Langbahn Team – Weltmeisterschaft

What Remains of Us

What Remains of Us
FrenchCe qu'il reste de nous
Directed byHugo Latulippe
François Prévost
Written byHugo Latulippe
François Prévost
Produced byYves Bisaillon
François Prévost
StarringKalsang Dolma
Dalai Lama
CinematographyHugo Latulippe
François Prévost
Edited byAnnie Jean
Production
company
Nomadik Films
Distributed byNational Film Board of Canada (NFB)
Release date
  • 27 April 2004 (2004-04-27) (Hot Docs International Documentary Festival)
Running time
77 minutes
CountryCanada
LanguagesEnglish
Tibetan
French

What Remains of Us (French: Ce qu'il reste de nous) is a 2004 Canadian documentary film exploring the survival of the nonviolent resistance movement in Tibet. The documentary was shot over eight years without the knowledge of the Chinese authorities.

Synopsis

A young Tibetan from Québec, Canada, enters her homeland for the first time — carrying a clandestine video message from the 14th Dalai Lama to Tibetans inside Tibet.

Security

Released in 2004, the film raised controversy for showing the faces of 103 Tibetans speaking about human rights. Tibetans were informed of the purpose of the filming. The ones who appear made the choice to participate despite the risks.

Hoping to enhance individual safety as much as possible, the NFB implemented strict security measures to all screenings of the film: no cameras or cell phones were allowed in the theater and security guards were watching the audience with infrared night-vision equipment. The goal was to prevent copies of the images of the faces to reach Beijing PLA offices, where photos would make it easier to track and arrest participants.

According to co-director Francois Prevost, for four years circulation was limited, but in 2008 a decision was made to release the film more widely. By 2011, the film was available on Google Video and YouTube, as well as distributed as a DVD.

So far, according to a private network of information and monitoring, no participant of the film has been arrested in Tibet.

Credits

Produced by François Prévost, written and directed by François Prévost and Hugo Latulippe. Featuring: Kalsang Dolma, Tibetans from inside Tibet, and the 14th Dalai Lama of Tibet. Narrated by Kalsang Dolma. Camera: François Prévost and Hugo Latulippe. Music by: Techung, René Lussier, Kalsang Dolma Editing: Annie Jean. Sound Editing: François Senneville

Distributed initially in Québec by the National Film Board of Canada (NFB). Later distributed in Canada by Films Séville. Despite the growing success of the film, worldwide distribution had been stopped by the NFB in January 2005 due to the rising costs of security measures surrounding the film.

Awards