Moving from Tibet to Beijing, Drolma reconciles big dreams with harsh realities
The Tibetan Girl follows the life of Drolma, a young Tibetan singer struggling to adapt to life in Beijing. Born and raised in Ngawa, a Tibetan autonomous prefecture in southwestern China, Drolma was brought up in the Buddhist tradition and was used to the slow pace of life on the Tibetan plateau. In contrast, the fast rhythms of urban life in Beijing, shaped by Han Chinese customs, feel unfamiliar to her. Yet, instead of returning home, Drolma aspires to a larger stage – a life in which she can share Tibetan music and culture both overseas and across the world. Crafting a coming-of-age story with both familiar and distinctive contours, the Chinese filmmaker Jin Huaqing evocatively draws out modern tensions of globalisation, identity and ambition through Drolma’s journey.
Director: Jin Huaqing
Website: Women’s Voices Now

videoWork
Like a cheery Sisyphus, Fred dismantles an industrial chimney one brick at a time
12 minutes

videoMusic
A riveting audiovisual dive into what makes sounds harmonious, or not
28 minutes

videoAgeing and death
Memories of friends and neighbours light the streets of a seaside village in England
11 minutes

videoHome
Life moves slowly in a Romanian mountain village, shaped by care and the seasons
13 minutes

videoNature and landscape
‘A culture is no better than its woods’ – what our trees reveal about us, by W H Auden
5 minutes

videoGender
A catchy tune explains the world’s ‘isms’ – according to your mum doing the laundry
5 minutes

videoAnimals and humans
One man’s quest to save an orphaned squirrel, as narrated by David Attenborough
14 minutes

videoAnimals and humans
Villagers struggle to keep their beloved, endangered ape population afloat
19 minutes

videoHome
How an artist transformed a dilapidated hunting lodge into a house made of dreams
8 minutes