Film Review

By Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat

Windhorse
Directed by Paul Wagner
New Yorker Video 04/99 DVD/VHS Feature Film
Not Rated

In 1979 in a small Tibetan village, three children — Dolkar, her brother Dorjee, and their cousin Pema — are shocked when their praying grandfather is assassinated by Chinese police. Unbeknownst to them he passes on his spiritual legacy to the three. Eighteen years later in Lhasa, Dolkar is a popular singer at a disco. Her ambitious Chinese boyfriend lands her a recording contract singing songs praising Chairman Mao. Her shiftless brother Dorjee can't stand the Chinese control of the city but is unwilling to join the underground resistance movement. While showing Amy, an American tourist, around the city, he learns of a Buddhist nun who has been imprisoned for speaking out against the Chinese in the marketplace. Both Dolkar and Dorjee are stunned to discover that the courageous woman is none other than their cousin Pema. After severely torturing her, the Chinese release her into their care.

Windhorse is the first dramatic feature of the Academy Award-winning documentary filmmaker Paul Wagner. The screenplay reveals the sneaky way their grandfather's spirit of protest slowly takes hold of Dolkar and Dorjee. This heart-affecting drama, which was shot in Tibet and Nepal, pays tribute to the 1.2 million Tibetans who have lost their lives since the takeover of their country by the Chinese Communists in 1950. Windhorse also celebrates the indelible spiritual impact of the exiled Dalai Lama upon the souls of his oppressed people.

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DVD features include a Behind-the-Scenes Featurette and Audio Commentary.

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by Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat