Renowned Tibetan filmmaker Pema Tsedan dies at 53
Pema Tseden, a prominent Tibetan filmmaker of Chinese descent, reportedly passed away on Monday. He was 53. Although the cause of his death has not been disclosed yet, some Chinese media reports suggested the filmmaker suffered a heart attack. The news of his demise was shared by the China Academy of Art, where he taught as a professor. May his soul rest in peace.
Academy issued statement confirming his demise
Tseden was recognized as one of China's most significant filmmakers—having worked extensively in the Tibetan language. "Pema Tseden...died in Tibet in the early hours of May 8 due to an acute illness," said the China Academy of Art's statement. Further, the statement also read, "Due to the sudden incident, the school will work with Mr. Tseden's family to deal with the follow-up matters."
Early life and film legacy
Tseden, who also went by his Chinese name Wanmaciadan, was reportedly born in 1969 in the Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of Qinghai Province, China. He was the first Tibetan student to graduate from the highly-prestigious, world-renowned Beijing Film Academy. Tseden made his directorial debut in 2005 with the film, The Silent Holy Stones, which won him the best director award at Shanghai International Film Festival.
Achievements and recognitions
His second film—The Search—came after a gap of four years in 2009 and won the Special Jury Prize at the Shanghai festival. Afterward, he directed Old Dog (2011), which again proved to be a milestone film for him as it won the Grand Prize at Tokyo Filmex. Soon the filmmaker became a regular fixture at these film festivals, gaining recognition for his art.
Accolades won by his other films
In 2014, Tseden won the best cinematography award at Shanghai International Film Festival for The Sacred Arrow. His last three feature films—Tharlo (2015), Jinpa (2018), and Balloon (2019)—were premiered at the prestigious Venice Film Festival. Before his demise, Tseden was working on two films: Snow Leopard, which is in the post-production stage, and another untitled film that was in the process of production.
Social media users condoled demise of filmmaker
As soon as the news broke out, fans of Tseden took to social media to pay their condolences. A user tweeted, "Despite its leisurely pace, Tseden's films stood out amongst a sea of other Tibetan-made movies, many of which were as dull and formulaic as state propaganda." Another user wrote, "Although all of us will sorely miss him, his films will remain comforting companions."
