Close encounters: Pema Tseden

About the event

The first Tibetan at the prestigious Beijing Film Academy, a highly regarded writer and scriptwriter, whose texts have been translated into many languages, but above all a very sensitive and talented film director. In 2016, Pema Tseden attracted the attention of our audience with his poetic "Tharlo", winning a special award from the NETPAC Jury. At the 13th edition of the festival, the director will personally present two extraordinary films. 

Simple yet powerful, "Balloon" will be screened as a Tibetan representative in the New Asian Cinema competition, while visually stunning "Jinpa" is one of the titles included in this year's Masters section. 

"Close encounters" meeting after the screening of "Jinpa" provided a chance for a longer conversation with the director. We discussed his work, connections between film and literature, making films in Tibetan locations and working with local actors.