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When The Dragon Swallowed The Sun review

Dirk Simon's documentary about Tibet's struggle for independence

Reviews
By Simon Kinnear published 10 August 2013

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With a Yorke/Philip Glass soundtrack, access to the Dalai Lama and Richard Gere cameo, Dirk Simon’s documentary about Tibet’s struggle for independence would seem to push the right populist buttons.

Yet it’s a surprisingly downbeat, reflective affair, as interviews with leaders and activists reveal an unsure movement rife with internal divisions.

It's a fascinating study of the limits of protest, but also a disjointed film; each new witness shifts us further away from the central thread into increasingly dry political debate.

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