Pema Tseden (Tibetan: པད་མ་ཚེ་བརྟན།, Wylie: pad ma tshe brtan), also called Wanma Caidan (simplified Chinese: 万玛才旦; traditional Chinese: 萬瑪才旦; pinyin: Wàn mǎ cái dàn; December 1969 – 8 May 2023) was a Chinese Tibetan film director and screenwriter.[1] He was a professor at the China Academy of Art in Hangzhou[2] 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, who was a monk.[3] He was the only one of three siblings to have finished school.[4] 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.[4][5]
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.[8] 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.[9] The Film Directors Guild of China issued a statement calling for an investigation into whether the police had used excessive force.[10]
Pema Tseden was the first filmmaker in greater China to make films entirely in Tibetan language.[10] He was known for his realistic portrayal of modern Tibetans, compared to the more mystical depictions often associated with the region.[8]
Filmmakers are starting to more accurately capture the essence of life in Tibet. They are starting to let go of the old stereotypes.
— Pema Tseden, The New York Times
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.[11][12] He had a son.[2]
Enticement: Stories of Tibet, translated by Patricia Schiaffini-Vedani and Michael Monhart, Albany, NY: State University of New York Press ISBN9781438474267[13]
(in French)Tenzing Sonam, Une tempête tranquille: Pema Tseden et l'émergence du cinéma tibétain, Monde chinois n° 31 (Automne 2012) Tibet : créer pour résister
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