WOW Tharlo (PG)

Director: Pema Tseden

Starring: Shide Nyima, Yang Shik Tso

Tibet 2015, 2 hours 3 minutes, Tibetan with English subtitles, B/W

Shot in long takes in striking black and white, this beguiling fable subtly explores the changing face of Tibet. Leaving the solitude of the high Himalayas behind, Tharlo, a simple shepherd has to go into town to get his ID photo taken. There he meets the vivacious Yangchuo a thoroughly modern Tibetan who loves to smoke, drink and go karaoke singing. Smitten and disoriented, Tharlo returns to tend his sheep in the vast empty mountains but can’t forget the lure of a different life. Nyima’s compelling central performance brilliantly captures Tharlo’s confusion at his fateful first encounter with a new world.

“a beautifully judged picture” Wendy Ide, Screen International

Winner Best Screenplay Golden Horse Festival 2015

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