Kundun

+ intro by writer Ian Haydn Smith

Scorsese and Glass worked closely together to produce this picture following the 14th Dalai Lama from 1937 to 1959.

  • Director

    Martin Scorsese

  • With

    Tenzin Thuthob Tsarong, Gyurme Tethong, Tencho Gyalpo

  • USA 1997. 134min

  • 35mm

  • Certificate

    12A

A breathtaking visual and aural experience, Scorsese’s magisterial epic charts the early life of the Dalai Lama, from his being identified, aged two, as the 14th Dalai Lama to his escape from Tibet following its annexation by China. Glass, a Buddhist, worked on the film throughout the shoot and edit, combining Western and Tibetan instruments. From the earlier, playful scenes capturing a child’s sense of wonder to the extended escape sequence, this is a marvel of music and image – of two artists collaborating at the height of their powers.

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