Tibetan Resistance Film ‘Four Rivers Six Ranges' To Premiere At International Film Festival In Rotterdam

ROTTERDAM: The gripping tale of Tibetan armed resistance against China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) in the late 1950s, with many fighters finding refuge in the Darjeeling hills, is set to make its debut at the prestigious International Film Festival in Rotterdam, Netherlands. The English-language film Four Rivers Six Ranges, directed by Shenpenn Khymsar, is scheduled to be screened at the festival on February 1.

Khymsar told the media, "We are thrilled to announce that Four Rivers Six Ranges has been selected to be premiered at the prestigious 54th International Film Festival Rotterdam on February 1."

The film, set on a grand scale, is produced by Dorjee Wangdi Dewatshang and stars Tenzin Dhondup and Thupten Chukhatsang in leading roles. It is also adapted from the book Flight at the Cuckoo’s Behest: The Life and Times of a Tibetan Freedom Fighter by Kunga Samten Dewatshang.

Khymsar stated that while many scenes of the film were shot in Mustang, near the China border in Nepal, it maintains a strong connection to Darjeeling. Khymsar said, "Producer Dorjee Wangdi Dewatshang is a student of St Augustine’s School in Kalimpong, and so is one of the principal actors, Thupten Chukhatsang. In fact, the core team is from the Darjeeling hills."

Khymsar, who grew up in Kurseong, is currently based in the US. The Darjeeling-based crew members include editor Akhilesh Rai, production designer Mercy Simick Azem, art director Neden Yolmo, and assistant director Daniel Rai.

The film on Tibetan nationalism is inspired by real-life stories. Khymsar explained, "Many warriors took up armed struggle against the Chinese occupation of Tibet from 1958. Many of these warriors later resettled in Darjeeling, where they eventually passed away."

Khymsar explained, "Although the Dalai Lama entered India through Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh in 1959, many Tibetans had been coming to India via Kalimpong even earlier. Indo-Tibetan trade flourished through Kalimpong at that time. Gyalo Thondup, one of the Dalai Lama’s brothers, who fled Tibet in 1952 and played a crucial role in establishing links between the Tibetan government in exile and the wider world, was largely based in Kalimpong. Thondup had also secured the approval of then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru for granting political asylum to the Dalai Lama in 1959."

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