Pema Tseden (), also called Wanma Caidan (; December 1969 – 8 May 2023) was a Tibetan film director and screenwriter. He was a professor at the China Academy of Art in Hangzhou and a member of the Film Directors Guild of China, China Film Association, and Chinese Film Literature Association. He is known for making many films entirely in Tibetan language and presenting a more realistic depiction of Tibetan life as opposed to the exoticism often associated with the region.
Biography
Early life and education Pema Tseden was born into a pastoral family, in Guide County, Qinghai, in December 1969, during the Cultural Revolution. He was raised by his grandfather, a monk, who also paid for Pema Tseden's education. In an interview he mentioned that his grandfather believed him to be the reincarnation of his uncle, who was a person of knowledge. He was the only one of three siblings to have finished school. He graduated from Northwest University for Nationalities, where he majored in Tibetan Language and Literature. After graduation, he worked as a primary school teacher and a civil servant. Then he pursued advanced studies at China's most prestigious film school, Beijing Film Academy, where he became the Academy's first-ever Tibetan student.
Career Pema Tseden's debut work, The Silent Holy Stones, won the Best Directorial Debut at the 25th Golden Rooster Awards, Asian New Talent Award for Best Director at the 9th Shanghai International Film Festival, Special Jury Award at the 8th Changchun Film Festival, and Best First Feature at the 13th Beijing College Student Film Festival.
In 2009, Soul Searching won the Special Jury Award at the 12th Shanghai International Film Festival and was nominated for Golden Goblet Award.
Tharlo, a film adaptation based on the novel of the same name by himself, won the Best Adapted Screenplay at the 52nd Golden Horse Film Festival and Awards, also prizes in the 23rd Beijing College Student Film Festival, and the film was nominated for Golden Lion at the 72nd Venice International Film Festival.
In June 2016, Pema Tseden was detained by police after attempting to re-enter the baggage claim area at Xining airport to retrieve one of his luggage. The police said he refused to cooperate and suffered three cuts where the handcuff dug into his skin. His colleagues reported that during the scuffle, he was grabbed by the hair and suffered many bruises, after which he was interrogated all night. On Saturday, he was ordered to serve administrative detention but was hospitalized the following Monday after experiencing headaches, chest pains, and high blood sugar. Wang Lei, media director for Tharlo, said Pema Tseden had diabetes and was not able to medicate normally during detention. The Film Directors Guild of China issued a statement calling for an investigation into whether the police had used excessive force.
Pema Tseden was the first filmmaker in greater China to make films entirely in Tibetan language. He was known for his realistic portrayal of modern Tibetans, compared to the more mystical depictions often associated with the region.
Death Pema Tseden died from heart failure on 8 May 2023, at the age of 53. He was about to finish the ninth film that would have been both written and directed by himself. He had a son.
Filmography
Film Year English title Tibetan title Chinese title Director 2002 The Silent Holy Stones 2004 The Grassland The Weatherman's Legacy 2005The Last Hail Suppresso末代防雹师 2007 Soul Searching (or The Search) 2011 Old Dog 2009 Flares Wafting in 1983 2014 The Sacred Arrow 2015 Tharlo2017My Little Lama 我的小喇嘛 2018 Jinpa 2019 Balloon 2020Cordyceps 冬虫夏草 SingerScreen writer 2022Eternal Day永恒的一天 DirectorStrangers 2023Seventeen Mile十七英里 Snow Leopard 雪豹 2024Have a nice trip 祝你旅途愉快
Bibliography Enticement: Stories of Tibet, translated by Patricia Schiaffini-Vedani and Michael Monhart, Albany, NY: State University of New York Press
Awards Year Award Category Work Result Notes 2005 25th Golden Rooster Awards Best Directorial Debut The Silent Holy Stones 10th Busan International Film Festival New Currents Award 2006 9th Shanghai International Film Festival Asian New Talent Award for Best Director 8th Changchun Film Festival Best Director Special Jury Award 13th Beijing College Student Film Festival Best First Feature 2007 7th Chinese Film Media Award Best New Director 2009 12th Shanghai International Film Festival Golden Goblet Soul Searching Special Jury Award 7th Bangkok International Film Festival Grand Jury Prize 62nd Locarno International Film Festival Best Film 25th Warsaw International Film Festival 3rd Seoul Digital Film Festival 53rd London International Film Festival Nantes Three Continents Film Festival 16th Beijing University Film Festival 2011 12th Tokyo Future International Film Festival Best Picture Old Dog 2012 Brooklyn Film Festival Best Native Feature 2014 17th Shanghai International Film Festival Golden Goblet The Sacred Arrow 2015 Chinese Film Directors Association Screenwriter of the Year 72nd Venice International Film Festival Golden Lion Tharlo 52nd Golden Horse Film Festival and Awards Best Director Best Adapted Screenplay Best Feature Film 2016 23rd Beijing College Student Film Festival Artistic Exploration Award Best Picture Best Director 22nd Visul Asia International Film Festival Golden Tricycle Award Paris Oriental Language Award 16th Tokyo Filmex Best Film Student Jury Award 12th China Independent Film Exhibition Best Film of the Year 17th Chinese Film Media Awards Best Film Best Director Best Screenplay 2017 31st Golden Rooster Awards Best Low-budget Feature 2018 75th Venice International Film Festival Best Screenplay Jinpa 55th Golden Horse Awards Best Director Best 3rd Lizhi International Film Festival Best Film 2019 76th Venice International Film Festival Balloon 2019 Toronto International Film Festival Contemporary World Cinema 24th Busan International Film Festival A Window on Asian Cinema 20th Tokyo Filmex Asia-Pacific Film Festival Best Film 5th Chicago International Film Festival Best Screenplay 2nd Hainan Island International Film Festival Best Film
References
External links
Pema Tseden biography by Dhondup T. Rekjong on The Treasury of Lives (peer reviewed), published July 19, 2023
The Doctor, by Pema Tseden. Thomas Sotinel, Au milieu d'une avalanche de tragédies, deux films illuminent Locarno, Le Monde, 16 août 2009 Tenzing Sonam, Une tempête tranquille: Pema Tseden et l'émergence du cinéma tibétain, Monde chinois n° 31 (Automne 2012) Tibet : créer pour résister