When The Dragon Swallowed The Sun Review

Director: Dirk Simon.

Running Time: 112 minutes.

Certificate: 15.

Synopsis: After a 50-year effort by the 14th Dalai Lama to bring democracy to the community in exile by installing a parliament and elections, Tibetans in exile struggle with the concept of making political decisions on their own and often still prefer to simply follow their Dalai Lama — with tragic consequences.

During the Beijing Olympics in 2008, many people were enlightened about the political struggle between Tibet and China. Tibet’s want for independence is well-known, but it has now been over 50 years since the Communist Chinese regime led a trail of blood through Tibet and reclaimed the land as their own. WHEN THE DRAGON SWALLOWED THE SUN looks at this struggle and is director Dirk Simon’s second look at Tibet following the 2010 short, MY COUNTRY IS TIBET, and a continuation of the political genre explored in his 2004 debut, BETWEEN THE LINES, which focused on the years the Berlin Wall stood between 1961 and 1989.

During filming, Simon gains access to some of the foremost figures in Tibet including the 14th Dalai Lama, Bhusang, an activist who was imprisoned for 18 years in China, Lodi Gyari Rinpoche, a diplomat involved in the political fight to free Tibet, and Namgyal Wangchuk Lhagyari Trichen, the Last King of Tibet who has been mentored by the Dalai Lama from an early age. With such access to Tibetan figureheads comes a certain amount of bias which is where this documentary struggles; there is no counter-argument from the Chinese to try to justify the situation and their country’s stance. Some would argue footage speaks for itself with some truly barbarous images shown and some heinous footage of Chinese police beating Tibetans under little shown provocation, but with so many talking heads denouncing acts, someone playing devil’s advocate would have been appropriate to allow discussion.

The main focus of this documentary is the lead-up to the Beijing Olympics, and the Tibetans want to open their struggles to the world and gain a reaction. There is even some footage from San Francisco where a small protest takes place to show the widespread anger some feel for the Tibetan struggle, but the worldwide feeling is rarely explored in favour of talking heads and brooding music, making it appear Simon is more intent on making a dramatic piece than telling a story of a people’s struggle.

WHEN THE DRAGON SWALLOWED THE SUN is a decent introduction to the fight of the Tibetan people for the unenlightened, but is more effective as a piece of propaganda to entice the knowledgeable into their struggle. Where the film falls down is in its bias of the situation and complete lack of Chinese representation, afore-mentioned. Simon would have been better off looking at the political causes of the troubles, exploring them, and letting the audience make up their own mind rather than force his views upon them. It’s quite ironic that in representing a fight for freedom he sees fit to force his view so much. Ironic, but disappointing, which just about sums it up.

WHEN THE DRAGON SWALLOWED THE SUN is released in UK cinemas on Friday August 16th.