Sir Basil Gould's Films of Tibet (1940) - extract

Highlights from the BFI National Archive's extensive collection of films shot in Tibet prior to the Chinese occupation can now be seen in the BBC/BFI co-production, 'The Lost World of Tibet' (2008). Featuring a potent interview with the Dalai Lama an extended version the documentary is available to buy on DVD from the BFI Filmstore - http://filmstore.bfi.org.uk/acatalog/...

This film was shot by Sir Basil Gould who succeeded Derek Williamson as Political Officer of Sikkim, Bhutan and Tibet in 1935. His films record two visits to Lhasa. The first, Lhasa (1936), shows his Diplomatic Mission to the Tibetan capital. His cameraman Frederick Spencer Chapman was commissioned by the BFI in 1937 to write an article for Sight and Sound magazine describing that visit ("Tibetan Horizon"). The film features an intriguing sequence of Tibetan women playing darts. (Jan Faull)

All titles on the BFI Films channel are preserved in the vast collections of the BFI National Archive. To find out more about the Archive visit http://www.bfi.org.uk/archive-collect...