IV Cultural Festival of Tibet and Peoples of the Himalaya Ends
Paris, France, September 8, 2003: The IV Cultural Festival of Tibet and the Peoples of the Himalaya, in Paris, was inaugurated on September 6 by former Kalon Tripa, Mr. Kelsang Yeshi, who is on a visit to the city. The two-day festival from September 6 to 7 was organised by the Maison Du Tibet under the Bureau Du Tibet, France. The festival attracted about 10,500 people last year.
The main attraction of the two-day event was the replica of ‘Tibetan village’. It attempted
to create an ambience of Tibetan village, replicating a Tibetan home, a section for sacred Tibetan arts exhibiting thangkas and thangka painting, another section exhibiting artisans in form of wood-curving, metal sculpture and weaving.
The artisans were especially invited from the Norbulingka Institute for Tibetan Culture, India
Yak and Senge dances were the highlights of the ‘Tibetan evening’ – an open-air evening of dances and songs – yesterday. Other features included photo exhibitions, film shows, Tibetan and Indian restaurants, shops, stalls for Tibet Support Groups and Buddhist Associations, lectures, story telling and dances from the Tibetan Community, France, Mr. Tshering Wangdi from Paris and Ms Yangdu Tso from Brussels. A contingent of Tibetan dog khyi (nomad dogs) is on show as well.
The venue of festival, Bois de Vincennces, is a large green belt park in the 12th district of Paris. While the photo shows and other Tibetan artifacts were exhibited in Pagoda, the film shows were held in the Kagyu Dzong. The shops, lectures and stalls by associations and Buddhist centres were located in a vast open-air field adjacent to the monastery.
Among the highlights were the lectures on ‘The Mountains, Lakes and Rivers of Tibet’ by Dr. Fabrice Midal and on The Environmental Degradation in Tibet by Mrs. Fancoise Bonzon of Eco-Tibet, France. The focus therefore continued to be on the environment of Tibet. Last year there was also a lecture on “Kailash -the Mountain between the Land and the Sky”. Perhaps it reflects the immense feeling of fraternity amongst French people for the Tibetans as ‘the people of the mountains’, in particular Mt. Kailash and Mt. Everest.
For the film buffs there were range of choices among which are: “Le trottoires de Lhassa, by Marie Louville, on prostitution in Lhasa, Everest, Bouddhisme et Dollars by Nina Barbier on trekking, religion and money, Le dieu de la danse by Richard Kohn, on mani rimdru performed by Kaybji Trulshik Rinpoche. A la recherche de Kundun, by Michael Wilson on making of Kundun by Martin Scorcese and The Forbidden Team, by Ramsus Dinesen and Arnold Kroigaard, on Tibetan football team’s efforts to play football in Europe, were the others films on show.
The festival was undoubtedly the main Tibet related cultural event of the year in the French capital.
The festival was well attended and successful in creating Tibet awareness among the people of France.
a report by office of Tibet, Paris