07. Jan 2010
China withdraws films in protest over Dalai Lama documentary
(CBC) Two Chinese films have been pulled from the 21st Annual Palm Springs International Film Festival in protest over a documentary about the life of the Dalai Lama. Representatives from the Chinese government met with festival director Darryl Macdonald to request the cancellation of the film 'The Sun Behind the Clouds: Tibet's Struggle for Freedom', by Tibetan filmmaker Tenzing Sonam and his Indian wife Ritu Sarin, according to a statement on the festival website. When Macdonald refused to pull the film, the Chinese withdrew the films 'City of Life and Death' and 'Quick, Quick, Slow'. Macdonald said he was saddened by the decision but that agreeing to the Beijing's demands would have set a bad precedent. He said: "We cannot allow the concerns of one country or community to dictate what films we should or should not play, based on their own cultural or political perspective".