NEVER FORGET TIBET

SYNOPSIS

One of the most significant moments in 20th century history, His Holiness 14th Dalai Lama reveals the details of his incredible escape into exile for the first time on film in his own words with the Indian political officer who led him to safety. Featuring the Tibetan community in exile and those with historic ties to Tibet, the film explores the Dalai Lama’s compassion for a world seemingly in crisis today and seeks to find what can be learnt from his inspirational life story, Tibetan culture and its ancient spirituality.

DIRECTOR’S BIO

Jean-Paul Mertinez is a producer, writer and director. He is founder and managing director of Compassionate Films, the London based Production Company. He is currently producing a number of major feature documentaries, the first of which is called Never Forget Tibet, the Dalai Lama’s Untold Story.

With exclusive access to the Dalai Lama and the Indian political officer who led him to safety across the plains of India, the film tells how and why the spiritual and political head of Tibet escaped from Chinese oppressors into India in March 1959 and has not been able to return since. Interviews with those involved together with historic black and white footage brings the incredible dangerous escapade to life.

Jean-Paul is a graduate of the National Film & Television School, UK and he has worked with director Alan Ereira producing Aluna, the second film of the secretive Kogi Indian tribe of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, Colombia, which was sold to Netflix. He’s now working on new international feature film, television and live projects that seek to express a truly sustainable and compassionate worldview whilst still being engaging and entertaining.

In 2016 he worked with the United Nations on the Harmony with Nature programme that aims to align human activity with nature. In 2017 he was invited to address the General Assembly of the United Nations in New York about the relationship between the Arts, Ecology and Earth Rights.

Jean-Paul also produced and co-founded the Migrate Charity Auction for Refugees with Christies (London) as a creative response to the Refugee Crisis and he worked within the Organising Committee for the historic London Olympic & Paralympic Games. He has
travelled extensively, filming all over the world.

DIRECTOR’S STATEMENT

The film features exclusive access to His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama and it is narrated by Golden Globe Nominee Hugh Bonneville (Downton Abbey). With original music by Grammy nominated artist Anouska Shankar, the film tells the incredible story of the Dalai Lama’s daring escape from the Chinese invasion of Tibet in 1959.

The story is told in an intimate personal style for the first time on film by the Dalai Lama himself and the Indian Political Officer who led him to the plains of India safely, the late Har Mander Singh. Such intimate access to the Dalai Lama and his ancient spirituality has rarely been seen on the big screen. Far more than a historic “account” of what happened during the escape, the film develops into a poetic, authentic and valuable record of a series of events that few people today are even aware of.

It’s amazing this is the first and only time both men have spoken on film together about the historic escape. This can never happen again as the Indian Political Officer, Har Mander Singh, sadly passed away after filming. The film has been blessed by the presence of His Holiness 14th Dalai Lama telling the story in his own words and it represents an “Official” and multi-layered rare historical record. As such, I believe it offers a unique and potent transmission of the rich and ancient culture of His Holiness Dalai Lama and Tibet.

PRINT SOURCE

Jean-Paul Mertinez
info@compassionatefilms.com