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Tom's Guide
07-08-2025
- Entertainment
- Tom's Guide
I loved this underrated 2010 thriller starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Mark Ruffalo — and it just got added to Paramount Plus
It's tough to call any Leonardo DiCaprio movie forgotten or underrated, but "Shutter Island" just might fit the mold. It probably isn't helped by the fact that this Martin Scorsese film should be one of the biggest new additions to Paramount Plus this August. Yet I struggled to find it on Paramount's streaming service when searching for it on Google (I did ultimately find it, of course — it is my job). For those who have seen it and are reading this, many of you might agree with me that the twist in this movie alone is reason to watch, and why, for me, this is still one of the more memorable movies Scorsese has ever made or that DiCaprio has ever starred in. It's no "The Wolf of Wall Street," but give me "Shutter Island" over "Kundun" or "The Revenant" any day. If you haven't seen "Shutter Island," though, you might be wondering what the big deal is about this thriller. Well, spoiler alert, I'm not going to give away the movie's big twist in this article, which is up there with "The Sixth Sense" in terms of movie twists you can't unlearn. However, I am going to tell you why this movie is a must-watch — and maybe even watch a second time — now that it's on Paramount Plus. "Shutter Island" stars Leonardo DiCaprio as U.S. Marshal Edward "Teddy" Daniels. He and his new partner, Chuck Aule (Mark Ruffalo), have arrived at Ashecliffe Hospital for the Criminally Insane on Shutter Island in the Boston Harbor, run by psychiatrists Drs. Cawley (Ben Kingsley) and Naehring (Max von Sydow). They're there to investigate the disappearance of Rachel Solando (Emily Mortimer), a patient of the hospital who was institutionalized after drowning her three children. Upon arrival, though, it's clear things are not as they seem. Cawley and Naehring are uncooperative with Teddy's investigation, and it's revealed that a Dr. Lester Sheehan disappeared from the island right after Solando was discovered missing. As Teddy's investigation progresses, he starts experiencing intense migraines and flashbacks, and begins to vividly dream of his wife, Dolores (Michelle Williams). It's then revealed that his wife was killed in a fire set by arsonist Andrew Laeddis, who Teddy thinks is still in the facility on the island, and Teddy's reason for taking the Solando case. As "Shutter Island" progresses, so do the twists and turns in the story. Multiple people hospitalized at the island claim to know Teddy during his investigation, with one patient, George (Jackie Earle Haley), going as far as to warn the Marshal not to trust his new partner, Chuck. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. This all builds to a stunning reveal that, again, I won't spoil in this article. But I will reveal that it's aided by the movie's incredible cast, as is most of the film. Between DiCaprio, Ruffalo, Kingsley, von Sydow and Williams, you have 21 Academy Award nominations for acting, and a few wins from those nominations. That cast results in numerous performances in "Shutter Island" that will keep you engaged during the movie's 139 minutes, if, for some reason, the story does not. But that story should keep you plenty engaged, and once you've watched all the twists, you might want to hit play again. It's a movie that rewards a second viewing, allowing you to not only spot things you may have missed the first time around, but also consider the story from the perspective of characters other than Teddy. For the record, I'm not the only one to love this movie. While it's rated a meager 68% "fresh" on Rotten Tomatoes, plenty of prominent critics praised the film, including Roger Ebert, whose review also indicates that a second viewing might be worthwhile, and praises Scorsese's directing in particular. So if you have some spare time, sit down, boot up Paramount Plus, and hit play on "Shutter Island." Then, when you're done, hit play again. Stream "Shutter Island" now on Paramount Plus Malcolm has been with Tom's Guide since 2022, and has been covering the latest in streaming shows and movies since 2023. He's not one to shy away from a hot take, including that "John Wick" is one of the four greatest films ever made. Here's what he's been watching lately:
Yahoo
09-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Martin Scorsese Honors the Dalai Lama at Tribeca Festival
Event, in Coordination with the International Campaign for Tibet, Launches Countdown to the Dalai Lama's 90th Birthday on July 6 NEW YORK, June 9, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Legendary filmmaker Martin Scorsese delivered a heartfelt tribute to His Holiness the Dalai Lama Friday at the Tribeca Festival's screening of his 1997 biopic Kundun, marking the 30-day countdown to the Tibetan spiritual leader's historic 90th birthday on July 6. Held at the SVA Theatre in Manhattan, the afternoon was a featured stop on the Compassion Rising World Tour — a global initiative led by the International Campaign for Tibet. The event brought together members of the Tibetan community in New York and New Jersey, the Tribeca film community and an inspiring circle of filmmakers, cultural leaders and changemakers. The program celebrated the Dalai Lama's lifelong commitment to peace, compassion, and human dignity. "I want to begin by sending my best wishes to His Supreme Holiness the Dalai Lama on the upcoming occasion of his 90th birthday on July 6th. He's the reason we're all here today," said Martin Scorsese, reflecting on the Dalai Lama's extraordinary legacy. The Compassion Rising World Tour was launched to honor the Dalai Lama's 90th birthday by igniting a worldwide wave of compassion, courage, and conscience. Through a growing series of tour stops in cities around the world, the movement strives to inspire individuals and communities to carry forward His Holiness's vision of a more just, connected and humane world. This campaign also invites audiences to learn more about the Dalai Lama – spiritual leader, global peace icon, and, in his own words, "a simple Buddhist monk." His remarkable journey from a small village in Tibet to the world stage has been defined by compassion, resilience, and a lifelong dedication to the service of humanity. Friday's program featured traditional Tibetan music and dance, appearances by Martin Scorsese, Michael Imperioli, Thelma Schoonmaker, Ellen Lewis and Jane Rosenthal, as well as a special 35mm screening of Martin Scorsese's Oscar-nominated 1997 film, Kundun, portraying the true story of the Dalai Lama's early life. This Tribeca gathering signals the beginning of tributes, artistic homages, and personal reflections as people around the globe prepare to celebrate His Holiness's milestone birthday on July 6, 2025. In recognition of the occasion, the Central Tibetan Administration has declared 2025 the Year of Compassion. His birthday will spark a year of global celebration, encouraging people from all walks of life to come together as his powerful legacy lights up our world. From cities to small towns, people everywhere are invited to harness the power of compassion, connection, and shared humanity. Learn more at and join the movement to be part of something transformative. #CompassionRising #DalaiLama90 Media Assets Available: High-resolution photos (credit: Sonam Zoksang) B-roll footage of Martin Scorsese's remarks/event (credit: Arthur Woo) Backgrounder/ Fact sheet / Key quotes Download full press kit: LINK Media Contact:Chad Chitwood, Communications Officer International Campaign for Tibet(202) 785-1515press@ View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE International Campaign for Tibet Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Metro
07-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Metro
Robert De Niro tricks Hollywood legend into taking part in TikTok trend
Robert De Niro has played an adorable prank on one of his oldest friends and most frequent collaborators in a viral moment from this week. The legendary actor, 81, decided to drag his long-time creative partner and Hollywood legend Martin Scorsese, 82, into an ongoing TikTok trend. In recent weeks, the wholesome hashtag #goodnightbro has been doing the rounds on the video-based social media platform, reaching millions of users. As part of the trend, young men are being encouraged to phone up their male friends and wish them a good night's sleep – and maybe they'll chuck in a 'sweet dreams' if they're feeling mushy. However, wholesome as it might be, #goodnightbro is still a prank, and the recipients of the calls are often not expecting to receive good night wishes from their pals. And filmmaker Scorsese was the unwitting recipient of such a call from De Niro, who has starred in 10 of Scorsese's films since their first collaboration in 1973. A video has emerged of Goodfellas director Scorsese looking confused after receiving a call from the legendary actor – the Kundun director was encouraged to answer the call by his daughter Francesca, 25. In the clip, Francesca videos Scorsese answering his phone and asks her dad to 'say hello' to whoever is calling – a request he adheres to before a booming voice (De Niro) says 'Hello?' on the other end. After Scorsese asks if it's 'Bob?' calling, De Niro chuckles to himself, says 'Just calling to say goodnight and sleep tight,' and asks if Scorsese wants to jump on FaceTime. The two them jump on FaceTime and De Niro shows Scorsese a brief glimpse of what he's been watching on TV, before the pair make arrangements to meet up the next day at 6.15 (hopefully PM). Fans have worked out that the Killers of the Flower Moon actor is watching The Wiggles with his two-year-old daughter Gia, whom he shares with his 45-year-old girlfriend Tiffany Chen. Scorsese then says 'Okay, thank you, my love – bye!' before De Niro affectionately blows kisses through the phone while the person recording starts to laugh. After the call is over, the Taxi Driver director speaking to Francesca – who has kept the camera rolling – and admits to finding the whole thing a 'mystery'. When he's told that it's just a TikTok trend for laughs, Scorsese, exasperated, exclaims: 'That's what that was? A trend thing?' The two first worked together on the 1973 film Mean Streets, which was directed by Scorsese and starred De Niro in the leading role. Throughout the 1970s, their working relationship produced films such as Taxi Driver and New York, New York – the latter being a musical drama. In the following decade, the pair worked together on 1980's Raging Bull and the 1982 film The King of Comedy before taking a break from each other for eight years. That hiatus ended in 1990 when they combined for the seminal gangster film Goodfellas, and they soon picked up again for Cape Fear in 1991 and Casino in 1995. More Trending In more recent years, the pair have worked on The Audition from 2015, The Irishman in 2019, and most recently in 2023 for the Leonardo DiCaprio movie Killers of the Flower Moon. Despite being one of the most famous and decorated actors of all time, De Niro recently admitted that he's only just realised how good he might be on screen. Speaking to Metro, he said: 'Most of the time you're just sort of looking and [squirming], but it's possible. Especially if you have many, many years distance between the time that you did it and the time you're seeing it.' As for Scorsese, he's admitted that while he's putting plans together for his next film, he's not entirely clear on what shape his next project will take, saying to USA Today that he's still going to 'get going'. Got a story? If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@ calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you. MORE: Divisive horror movie full of 'grotesque monsters' now streaming on BBC iPlayer MORE: Miley Cyrus heckled for 'scamming' fans at movie premiere – but supporters hit back MORE: Romeo Beckham looks glum at French Open after splitting from girlfriend
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Tribeca 2025 to Host Martin Scorsese, David Cronenberg, Darren Aronofsky, and Christopher Guest for Anniversary Cast Reunions
The already highly-anticipated 2025 Tribeca Festival just got an extra boost of star power. IndieWire can announce that Martin Scorsese, David Cronenberg, Darren Aronofsky, and Christopher Guest are among the auteurs who will be in attendance for respective film anniversary reunions. Tribeca staple Scorsese will be on hand to mark the 30th anniversary of 'Casino' with a special screening and conversation alongside actor and Tribeca co-founder Robert De Niro. Scorsese will also introduce a special 35mm screening of 'Kundun' in honor of the Dalai Lama's 90th birthday. More from IndieWire Guy Ritchie to Direct 'Road House 2' for Amazon MGM Studios DC Studios' 'Sgt. Rock' with Luca Guadagnino Directing On Hold Cronenberg makes his Tribeca debut for the 50th anniversary of 'Shivers,' while Aronofsky returns to the festival for the 25th anniversary screening of 'Requiem for a Dream.' Mary Harron's 'American Psycho' will also screen alongside fellow 2000 film 'Best in Show.' Director Christopher Guest and ensemble stars Parker Posey, Jane Lynch, John Michael Higgins, and Michael McKean will be part of a post-screening live tribute moderated by Stephen Colbert. This year is additionally the 25th anniversary of 'Meet the Parents,' which recently landed a fourth franchise installment. De Niro, Ben Stiller, and producer Jane Rosenthal, who is the CEO of Tribeca, will discuss the feature after. 'I'm beyond excited to be back with Bob and Ben to celebrate 'Meet the Parents' — a movie that's been making families laugh (and cringe) for a quarter-century,' Rosenthal, Co-Founder and CEO of Tribeca and producer of 'Meet The Parents,' said. 'With the fourth installment of the franchise in the works, it feels like the perfect time to revisit some of the moments that made this film an instant classic. Tribeca is all about celebrating the stories that stay with us, and this year's lineup is full of those fan-favorite reunions and retrospectives that bring us back to the movies we can't get enough of.' Meredith Mohr, Vice President of Artist Relations at Tribeca, added of the festival's talks, reunions, and retrospectives, 'Each year, the Tribeca Festival champions voices that drive culture forward, offer powerful insights, and share bold creative perspectives. From our esteemed Storytellers Series to our Reunions and Retrospectives, we're honored to continue fostering dialogue and showcasing incredible films that deeply resonate with audiences.' The 2025 Tribeca Festival will take place June 4-15 in New York City. Check out the full talks program, with language provided by Tribeca, below.'Call Her Alex' (Hulu) – New Series World Premiere. What does it take to become the most influential female podcaster of a generation? Following Alex Cooper as she prepares for her first tour, this compelling two-part documentary series traces Cooper's evolution—from a self-conscious kid growing up in Pennsylvania to the voice behind 'Call Her Daddy,' a podcast that redefined the conversation for women everywhere. Directed by Ry Russo-Young (Nuclear Family), the series offers an intimate, behind-the-scenes look at the life-defining events that shaped Cooper's journey as she grew from a 24-year-old woman with a sex and dating podcast to the CEO of a media empire in just six years. More than just a success story, it's a portrait of a woman who is creating a space where women feel seen, heard, and empowered. After the screening: A conversation with Alex Cooper and director Ry Russo-Young. DATE: Sunday, June 8 TIME: 5:00 PM LOCATION: BMCCJim Gaffigan Jim Gaffigan is an eight-time Grammy-nominated comedian, actor, writer, producer, two-time New York Times best-selling author, three-time Emmy winner, top touring performer, and multi-platinum-selling recording artist. He is widely known for his unique brand of humor, often centered around his observations on everyday life. His 11th special, The Skinny, premiered last winter as Hulu's first-ever original stand-up special. Gaffigan is currently on his Everything Is Wonderful comedy tour and can be seen alongside Jerry Seinfeld, Melissa McCarthy, and James Marsden in Netflix's Unfrosted, which debuted as the platform's #1 movie globally last May. DATE: Thursday, June 5 TIME: 6:00 PM LOCATION: Spring Studios Sean Penn in Conversation with Kaitlan Collins Sean Penn is a two-time Academy Award–winning actor, filmmaker, and author. In January 2010, following the catastrophic earthquake in Haiti, Penn founded the emergency relief nonprofit J/P HRO. The organization was later renamed CORE (Community Organized Relief Effort) and continues to provide immediate aid and long-term recovery support to underserved communities around the world. The conversation is moderated by Collins, an anchor of The Source with Kaitlan Collins on CNN and serves as the network's Chief White House Correspondent. Known for her sharp reporting and exclusive interviews with global leaders, she brings viewers inside the halls of power with unmatched access and insight. DATE: Sunday, June 8 TIME: 3:00 PM LOCATION: Spring Studios Ellen Pompeo Ellen Pompeo is an award-winning actress and producer best known for her iconic role as Meredith Grey on ABC's Grey's Anatomy, now in its landmark 21st season with a renewal for season 22. She also serves as Executive Producer on the series and received both a Golden Globe nomination and a Screen Actors Guild Award for her performance. Beyond Grey's Anatomy, Pompeo was Co-Executive Producer of its spinoff Station 19, and in 2011, she launched her own production company, Calamity Jane Entertainment. Most recently, she executive produced and starred in the Hulu limited series Good American Family, which premiered in March 2025 and quickly became the platform's #1 show. DATE: Saturday, June 14 TIME: 2:00 PM LOCATION: Spring Studios Mark Ronson Mark Ronson is a globally celebrated DJ and a 9-time Grammy, Academy Award, and Golden Globe-winning producer and songwriter known for his genre-blending sound across pop, soul, funk, and hip-hop. He began his career DJing in 1990s New York before rising to fame with standout collaborations, including Amy Winehouse's Back to Black, which earned him multiple Grammys including Producer of the Year, and the global smash 'Uptown Funk' with Bruno Mars. He co-wrote the Oscar, Golden Globe, and Grammy-winning hit 'Shallow' for A Star Is Born and has worked with artists like Lady Gaga, Adele, Paul McCartney, Miley Cyrus, and Dua Lipa. In 2023, he served as executive producer and composer for Barbie The Album and its score, earning another Grammy, and most recently co-produced SNL50: The Homecoming Concert with Lorne Michaels. DATE: Saturday, June 7 TIME: 6:00 PM LOCATION: Spring Studios25th Anniversary of 'Best in Show' (United States). At the prestigious Mayflower Dog Show, a 'documentary film crew' captures the excitement and tension displayed by the eccentric participants in the outrageously hilarious satire Best In Show. This biting send-up exposes the wondrously diverse dog owners who travel from all over America to showcase their four-legged contenders. Mild-mannered salesman Gerry Fleck (Eugene Levy) and his vivacious wife, Cookie (Catherine O'Hara), happily prepare their Norwich Terrier, while shop owner Harlan Pepper (Christopher Guest) hopes his Bloodhound wins top prize. As two upwardly mobile attorneys (Parker Posey and Michael Hitchcock) anxiously ready their neurotic Weimaraner, and an ecstatically happy gay couple (Michael McKean and John Michael Higgins) dote on their tiny Shih Tzu. Meanwhile, inept commentator Buck Laughlin (Fred Willard) vainly attempts to provide colorful tidbits about each breed. Now, with the championship at stake, the owners and the canine competitors strut their stuff for the judges in hopes of taking home the ultimate prize—Best in Show. A WarnerBros release. After the Screening: A conversation featuring director and actor Christopher Guest and cast members, John Michael Higgins, Jane Lynch, Michael McKean, and Parker Posey moderated by Stephen Colbert, host, executive producer, and writer of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert (CBS), plus some special surprise moments. DATE: Thursday, June 12 TIME: 8:00 PM LOCATION: BMCC 30th Anniversary of 'Casino' (United States; France). Las Vegas 1973; a city of glitter and dreams. It's a stage for billionaires, politicians and glamourous showgirls. Mecca to 30 million tourists and gamblers of all colors who arrive with high hopes and leave behind about 10 billion dollars every year. And paradise for the Mob. Sam 'Ace' Rothstein (Robert De Niro), the consummate bookie who could change the odds merely by placing a bet, has come up through the ranks of the Midwestern mob to be picked by the bosses to front their entrée into Vegas. In charge of four casinos, he ensures that the money keeps coming in and looks the other way as the skim flows out the back. But Ace can't control the odds when it comes to Ginger McKenna (Sharon Stone), the chip-hustling vamp who charms him and becomes his wife. The third member of his triangle of intrigue and obsession is Nicky Santoro (Joe Pesci), Ace's best friend and fellow graduate of the city streets. Together Nicky and Ace run the perfect operation, with Ace in charge and Nicky providing the muscle. But as Nicky expands his interests and each man gains power, their lives become entangled in a story of hot temples, obstinacy, money, love and deception. A Universal Pictures release. After the screening: A conversation featuring Robert De Niro and Martin Scorsese moderated by TV host, filmmaker, comedian, W. Kamau Bell. DATE: Thursday, June 5 TIME: 6:30 PM LOCATION: The Beacon Theatre 'Kundun' (United States). In celebration of his holiness the Dalai Lama's 90th birthday, Tribeca is proud to present a special 35mm screening of Martin Scorsese's Oscar-nominated 1997 film which richly dramatizes the true story of the Dalai Lama's early life. Before the Screening: A special introduction by Martin Scorsese. DATE: Friday, June 6 TIME: 2:00 PM LOCATION: SVA-2 20th Anniversary of 'Linda, Linda, Linda 4K' (Japan). The World Premiere of the 4K remaster, directed by Nobuhiro Yamashita, is a cult favorite and a hidden gem of Japanese cinema that follows a high school girls' band preparing to perform at a school festival. Featuring music by James Iha (The Smashing Pumpkins), the film has gained a devoted following despite its limited U.S. release. DATE: Sunday, June 8 TIME: 2:15 PM LOCATION: AMC-1 Tribeca Bowl at Brooklyn Bowl with The Linda Lindas: A one-night-only celebration will transform the famed Brooklyn Bowl into 'Tribeca Bowl,' featuring a music performance by breakout punk band The Linda Lindas. Their band name and ethos are directly inspired by the film. DATE: Sunday, June 8 TIME: 8:00 PM LOCATION: Brooklyn Bowl, 61 Wythe Ave, Brooklyn, NY 25th Anniversary of 'Meet the Parents' (United States). Greg Focker (Ben Stiller) is head over heels in love with his girlfriend Pam (Teri Polo), and is ready to pop the big question. When his attempt to propose is thwarted by a phone call with the news that Pam's younger sister is getting married, Greg realizes that the key to Pam's hand in marriage lies with her formidable father, Jack Byrnes (Robert De Niro). A trip to New York for her sister's wedding seems to be just the right occasion for Greg to ask Pam to be his wife. But everything that could possibly go wrong, does. Upon his arrival at the family's picturesque, Norman Rockwell-like home, Greg is greeted by what appears to be the picture-perfect family: a loving husband and wife with a doting son and two daughters and a beloved cat. But for a guy who usually resorts to dry wit in stressful situations, Greg is suddenly shooting blanks with Jack, a retired horticulturist…and rather imposing figure. No one is good enough for Jack's first-born daughter, and the fact that Greg is a cat-hating male nurse with a vulgar-sounding last name is not helping things at all. While Greg bends over backwards to try and make a good impression, his weekend begins with lost luggage at the airport and it's all downhill from there, turning into a hilarious series of disasters, one after another. First comes love, then comes the interrogation. After the screening: A conversation featuring Robert De Niro, Ben Stiller and Jane Rosenthal. DATE: Saturday, June 7 TIME: 2:00 PM LOCATION: BMCC 35th Anniversary of 'Paris Is Burning' (United States). Celebrating 35 years of this landmark of queer cinema, the film offers a vibrant, intimate portrait of New York City's 1980s Harlem ballroom scene through the lives of Black and Latinx voguers, drag queens, and trans women. Directed by Jennie Livingston, the film captures the fierce competitions, chosen families, and creative expression born from a community facing systemic racism, homophobia, and poverty. Featuring icons like Willi Ninja, Dorian Corey, and Venus Xtravaganza, this groundbreaking documentary not only introduced the world to voguing and the art of 'throwing shade,' but also cemented its legacy as one of the most powerful and beloved documentaries of all time. After the screening: Join the United Palace during its 'Season of Community' with an introduction by star Junior LaBeija, a post-screening performance by The Legendary International House of Garçon, and music by DJ Ken Terry. DATE: Saturday, June 7 TIME: 6:00 PM LOCATION: United Palace Theatre 25th Anniversary of 'Requiem for a Dream', (United States). A harrowing and hypnotic portrait of four individuals chasing their visions of happiness. Adapted from Hubert Selby Jr.'s acclaimed novel, the 25th anniversary of the film features Oscar® winners Jared Leto, Jennifer Connelly, and Ellen Burstyn – whose powerful and haunting portrayal of Sara Goldfarb also earned her an Oscar nomination for Best Actress – alongside Marlon Wayans, in fearless performances that chart the descent from hope into harrowing reality. The film is directed by Darren Aronofsky, whose credits include π, Requiem for a Dream, The Fountain, The Wrestler, Black Swan, Noah, mother!, The Whale, the Sphere Experience Postcard from Earth, and the upcoming Caught Stealing for Sony Pictures. A Lionsgate release. After the Screening: A conversation featuring director Darren Aronofsky and actor Ellen Burstyn. DATE: Tuesday, June 10 TIME: 8:00 PM LOCATION: SVA-1 60th Anniversary of The Doors – 'When You're Strange: A Film About The Doors 2009', (United States). Celebrate 60 years of The Doors with an unforgettable afternoon featuring a screening of the critically acclaimed, Emmy-nominated documentary narrated by Johnny Depp. Directed by Tom DiCillo, the film takes you on an intimate journey through the band's rise, featuring rare archival footage of Jim Morrison, Ray Manzarek, Robby Krieger, and John Densmore. Said Depp: 'It simply doesn't get any better than this.' After the Screening: An exclusive talk with Doors drummer John Densmore, diving deep into the band's revolutionary legacy and their impact on music and culture. DATE: Saturday, June 14 TIME: 2:00 PM LOCATION: SVA-125th Anniversary of 'American Psycho', (United States). As hilarious as it is disturbing, Mary Harron's NYC-set serial killer satire, based on Bret Easton Ellis's critically acclaimed novel, plays no less brilliantly today than it did upon release 25 years ago, thanks in large part to Christian Bale's towering performance as Patrick Bateman. A Lionsgate release. After the Screening: A conversation featuring director Mary Harron. DATE: Saturday, June 7 TIME: 5:30 PM LOCATION: AMC-2 50th Anniversary of 'Shivers,' (Canada). Fifty years ago, David Cronenberg announced himself as a major filmmaking voice and established his penchant for body horror with the excellent Shivers, in which a parasite unleashes a sexually ravenous mania within an apartment complex. Join the iconic director as he visits Tribeca for the first time to celebrate this breakthrough classic. A Lionsgate release. After the Screening: A conversation featuring director David Cronenberg moderated by Joe Hill, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Fireman, NOS4A2, Horns, and Heart-Shaped Box. DATE: Saturday, June 14 TIME: 8:30 PM LOCATION: SVA-2The award will be presented to Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett (D-TX). In addition to receiving the award, Congresswoman Crockett will engage in a conversation about her passionate advocacy and dedication to progressive causes with Whoopi Goldberg, who is globally known for her humanitarian work. Congresswoman Crockett has served as the U.S. Representative for Texas's 30th Congressional District since January 2023. She currently holds the roles of Vice Ranking Member of the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability and Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Oversight. The Harry Belafonte Voices for Social Justice Award was established in 2021 by the late Paula Weinstein, Tribeca's former Chief Content Officer and lifelong activist, to honor her friend, the legendary Harry Belafonte, and to celebrate those who use storytelling and the arts to drive positive change. DATE: Friday, June 13 TIME: 5:30 pm LOCATION: SVA 2 Best of IndieWire Guillermo del Toro's Favorite Movies: 56 Films the Director Wants You to See 'Song of the South': 14 Things to Know About Disney's Most Controversial Movie The 55 Best LGBTQ Movies and TV Shows Streaming on Netflix Right Now
Yahoo
24-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
The Dalai Lama: The simple monk with a grand goal
This article is published as part of The Telegraph's Greatest Interviews series, which revisits the most significant, informative and entertaining conversations with notable figures over our 170 year history. The below interview is introduced by Paul Kendall. It appears as it was originally published. When Nigel Farndale, The Sunday Telegraph's chief interviewer, travelled to Dharamsala, in India, to meet Tibet's spiritual leader, there was renewed hope in the West of progress in the nation's struggle against China. Hollywood had released two big-budget films about the Dalai Lama's life – Martin Scorsese's Kundun, and Seven Years in Tibet, starring Brad Pitt. The monk was the cause de jour. But, during their conversation in the audience room of the Tsuglagkhang temple complex, he told Farndale the films meant little to him. The only thing that mattered was an agreement by China to stop persecuting his people and grant meaningful autonomy to his tiny state. 'All human beings have the potential to increase compassion,' he said. 'This is where happiness lies.' – Paul Kendall A river of orange water is tumbling hysterically down the steep sidestreets of Dharamsala, cleansing them of manure left by the sacred cows that roam free here. It's also carrying off the empty drink cans and food wrappers discarded by the thousands of 'spiritual tourists' who trail up here each summer in the hope of ticking the exiled Dalai Lama off their lists of things to see. Though this ramshackle town is perched on a spur high in the sublime foothills of the Himalayas, and though it overlooks a plunging, verdant valley, its buildings – mostly small hotels topped with satellite dishes and souvenir shops selling Dalai Lama memorabilia – are fetid and ugly, especially during a late July deluge. Sodden monkeys, hairy young Western backpackers, and maroon-robed Tibetan monks alike shelter miserably under corrugated tin roofs and café awnings. The ferocious speed of the river, coloured by topsoil as it funnels down from the surrounding Dhauladar mountains, is confounding and hypnotic. The scene could be Biblical. An ominous purgation of a corrupt town. Among the eyes watching from the upstairs dormitory window of Dharamsala's refugee centre are those of Tobgyal, a boney 52-year-old with missing teeth, long, dirty fingernails and leathery skin. He arrived here this morning from Tibet on foot, via the 17,000ft Himalayan passes. His journey, he explains quietly through an interpreter, took him one month and two days. The interpreter adds that this man is one of 49 new arrivals today, of 200 this month and, so far, 1,800 this year. He is now one of 100,000 refugees to have resettled in India since the Tibetan diaspora began nearly 40 years ago. When asked why he wanted to escape his homeland, Tobgyal says that after his parents had been killed in the failed 1959 uprising of the Tibetan people against their Chinese invaders, he had tried to escape to India via Nepal but had been caught on the border and sent to prison for three years. Upon his release he found a job as a herdsman which he kept until one day in 1976 when two boys from his village ran up the hillside where he was tending cattle to tell him the news that Chairman Mao had died. He began to cheer and say derogatory things about the Chinese dictator. After the boys reported this to the authorities, Tobgyal was arrested again, his home was searched, forbidden pictures of the Dalai Lama were found and he was sent to a labour camp where he remained until his release a couple of years ago. As he gives me examples of the ways in which he was tortured in prison – electrocuted with cattle prods, bound from head to foot in heavy rope, left naked for weeks in a cell with no windows, bed or lavatory – he uses the grubby sleeve of his jacket to dab the tears that run down the cracks in his face. Two hundred yards away, sitting in a low, elaborately carved wooden chair at one end of a long audience room, is another refugee. His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama of Tibet, Bodhisattva of Compassion, and Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, has lived in Dharamsala for nearly 40 years now – but he hasn't given up hope that one day he will return to his homeland, or, at least, that one of his reincarnations will. Tibetan Buddhists tend to take the long view on these things. Over those years of exile, he says with a giggle so inappropriate it must be a nervous one, his mind has become hardened to stories of torture such as the one I have just heard from Tobgyal. 'Every week I am meeting an increased number of Tibetan refugee,' he says in halting, guttural English. 'In the past when innocent people, ragged and destitute, come and explain their own horrible experience to me, sometimes they crying, crying, crying, and I also feel very sad and tear comes. But I have become too familiar with these horrible stories and I feel less.' He pats his heart. 'I think it is like these generals who kill thousands, thousands, thousands, until they no longer have human feeling.' He laughs again, perhaps realising how off-beam his analogy sounds. 'What I mean is, I think the Buddhist practice is very helpful in this. It also concerned with the nature of suffering. Our aim is salvation and liberation from negative emotion.' The Dalai Lama has a doctorate in Buddhist philosophy. And, by rising at 3.30am, he fits in at least six hours of meditation during the day (in between studying scriptures, giving audiences, listening to the BBC World Service and attending to the daily business of his government-in-exile). But even the most complicated people have defining characteristics. His is this infectious, coruscating laugh. It is high-pitched and strangely incompatible with the deep and resonant timbre of his speaking voice. Given that he was taken away from his parents at the age of three, brought up in a monastery and then, at the age of seven, enthroned in a 1,000-room palace where he was worshipped as a god-king for 17 years before being forced to escape from his country disguised as a soldier, it would be understandable if the Dalai Lama's laugh reflected a heightened awareness of the fundamental absurdity of life, the universe and everything. Equally, because the laugh (hu, hu, hu!) emerges when he speaks of subjects that are painful to him, it could also be a sign of arrested development. After all, his abiding memories of what little childhood he experienced in his 'golden cage' were of loneliness and austerity. He found ways to amuse himself but, without other children to play with, it can't have been easy for him to acquire those nuances of emotional expression which the rest of us learn by imitation and take for granted. It would be natural if he suffered from Peter Pan syndrome. And perhaps this is what lies behind the beguiling aura of cheerfulness for which he is known and adored around the world – private jokes arising from the internal conversations of one used to playing on his own. The simplistic theme that runs through all his teachings – that human happiness is born of compassion, kindness and tolerance – compounds this impression of childlike innocence. So does his boyish grin and the dimples it forms in his cheeks. At 63 the Dalai Lama may now have heavy lines on his brow that, with his constantly raised eyebrows, make him look like he's in a permanent state of surprise, and the stubble on the head he shaves once a week may be going grey, but he has the sprightly bearing of a man half his age. He doesn't walk everywhere so much as bustle – nodding, bowing, gathering the folds of his much darned and patched maroon robes about him, adjusting its saffron-coloured facings over his right shoulder. And his stocky 5ft 9in frame, kept in shape by daily workouts on an exercise bike, is still animated when he sits down to talk – slapping his thigh, folding his bare, vaccination-scarred arms, and making sweeping gestures that rattle the beads on his left wrist. In the face of distressing testimony from his fellow refugees, perhaps his laughter is as good a defence as any against tears. The Dalai Lama listens because he recognises how important it is for torture victims to bear witness. Being believed is part of the healing process, especially when the crimes committed against you are unbelievable. Those who survived the Holocaust knew this. And while more than six million Jews were killed by the Nazis, more than a million Tibetans have suffered a similar fate since the Chinese invasion in 1950. The Dalai Lama pauses for a long time when he is asked how the genocide committed against his people compares to that against the Jews. 'It is difficult,' he says, searching for the right words. 'In the Tibetan case, in late Fifties and early Sixties, entire communities of nomads would be destroyed. In 1959, in Lhasa, the Chinese shot Tibetan families from aeroplane with machine-guns. Systematic destruction in the name of liberation against the tyranny of the Dalai Lama! Hu, hu, hu! In Hitler's case he was more honest. In concentration camps he made it clear he intended to exterminate the Jews. With the Chinese they called us their brothers! Big brother bullying little brother! Hu, hu, hu! Is less honest, I think.' The cruelty and humiliation the Tibetans suffered at the hands of their Chinese liberators also bears comparison with that suffered by the Jews under the Nazis. Such is the reverence with which Tibetan Buddhists regard all living things, they will not even kill the mosquitoes which bite them – yet in the early years of Chinese occupation, Tibetan children would be forced to shoot their parents. Celibate monks and nuns would be made at gunpoint to have sex in public and use sacred scriptures as lavatory paper. According to an International Commission of Jurists report in 1959, dissenters were disembowelled, crucified or buried alive. To prevent them from shouting out 'Long live the Dalai Lama' on their way to execution they would have their tongues torn out with meat hooks. All but 13 of the country's 6,000 monasteries were destroyed and in some cases slaughterhouses were sited in their place. More recently, eight million Chinese citizens have been relocated to Tibet. The six million Tibetans they now outnumber are discriminated against in jobs, housing and education. It is illegal to speak Tibetan at public meetings and possession of a picture of the Dalai Lama is an imprisonable offence. Lhasa, the once sacred capital, now has 1,806 brothels as well as numerous gambling dens. The Tibetans who have remained there have been compared to American Indians left to get drunk on the reservations, quaint tourist attractions in a spiritual Disneyland. 'Not much use to discuss these things now,' the Dalai Lama says, distractedly blinking and scratching his nose. 'Past is past. I don't want them to be sitting in Peking and saying, 'What is that Dalai Lama saying now? Causing trouble again!' No use. No use to antagonise. I am thinking of the future of Tibet. And with the Chinese population influx and their programme of Sinocisation, time is running out.' On his visit to China last month, during a live broadcast on Chinese television, President Clinton urged Chinese President Jiang Zemin to open a dialogue with the Dalai Lama. 'I have spent time with the Dalai Lama,' he said. 'I believe him to be an honest man, and I believe that if he had a conversation with President Jiang, they would like each other very much.' The comment probably came as a shock to ordinary Chinese who are used to seeing the Dalai Lama lambasted in the state-run media as a separatist, a manipulator of Western opinion and a religious fraud. Indeed, in the past he has been denounced by the Chinese press variously as a thief, a murderer, a 'wolf in monk's clothing', and a rapist who once provided sexual services for Mrs Ghandi and wore a rosary made from the bones of Tibetan serfs. The Chinese viewers were probably more surprised when, in reply to Clinton, Jiang smiled and agreed to open the door to negotiations on the condition that the Dalai Lama acknowledge that Tibet is now an inseparable part of China. Significantly, he did not, as in the past, ask him to accept that Tibet has always been an inalienable part of China. 'I am happy to reassure my Chinese brothers that we do not ask for separation,' the Dalai Lama now says, leaning back and throwing his hands up in mock surrender. 'I seek meaningful autonomy within China rather than independence for Tibet. We accept there are things the Chinese can handle better than us [such as foreign policy and the economy, explains his assistant], but they should accept there are things we are better at handling [education and the environment]. If they provide some of our basic requirements, we will remain with them. We know our spirituality does not feed our stomachs. We know we need material development. So the closer relation is very necessary. That way more trust can be built. And then, with the friendly atmosphere, certain point such as the human right issue, and issue of democracy and liberty, can be made firmly. So President Clinton was making the right moves. Some people might say he was too mild, others might say he was too strong. But I feel it's OK. Is good. Very helpful to open their minds.' Although he keeps reiterating that 'past is past', the sticking point for negotiation as far as the Dalai Lama is concerned seems to be his insistence that Tibet was once free. This isolated country was first 'discovered' by the British in 1904 when Colonel Younghusband led a peaceful expeditionary force. The British subsequently recognised Tibet as a fully sovereign state. When the Chinese invaded in 1950, they based their claim to the country on the marriage of the Chinese princess Wen-Ch'eng Kung-chu to the Tibetan King Songtsen Gampo in 641. The invasion occurred two years after Indian independence was declared, and the British, having lost influence and interest in the region, were not inclined to dispute China's claim. Insult was added to the injury when, on an official visit to Britain in 1990, a year after he won the Nobel Peace Prize, the Dalai Lama was refused an audience with Margaret Thatcher, then Prime Minister. And two years ago, John Major declined to meet him in an official capacity for fear of offending the Chinese in the run-up to the handover of Hong Kong. The Dalai Lama now hopes that when he visits Britain next year he will be invited to meet Tony Blair. Before then, this autumn, Blair will be visiting China for the first time. The 'simple monk', as the Dalai Lama describes himself with a slightly unbecoming hint of self-satisfaction, laughs when asked what line he thinks our Prime Minister should take with President Jiang on Tibet. 'I think if I have message, I will write to him personally! It's not something I should convey to a newspaper! But I'm quite sure the British Prime Minister will raise the issue of autonomy of Tibet and the issue of human rights in general. I think we have many supporters and sympathy among people of Britain but I appreciate that sometime it is difficult for a country's leader to meet me. Britain is the only nation which really knows Tibet. Sometime I feel the British and the Western nations in general could have done more. When Chinese invaded I sent a delegation to a number of nations including Britain but they were turned away. But then. Mmm. Today's unhappy experience not happen just suddenly. It had many causes. No point in blaming this nation or that nation. Ultimately we Tibetans must blame ourselves. If he seems forgiving to the British, it is as nothing to the understanding he shows toward the Chinese. When in the Fifties he had meetings with Chairman Mao he said he found the tyrant to be 'spellbinding', 'sincere' and 'not deceitful'. For this charitable view, and for his recent adoption of a more moderate and conciliatory approach to the question of Tibetan independence, he has been criticised by certain extremist elements within the Tibetan community who find it hard to disguise their loathing of the Chinese and think that aggression should be met with aggression. When I ask the Dalai Lama if, just for a second, he has ever felt even so much as a twinge of hatred for his savage oppressors himself, he says: 'Sometimes I have bad temper but true ill feeling almost never. If I want to work effectively for freedom and justice, it is best to do so without malice in my heart. Buddhist training of mind really helps in this. There are undoubtedly many good Chinese people who are aware of the true situation in Tibet. The Tibetans and Chinese have to live side by side. In order to live in harmony we have to practise non-violence and compassion. One Tibetan using gun would be more excuse for atrocities by Chinese. In the 1987 crisis when Chinese opened fire on Tibetans in Lhasa one Chinese soldier dropped his weapon and a Tibetan picked it up but instead of using it on the soldier he broke it in front of him. Smashed it on the ground. Isn't that wonderful?' He is keen to point out that all Tibetan monks feel this way, not just him. He has a friend, a monk, who spend 20 years in Chinese prisons and labour camps. When he was eventually able to join the Dalai Lama in exile he told him that there were only a few occasions when he really faced danger and those were when he was in danger of losing compassion for the Chinese. 'Nice!' the Dalai Lama chuckles. 'A good monk who faced real danger. At least I did not have to face any real risk or danger of losing my life.' He makes a chopping motion with his hand against the side of his neck. It's not quite true. Improbably, the Chinese once tried to coerce the Dalai Lama's eldest brother, also a monk, into assassinating him. And last year in Dharamsala three high lamas, members of the Dalai Lama's inner circle, were brutally murdered. The Dalai Lama's residence, which is part of a compound just beyond the gates of the town's main temple, is now heavily guarded by Indian soldiers. The murders were linked by the police to the Shugden sect, a shadowy group of Tibetans who worship Dorje Shugden, a wrathful deity proscribed by the Dalai Lama a few years ago – and who have sworn revenge for the ban. There was also the occasion when the Dalai Lama nearly died from hepatitis B. He was experimenting with vegetarianism at the time and the doctors, assuming this to be the cause of his jaundice, ordered him to start eating meat again. He was cured. Most traditional Tibetan dishes include meat – Buddhists are only forbidden to kill for themselves the animals they eat. Now the Dalai Lama's daily diet consists of hot water, porridge and tsampa (roasted barley flower) for breakfast and thupka (soup with noodles) and skabakleb (meat wrapped in bread) for lunch. Monks do not eat dinner. But, he says, he sometimes sneaks a snack while watching television in the evening. And then does a few extra prostrations to Buddha by way of absolution before going to bed. The Dalai Lama's father died of poisoning in 1947 and was given a traditional Tibetan sky burial in which the body is left as carrion for the vultures. His mother, to whom he was very close towards the end of her life, died of a stroke in 1981. But, with his belief in reincarnation, he says he does not fear death or even dying. 'In my Tibetan practice, there are eight different stages of dissolution of mind and body,' he says. 'I intend to practise altruism in life, dying and death. For example, if death comes today, I shall try to control it. I hope I shall live long after my sixties, though. Hopefully, I will still be able to move even if it is with sticks or wheelchair.' He compares death to changing your clothes when they are old and torn. 'How would I like to die? Hu, hu, hu! I do not want to die in crash. Not sudden death, because no time to practise. When time come I want to be able to wrap myself in yellow robe over like this and then sit and meditate.' He demonstrates the position, eyes closed, hands resting in lap. 'Some of my old friend here they do this. One or two hours before their death – even when they cannot sit by themselves they ask to have cushion put behind them to support themselves.' When asked if he ever has any doubts that he will be reincarnated as the 15th Dalai Lama, and whether he really believes he is the reincarnation of each of the previous 13 Dalai Lamas, he says the answer is not simple. But given his experiences in this present life – and his Buddhist beliefs – he has no difficulty in accepting that he is spiritually connected to the 13 previous Dalai Lamas. Before meeting the Dalai Lama I had been briefed on protocol by one of his personal assistants. Speak slowly and do not use complicated sentences, he said. He doesn't particularly like talking in English to Englishmen because he feels embarrassed about his own ungrammatical usage. There's no need to present him with a kata, the white silk offering scarf that Tibetans traditionally give each other, he prefers to just shake hands with Westerners. And do not bother with any of the other formalities that applied at the Tibetan court – always having to sit lower than him, never making eye contact or touching him, never leading the conversation or turning your back on him. He can't be doing with all that nonsense. Finally, please don't ask him to explain how he was discovered to be the 14th reincarnation of the Dalai Lama. He finds it boring to have to go over the story again and again but if you ask, he will feel obliged to give you every detail and his answer will take up most of the time you have with him. There was no need. I had mugged up on it already. When one Dalai Lama dies, his soul enters the body of a newborn boy. A regent Lama rules for a few years, then the search for a new Dalai Lama begins. All boys born from 49 days to two years after a Dalai Lama's death are candidates for his reincarnation. The 14th Dalai Lama was born in Taktser, a small village in north-eastern Tibet on 6 July 1935, two years after the 13th died. Two crows came to perch on the windowsill as he was born – a traditional sign. His parents were peasants and he was one of 16 children, of whom seven survived. In Lhasa, the regent had a vision – of a small house with strangely shaped guttering near to a three-storey monastery with a gold and turquoise roof and a path running from it to a hill – and went in search of it. When they found the boy living there they mingled the 13th Dalai Lama's personal possessions with an array of similar objects, laid them all out on a table and asked him to pick any objects he recognised. He unerringly selected the 13th Dalai Lama's eating bowl, spectacles, pencil, walking stick and drum. He was also found to have the physical signs of a Dalai Lama: large tiger-stripe birthmarks on the legs, big ears. He has never doubted that he is the Dalai Lama but as a teenager, he admits, he entertained misgivings about his vocation as a monk. 'When I was young, especially in winter time when I was sitting with my tutor in meditation, in a cold dark room with rats, I would hear people returning from the fields at sunset singing happily and it would leave me with a sad feeling. Sometimes I had feeling I would be much happier if I was one of them. But I know I was meant to be a monk because in my dream sometimes I see a fight or a woman and I immediately think, 'I am monk, I must not indulge.' I never dream I am Dalai Lama, though.' He is never troubled by sleepless nights, getting in a sound six hours. And generally he describes himself as being 'definitely happy' except on the odd occasions when he catches himself brooding upon the events of his earlier life in the Land of Snows, as Tibet is known. 'But do I ever feel depressed? No. Sometimes frustration. Sometimes feelings of hopelessness. That I have been a failure. But I say my favourite prayer and it always brings me fresh hope and fresh impetus.' Has the Dalai Lama ever fallen in love? 'With my close friends I feel a love which is not a genuine compassion,' he says. 'It is attachment. A sense of concern. It is biased. The genuine sense of compassion is unbiased. Have I ever felt sexual love? In my childhood before I was a fully trained monk I was often curious, I wonder what happened. But then I think by age of 15 or 16 I started more serious meditation practice, exploring the nature of suffering. For those who would normally seek to have children at that stage in their life would come worry and distraction. Life as a single person means liberty. Lay person may have more pleasure in short term but in long term monk has a mental state more steady.' He believes sexual desire is like an itch. If you have one, it's nice to scratch it. But it's better to have no itch at all. If it is possible to be without that feeling, there is much peace. One of the great pleasures in the Dalai Lama's life is mending broken watches and mechanical gadgets in general. Indeed, the one material indulgence he allows himself is the Rolex he always wears with the face on the underside of his wrist and which he is wont to take apart with a screwdriver every so often in order to tinker around with its mechanism. He describes himself wryly as 'half-Marxist' – the belief in equality side rather than the atheist side – and, like all monks, he obeys a vow of poverty. Like all the previous Dalai Lamas, he never handles money. This, he says, is just as well as he suspects he has a free-spending nature – 'although I can be very stingy over small amounts'. The self-deprecation does not seem to be affected and, for one who is held by his followers to be a living god, the human failings he admits to are surprisingly ordinary. He is prone to a bad temper. He would never harm a living creature, but has an irrational fear and loathing of caterpillars. He is aware of the faults others occasionally see in him: that he can be naive as a politician and that as a spiritual leader he sometimes lacks gravitas and trivialises his status (because he does things such as agree to be guest editor of the Christmas edition of French Vogue, appear as a guest on Wogan and attend frivolous Hollywood parties hosted by his film star friends Richard Gere and Harrison Ford). He accepts these criticisms with humility, as you would expect. But he seems to be genuinely perplexed by the fuss people make over him. He says he cannot really understand the esteem in which he is held in the West. 'I have done little to merit it, despite what some people might say. On a few occasions I have been publicly commended for my efforts on behalf of world peace. But I have done nothing, really nothing for world peace. The only thing I do for peace is talk about it a great deal.' Also the fact that this year Hollywood has released two big-budget films about his life does not, he says, mean much to him. He finds it amusing that he is the cause de jour in Hollywood but adds that he doesn't make distinctions as to where support for Tibet might come from. He has seen Martin Scorsese's sumptuous epic Kundun and liked it and is grateful for the international attention it has drawn to the plight of Tibet. But he has not yet got round to seeing Seven Years in Tibet, which stars Hollywood heartthrob Brad Pitt and tells the story of the Dalai Lama's friendship with Heinrich Harrer, the Austrian mountaineer who became a teacher to the young god-king. He says he did not know Harrer was an SS member at the time, the subject never arose, and now he says there is no point in his old friend trying to hide the truth because 'past is past'. The Dalai Lama collaborated on the script for both films – and, to the chagrin of the producers, somehow gave the impression to each that they had exclusivity. At the moment he seems to be spreading his favours just as thinly in the world of publishing. He has written extensively on Buddhism and Eastern philosophy but this October Hodder & Stoughton will publish his first book on ethics for the general reader. Unfortunately it contains much of the same material as a book he is having published by Little, Brown next year. Little, Brown is now planning to sue the Dalai Lama over breach of contract. When I ask Tsering Tashi, the Dalai Lama's personal assistant, about this embarrassing predicament he sighs and says: 'Actually, some parts are a little bit similar but you know, it's always the same with these people. They burst with enthusiasm when they are trying to persuade His Holiness to agree to publish something and so with good motivation he gives permission for his writings to be reproduced and then they try to squeeze him. Their true natures come out. Greed.' In the airy audience room overlooking the valley the Dalai Lama blinks several times, gathers the folds of his robe together and stands up. He clicks his fingers and his protocol officer steps forward and hands him a white silk kata which the Dalai Lama then raises over my hands, brought together to form the namaste prayer sign, and drapes on my wrists. When I joshingly tell him I feel embarrassed now because I'd been told not to bother to bring a white offering scarf to present to him, he slaps me on the back and lets out a roar of laughter. There is a golden Buddha at the other end of the room, in between two large scroll paintings. The Dalai Lama has almost reached it on his way out when he stops, turns on his heel, and bustles back toward me with a distracted look on his face. Patting my hand he says: 'There is something very important I need to convey to you. Very important. Whether you a believer or non-believer. All human beings have same potential to increase compassion. This is where happiness lies.' With this he grins, slaps me on the back again and bustles out. He crosses the large courtyard where he gives his public addresses, pauses briefly to inspect a delphinium in a tin pot and disappears from view along a path that leads beyond a row of bamboo and pine trees. The thin Himalayan air is pricked with the smell of incense, jasmine and honeysuckle. The rain has now stopped outside and the mist is lifting. Breathing deeply, I look up and inspect the skies for a rainbow – but there isn't one yet. It is still oppressively humid and a roll of thunder, as melancholy as the growl of the Tibetan long horn, echoes around the mountains. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
