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.