'Man of Peace' film screens for Tibetan Identity Preservation Week

The Tibet Museum screened the animated film ‘Man of Peace’ in Dharamsala as part of the Tibetan National Identity Preservation Week. The film, a 21-episode series on the Dalai Lama's life, aims to preserve Tibetan culture using digital media.

From the screening of 'Man of Peace' (Photo/ANI)

The Tibet Museum, Department of Information and International Relations (DIIR), Central Tibetan Administration (CTA), screened the animated film ‘Man of Peace’ on Wednesday at the Maximus Mall in Dharamsala as part of the ongoing Tibetan National Identity Preservation Week.

The initiative follows a decision by the Kashag (Cabinet) of the Central Tibetan Administration on August 21, 2026, to observe the fourth week of September every year as Tibetan National Identity Preservation Week. The initiative seeks to promote greater awareness and commitment towards preserving the Tibetan language, culture, religion, heritage and values. The screening of ‘Man of Peace’ is part of this year’s observance and seeks to introduce audiences to the life and message of the 14th Dalai Lama through animation and contemporary digital storytelling.

A Historic Moment for CTA

Tenzin Topdhen, Director of the Tibet Museum, told ANI that the premiere marked an important milestone for the museum, with the project taking around five years to complete. “Today is the premiere of the movie ‘Man of Peace’, produced and curated by the Tibet Museum. This is one of the very important projects because it took around five years to get it done. We know that we are in the digital era and the way we disseminate information has drastically changed,” Topdhen said.

He said the project was an effort to reach a wider audience through contemporary technology. “Hardly will you see an animation on the life of the Dalai Lama, so I think this is one of the historic moments for the Central Tibetan Administration,” he said.

Episode Details and Future Plans

According to Topdhen, the six-hour animated series has been divided into 21 episodes, and the screening is being made available to the public free of charge. “Today, we are premiering two episodes. The topic of the first episode is the 13th Dalai Lama, and the second one is the search for the reincarnation of the 14th Dalai Lama. The duration is 30 minutes. First, we will show it in Hindi, followed by English,” he said.

He added that the museum plans to screen two episodes every month, with the entire six-hour series expected to be completed over a period of 12 months. Topdhen said the project could eventually be expanded into more languages.

“Right now, it is in dual language, Hindi and English, but the scope is unlimited. We may come up with Spanish, Italian, Russian, or we may come up with Chinese as well,” he said.

Preserving Culture in the Digital Era

The initiative, he added, was intended to use digital technology as a means of preserving Tibetan cultural identity beyond the week-long observance. “Through digital technology, we are trying to preserve not only for a week, but as long as this digital era will live,” Topdhen said.

Viewers' Impressions

Visitors attending the screening also shared their impressions of the film. Rohit Kapoor, a viewer, told ANI that the film traces the history of the Tibetan people, including their journey into exile and the difficulties they faced. “We came here to watch this movie ‘Man of Peace’. The entire show was sponsored by the Tibetan Foundation. It traces out the history of the Tibetan people, like how they came into exile and their sufferings,” Kapoor said.

He added that the film portrays the Tibetan struggle and conveys lessons about dealing with difficulties and persevering through challenging circumstances. For Bhavya Kumar, a visitor from Rajasthan, the screening provided an opportunity to learn about Tibetan culture and the issues faced by Tibetans. “It’s a very new experience for me because I belong to a very different culture from Rajasthan. I am not very much habitual of understanding this area, so it was my first experience,” Kumar told ANI.

He described the storytelling as good and said the screening helped him understand Tibetan culture, the difficulties faced by Tibetans and the spiritual journey of the Dalai Lama.

The Tibetan National Identity Preservation Week is being observed during the fourth week of September, with the CTA seeking to use the occasion to encourage wider engagement with Tibetan language, culture, religion, heritage and values. (ANI)

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