reporter

 ”The Search is literally a journey through new Tibet.”

Louisa Lim, All Things Considered, NPR

 ”Most exciting and unexpected … discovery of an important new film.”

Chris Berry, Senses of Cinema

Toronto International Film Festival
Bangkok International Film Festival: Special Jury Prize
Shanghai International Film Festival: Jury Grand Prix
Locarno Film Festival
Vancouver International Film Festival