If you found yourself in a situation where you knew of a home but could never go back to it, how would you feel? Three city-based filmmakers explore this question among Tibetans in exile in their award-winning short film Rangzen .
The film was made as a college final project by Santosh Chandrashekar, Aiman and Sumit Dasgupta in St Joseph’s College.
It won the Best Documentary Award at the Bangalore Shorts Film Festival, the Special Jury Award at the International Film Festival of Prayag, Delhi, and the Audience Award at the Feel the Reel International Film Festival, United Kingdom in 2017.
“We wanted to explore an idea,” adds Sumit, “The idea of being in exile for over five decades, what they think Tibet is and their idea of home. There are people in the community who have lived all their lives in India and yet identify themselves as Tibetans.”
On the title of the film, Aiman says Rangzen means freedom. “Though most of the Tibetan community doesn’t want to associate themselves with full autonomy, we felt our focus is on people who want complete freedom and do not want Tibet to be under China. The name signifies a thirst for freedom and a place that they have never seen.”
The film has also been officially selected at various film festivals, such as the International Documentary and Short Film Festival Kerala, 2016 and the Calcutta International Cult Film Festival, 2017.
“The Tibetans run a government in exile; they have everything — from political parties to elections. The Tibetans comprise of monks, normal residents and the government — so it is a mixture of people in their community with one thing connecting them, their lost country. But no one really knows these things,” says Aiman.
They shot most of the film in Bylakuppe near Madikeri. “It is the largest Tibetan settlement in the country,” notes Santosh. “It is also the most successful settlement in terms of their adaptability. We went to Bylakuppe around the time of the Tibetan New Year. The entire place seemed surreal. You didn’t feel like you were in Karnataka, but as if you had travelled to Tibet itself. This was typical of how they were trying to hold on to their culture in the midst of a foreign land.”
Aiman points out that “It was a huge learning experience because we have all been so ignorant for so long about a community that has been living among us.” Sumit adds: “We are hoping the film will be a learning experience for the audience as well.”
On the reception, Santosh says: “There were not many people who were aware of the whole Tibetan issue. It is only after watching the film that they got an idea of what is happening. There is a great lack of understanding and knowledge among the masses. We are hoping this film changes that.”
He adds they have had positive feedback from everyone, including the Tibetan community. “We have also had people walk up to us asking how they could be of help. The feedback has been to look at the larger picture, beyond Bylakuppe, and that is what we are currently aspiring for.”
