The film to kickoff the series was renowned filmmaker Pema Tseden's Sacred Arrow, a Tibetan love story about archery, expectations and the meaning of winning in a time of change. It has been our honor to work with Pema Tseden since his earliest days of filmmaking. Pema was the first Machik Weekend keynote speaker from Tibet, and he was a sensational lecturer at Machik's 2013 Summer Enrichment Program (SEP) at Tsongonpo in Amdo, Tibet.
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Trailer : Sacred Arrow
Summary
“For more than a thousand years, two villages in the Amdo region of Tibet have competed in an annual archery competition, mostly for bragging rights, but also to keep the peace, which has lasted for hundreds of years. In the present day, however, the fight for the contest’s “Sacred Arrow” prize, representing strength and bravery, becomes something more personal when a love triangle forms around the participants. After archer Dradong loses the contest for the second year in a row to the champion Nyima, he feels the pressure to win back honor in his village. Tensions escalate when Dradong finds his younger sister, Deskyid, romantically involved with his arch nemesis, Nyima. The two rivals clash again, leading to violence, until a second archery contest is devised to settle the score, once and for all. But will it be enough to keep the peace?” - from Seattle International Film Festival
Filmmaker Bio
Pema Tseden was born in the Amdo region of Tibet. Son of pastoralists, he studied at the Northwest Nationalities University in Lanzhou. He worked as a teacher and civil servant while writing and publishing to critical acclaim in Tibetan and Chinese. In 2002, he was the first Tibetan to attend the Beijing Film Academy and in 2005 his film, Silent Holy Stones , won the PRC's top film award, the Golden Rooster, or Best Directorial Debut. he Search (2009) won the Special Jury Award at the 12th Shanghai International Film Festival. Old Dog (2011) won Best Picture in the Tokyo International Film Festival, and Sacred Arrow (2014) won the Golden Goblet at the 17th Shanghai International Film Festival. Tharlo (2015) was nominated for a Golden Lion at the Venice International Film Festival. Pema Tseden's latest release is Balloon (2019) which premiered in North America at the Toronto International Film Festival.
Follow us: @machik_online and @EatonHouse
Trailer : Sacred Arrow
Summary
“For more than a thousand years, two villages in the Amdo region of Tibet have competed in an annual archery competition, mostly for bragging rights, but also to keep the peace, which has lasted for hundreds of years. In the present day, however, the fight for the contest’s “Sacred Arrow” prize, representing strength and bravery, becomes something more personal when a love triangle forms around the participants. After archer Dradong loses the contest for the second year in a row to the champion Nyima, he feels the pressure to win back honor in his village. Tensions escalate when Dradong finds his younger sister, Deskyid, romantically involved with his arch nemesis, Nyima. The two rivals clash again, leading to violence, until a second archery contest is devised to settle the score, once and for all. But will it be enough to keep the peace?” - from Seattle International Film Festival
Filmmaker Bio
Pema Tseden was born in the Amdo region of Tibet. Son of pastoralists, he studied at the Northwest Nationalities University in Lanzhou. He worked as a teacher and civil servant while writing and publishing to critical acclaim in Tibetan and Chinese. In 2002, he was the first Tibetan to attend the Beijing Film Academy and in 2005 his film, Silent Holy Stones , won the PRC's top film award, the Golden Rooster, or Best Directorial Debut. he Search (2009) won the Special Jury Award at the 12th Shanghai International Film Festival. Old Dog (2011) won Best Picture in the Tokyo International Film Festival, and Sacred Arrow (2014) won the Golden Goblet at the 17th Shanghai International Film Festival. Tharlo (2015) was nominated for a Golden Lion at the Venice International Film Festival. Pema Tseden's latest release is Balloon (2019) which premiered in North America at the Toronto International Film Festival.