“Snow Leopard” Takes Home Best Film Award at Tokyo Film Festival
By Xiao Yang, Reporter for Beijing Youth Daily
In a deserved triumph, director Pema Tseden’s posthumous masterpiece, “Snow Leopard”, produced by iQiyi Pictures, was honored with the Best Film Award at the 36th Tokyo International Film Festival. This poignant win was bittersweet, as lead actor Kim Ba emotionally acknowledged the absence of director Pema Tseden while accepting the award, stating, “You are not here today, but our film won this (trophy).” The significance of this recognition was further emphasized by Xiong Ziqi, who expressed eternal gratitude to Director Wanma Tseden for introducing him to the world of movies and the profound experience of “Snow Leopard”. Tsai Ding Tashi also paid tribute to the late director, remarking, “It feels like the teacher (Wanma Tseden) is here today, thank you teacher.”
“Snow Leopard” marks Wanma Tseden’s 8th Tibetan film, born out of his creative impulse during the escape from the Xining epidemic in Qinghai province last year. The film took three years to complete, from scriptwriting to final production. With “Snow Leopard,” Wanma Tseden presents a new chapter in his filmography, offering audiences a glimpse into his fresh understanding of Tibetan life, culture, and the power of love that blossoms amidst challenging conditions.
The snow leopard, an endangered and protected species worldwide, holds significant spiritual symbolism in Tibetan beliefs. In “Snow Leopard,” the film revolves around the event of “a snow leopard killing nine Jie sheep.” Each side views the incident from their own perspective, resulting in a clash of opinions that prove hard to reconcile. Throughout the film, the demands made by each party seem reasonable, yet fail to yield a definitive resolution. However, the connection between the snow leopards and the character “Snow Leopard Lama” serves as a surreal depiction of compassion and mutual respect. Through the lens of Snow Leopard and Snow Leopard Lama, their interactions become not only a dreamlike reunion of cherished memories but also an attempt to bridge the gap between opposing camps.
In Wanma Tseden’s Tibetan film universe, animals have always played a significant and symbolic role in conveying the director’s philosophy. In “Snow Leopard,” the majestic and holy natural surroundings of Tibetan regions serve as the backdrop for the film’s exploration of the interdependent relationship between “heaven, earth, humans, and beasts” on the plateau. Employing advanced CG technology extensively for the first time, the spiritual and surreal interaction between snow leopards and people exemplifies an equal reverence for life, a shared existence, and a compassionate spirituality.
Jinba, who has collaborated with Wanma Tseden multiple times, expressed his heartfelt gratitude to the director for his unwavering trust. Xiong Ziqi, who experienced the privilege of working with the director for the first time on “Snow Leopard,” acknowledged how it profoundly impacted him, unveiling a newfound appreciation for the intricate connection between humans, nature, and animals. Caiting Tashi also extended special thanks to Wanma Caidan for guiding him, an ordinary individual unfamiliar with the world of films. According to Caiting Tashi, “Snow Leopard” is a testament to the beauty of nature and the magnificence of love.
Original title: “Snow Leopard”, the posthumous work of director Wanma Tseden, won the Best Film Award at the Tokyo Film Festival
Beijing Youth Daily reporter, Xiao Yang
The day before yesterday, “Snow Leopard”, the posthumous work of director Pema Tseden, produced by iQiyi Pictures, won the Best Film Award at the 36th Tokyo International Film Festival. While accepting the award, lead actor Kim Ba told the director Pema Tseden in the air: “You are not here today, but our film won this (trophy).” Xiong Ziqi said: “I will always thank Director Wanma Tsaden for taking me to the world of movies and the world of Snow Leopard. I will miss him forever.” Tsai Ding Tashi said: “It feels like the teacher (Wanma Tseden) is here today, thank you teacher.”
“Snow Leopard” is the 8th Tibetan film directed by Wanma Tseden, which originated from director Wanma Tseden’s conception and insight while escaping the epidemic in Xining, Qinghai in 2020. From the completion of the script to the completion of filming , it took three years. “Snow Leopard” is also a new development in the Wanma Tseden film sequel. The audience can feel the hope of love from the cold environment, as well as director Wanma Tseden’s new understanding of Tibetan life, the world and culture.
The snow leopard is a protected endangered animal in the world, and is also the incarnation of the holy spirit in the Tibetan belief system. In “Snow Leopard”, an event where “a snow leopard killed nine Jie sheep” is used as the case The story of the snow leopard and Jie sheep Each party has its own clear point of view, but neither party can the other to convince the other party to agree The apparently reasonable demands in the film have reached an end during the event, and it is difficult to get a perfect answer. In the film, not only are snow leopards and people opposed or superficially identified with each other, but the surreal connection between snow leopards and the character “Snow Leopard Lama” in the film shows a picture of compassion and mutual respect. Looking at each other through the eyes of Snow Leopard and Snow Leopard Lama, they are not only a dreamy reunion from the depths of their memories, but also an act to resolve the opposition in their respective camps…
In the Tibetan film universe directed by Wanma Tseden, animals have always been an important image and an expressive medium to convey his philosophy. This time, the snow leopard becomes the core narrative subject, making the film more focused on exploring the interdependent relationship between “heaven, earth, humans and beasts” on the plateau. For the first time, the film uses high industrial level CG technology on a large scale. In the majestic and sacred natural environment of Tibetan areas, the spiritual and surreal interaction between snow leopards and people also shows the equal respect for life, agreed coexistence and compassionate spirituality.
Jinba, who has collaborated with the director Wanma Tseden many times, expressed his special thanks to the director for trusting him. Xiong Ziqi, who was working with a director for the first time, admitted that taking part in “Snow Leopard” was the luckiest thing in his life. From that, he felt that the relationship between humans, nature and animals is an important issue in life . Caiting Tashi also expressed his special thanks to the director Wanma Caidan for being guided by an ordinary person who knew nothing about the world of films. In his opinion, “Snow Leopard” expresses the love for nature and the Pa how wonderful love is.
#Snow #Leopard #director #Pema #Tsedens #posthumous #work #wins #Film #Award #Tokyo #Film #Festival #Culture #Entertainment #China #Industry #Network
