Screening with an exclusive introduction by bestselling travel writer, novelist and essayist, Pico Iyer, author of The Open Road: The Global Journey of the Fourteenth Dalai Lama.

For over fifty years the Dalai Lama of Tibet has waged a non-violent struggle in exile to bring attention to the plight of his people and save their unique culture and religion. This richly textured story interweaves an inspiring portrayal of the spiritual leader and Nobel Laureate with the urgent plight of his homeland under Chinese occupation. Hear as he describes his upbringing and key moments in his life, including his journey to Beijing at nineteen to confront Mao Zedong, and fleeing to India at twenty, alongside historic, never-before-seen footage and an entrancing score by Philip Glass.

Pico Iyer is the author of fifteen books, translated into twenty-three languages, and has been a contributor for more than thirty years to Time, The New York Times, Harper’s Magazine, the Los Angeles Times, and more than 250 other periodicals worldwide. His four recent talks for TED have received more than ten million views.

The film will be available for 48 hours from when you start the stream. Please note streaming is only possible from inside Canada. Need assistance? Visit our FAQ page or email us at streamingsupport@hotdocs.ca.