"Free Tibet"
These words have been chanted, screamed, and begged by millions of people since the Chinese invasion of Tibet in 1959. In 1994, Beastie Boy Adam Yauch and a group called the Milarepa Fund started screaming "Free Tibet" as well. Now, their prayers are being shown on the big screen in a movie aptly titled "Free Tibet."|
A few years ago, Yauch was hiking in the Himalayas and came upon Tibetan refugees making their way to India to see the Dalai Lama. During their meeting, the refugees told Yauch horror stories of human rights violations going on in their country. Yauch immediately knew he had to do something to help the peaceful people of the tiny Asian country.
Milarepa, the organization named for the 11th century Buddhist saint, Jetsun Milarepa, who chose to guide his followers through song, was founded to bring the plight of the Tibetan people to national and world attention. The organization's best-known event is the annual Tibetan Freedom Concert.
The first concert, held in June of 1996 in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park, is the subject of the feature-length documentary "Free Tibet." The movie brings to life the events surrounding the show. Clips from the concert, speeches from Tibetan monks and nuns and footage chronicling the atrocities occurring in Tibet are highlighted to make the audience aware of what's happening on the other side of the world.
Musicians like Beck, Bjork, Rage Against The Machine, Red Hot Chili Peppers, De La Soul, Tribe Called Quest and of course, the Beastie Boys, performed before thousands of fans in order to heighten the awareness of China's stronghold on Tibet.
"Free Tibet" was shown in major cities across the U.S. on Tuesday. However, people will get another chance to see the movie as it is beamed in via satellite to college campuses around the country on Nov. 18.
For those of you who can't catch the movie on the big screen, Maria Ma, a spokeswoman for Milarepa, told JAMTV that the movie might be shown on TV, and will most likely come out on home video in the Spring.
To show your support and get more information on the Milarepa Fund, head to www.milarepa.org. (Ari Bendersky)
Colleges where you can catch "Free Tibet" on Nov. 18:
California State Univ. Long BeachCentral Michigan Univ.Clemson Univ.College of William & MaryEastern Michigan Univ.Emory Univ.Georgia Institute of TechnologyKansas State Univ.Mankato State Univ.Michigan State Univ.New Mexico State Univ.Oklahoma State Univ.Rutgers Univ.Southeast Missouri State Univ.SUNY College of OneontaUniv. of Alabama @ BirminghamUniv. of CincinnatiUniv. of Colorado @ BoulderUniv. of KansasUniv. of MinnesotaUniv. of RochesterUniv. of Southern MississippiWashington State Univ.Western Kentucky UniversityConnecticut College
