(An Interview with Norah Shapiro,
Director of Miss Tibet Film)
“Things are terrible in Tibet,” says Shapiro.
Over one hundred Tibetans have self-immolated in desparate warning for the world
to pay attention. “However,” the director continues in sadness, “the world does
not.”
“It took seven years for me to make this
film,” she says.
The Global Peace Film Festival takes
place annually in the city of Orlando and Winter Park. It is a good chance for
people to be entertained and gain knowledge, especially to promote peace. There
were a few dozen films presented during the festival. This event takes place
for one week from the end of September to the beginning of October, 2015. One
film in this festival was Miss
Tibet—Beauty in Exile; Norah Shapiro is the director. After the film,
director Shapiro remained on stage to lead the question and answer section. Then
a student privately interviews her for half an hour.
Miss
Tibet presents there was
a 2011 beauty pageant in Dharamsala, India where a community of Tibetan
refugees live. Six beautiful Tibetan girls came to compete against each other from
different parts of the world such as Switzerland, Australia, India, and
America. They competed about the beauty of the face and body, of course.
Furthermore, other parts of the pageant required the performance of modernity in candidates (such as speaking
English) while intergrating Tibetan culture. They stressed modernization, not
Westernization. After the committee announced the third and the second prize,
they crowned Tenzin Yangkyi,
from Zurich, Switzerland, Miss Tibet 2011.
Through the film, Mrs. Shapiro shows how
a normal family of Tibetan refugees live in America. Like refugees from other
nations, the first Tibetan generation has to work hard to survive in America.
Having no degree, they have to find a low-skilled job to pay for food, housing,
a car, and their children’s education. As a result, most of them cannot study,
so they only speak limited English. Nonetheless, they can maintain, appreciate,
and transmit Tibetan culture and religion to at least their second generation.
The second generation, the main character
in the film Tenzin
Khecheo, 20, for example, has
the chance to study in the American educational system. Mrs. Shapiro’s opinion
is that it is hard for the second generation to both embrace American culture
(including the language and education) and maintain Tibetan culture (including
the language and religion). It seems that the American melting pot is
assimilating them. The Tibetan refugees seem happy and safe outside of Tibet. On
the contrary, what about Tibetan citizens in the territory?
“There is no
religious freedom,” Shapiro cried, almost in tears. “[The
Tibetans] are not even allowed to say His holiness’s name! Their culture has
been destroyed...They are being treated as second class citizens...They are not
allowed to practice their culture and religion,” the director of the film
continued with great emotion.
Over one hundred Tibetans have self-immolated
in desparation begging the world to pay attention. Not only the monastics but
also average citizens, such as young men, mothers with young children, have burned
themselves. That is very, very painful for Tibetans. It tells how extremly
serious they are.
Mrs. Shapiro
explains that she did not go to Tibet, for she did not know whether or not she
could receive the visa. “The Dalai Lama cannot be in Tibet also.”
However, the
world does not, the director sadly shared.
Referring to the Dalai Lama, Mrs. Shapiro
states, “I think he’s remarkable and I think he’s a wonderful person that the
world does not get very often.” “And he
is a treasure not for only Tibet but for the humanity,” she concluded happily.
The director also uses the film to show opinions
from both sides of the pageant were controversial. The pro-Miss Tibet people explain they need to keep Tibetan culture. Tibetan
culture confronts the risk of Westernization for young Tibetans who live around
the world. This is a contest to encourage them to embrace their culture. Also,
the duty of the Tibetan ladies who win this contest and become famous is to
continue non-violent protest for Tibetan freedom. In addition, they would offer
parts of their winnings to help Tibetan refugees. Moreover, in an interview, a
Tibetan Buddhist monk agreed with the pageant that this contest does not harm
anyone. Therefore, it is ethical to continue.
The opposing views are strong. The
Prime Minister of the Tibetan Government-in-Exile Samdong Rinpoche disagreed.
The reason is first, it does not Tibetan culture. Second, "We are firm
believers in the fact that the body is the home of the conscience. Beauty is
skin deep and there can be no such contest of individuals wherein inner virtues
could be put to test," he said. The Minister for Religion and Education of
the Tibetan Government-in-Exile Mr. Thupten Lungrig, also disagreed, “the
cultures and traditions of India and Tibet were somewhat alike and exposure by
girls was not considered acceptable” (1). Furthermore, the arguments about the justice,
equality, and transparency of the pageant happened right after the contest. A
group of people went to meet Mr. Lobsang Wangyal, director of the Miss Tibet, to double check the votes
which formed the Miss Tibet. He answered that the box disappeared.
“These could be the views of the Prime
Minister and the government, but not of the Tibetan people in general,” said
Mr. Wangyal. “‘Moreover, the pageant is not a part of the governmental
programme.’"
“When
one reads the words 'Miss Tibet', Tibet is thought of as a separate entity and
not a part of China,” explained the director.
Anyway,
in the website Miss Tibet (2), there
are pictures of Miss Tibets from many years, from 2015, 2014, 2013…back to
2004, 2003, and 2002.
Mrs. Shapiro and the interviewer at Rollins college in October, 2015
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