1. Pema Tseden was a professor at the China Academy of Art in Hangzhou and a member of the Film Directors Guild of China, China Film Association, and Chinese Film Literature Association.
13 Facts About Pema Tseden
1. 2.
Pema Tseden 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.
3.
Pema Tseden was born into a pastoral family, in Guide County, Qinghai, in December 1969, during the Cultural Revolution.
4.
Pema Tseden was raised by his grandfather, who was a monk.
5.
Pema Tseden was the only one of three siblings to have finished school.
6.
Pema Tseden graduated from Northwest University for Nationalities, where he majored in Tibetan Language and Literature.
7.
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.
Pema Tseden's colleagues reported that during the scuffle, he was grabbed by the hair and suffered many bruises, after which he was interrogated all night.
9.
Wang Lei, media director for Tharlo, said Pema Tseden had diabetes and was not able to medicate normally during detention.
10.
Pema Tseden was the first filmmaker in greater China to make films entirely in Tibetan language.
11.
Pema Tseden was known for his realistic portrayal of modern Tibetans, compared to the more mystical depictions often associated with the region.
12.
Pema Tseden died from heart failure on 8 May 2023, at the age of 53.
13.
Pema Tseden was about to finish the ninth film that would have been both written and directed by himself.