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Tibet in Song

Tenth Anniversary Screening

Wednesday, July 31, 2019
7:00 PM–9:00 PM

The Rubin Museum and World Music Institute present the tenth anniversary screening of Tibet in Song, the award-winning film that explores human resilience and the power of music.

2009, Ngawang Choephel, USA, 86 min.


Fulbright scholar Ngawang Choephel returned to his homeland of Tibet in 1995 to document traditional music and dance, folk expressions that were being repressed or repurposed by Chinese political policy. Two months into this documentation, Choephel was arrested for spying and imprisoned without trial. Even in prison he continued collecting and memorizing songs from his fellow inmates. After an international campaign, Choephel was released in 2002. The resulting film presents the vitality of Tibetan tradition and voices as well as the filmmaker’s remarkable perseverance in the face of daunting obstacles. The film was honored with the World Cinema Sundance Special Jury Award in 2009.

The screening will be followed by a Q&A with documentary filmmaker, director, and producer Ngawang Choephel, moderated by Lobsang Nyanak, President of the Tibet Fund and former Representative to His Holiness the Dalai Lama to the Americas.

All ticket buyers will receive a CD of the soundtrack.

About the Speakers


Ngawang Choephel is an award-winning filmmaker and Tibetan traditional musician. He is a recipient of an Honorary Doctor of Arts Degree from Middlebury College, Peace Abbey’s Courage of Conscience Award, and Lobsang Wangyal’s Best Act in Exile Award, and he is a Sundance Institute Fellow. While filming his documentary Tibet in Song, Ngawang was arrested by Chinese authorities and accused of espionage, for which he was sentenced to 18 years in prison. Tibet in Song premiered in 2009 at the Sundance Film Festival, where it won the Special Jury Award in the World Documentary Competition.

Lobsang Nyanak is President of the Tibet Fund and former Representative to His Holiness the Dalai Lama to the Americas.

Tickets: $25.00

Member price: $20.00

Become a member today!

All ticket buyers will receive a CD of the soundtrack.

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