Pema Tseden (1969–2023)

Abstract

By the time of his sudden and unexpected death in May 2023, the Tibetan filmmaker Pema Tseden had changed the face of cinema from China. He was not only China’s first ethnic Tibetan feature filmmaker, but also an internationally awarded and recognized auteur. Furthermore, his films corrected the existing cinematic imagery of Tibet by countering both Chinese and Hollywood exoticism with a cycle of realist films that articulate the view from within the Tibetan lifeworld. In this essay, Chris Berry argues Pema had recently embarked on a second phase that explored the interior world of Tibetans with explorations of subjectivity, including the visions and thoughts women characters, who were more central than in his earlier films. Finally, by supporting the careers of other Tibetan filmmakers and inspiring a younger generation, Pema’s legacy will continue to grow beyond his own films.