JANUARY 19 “THIS WEEK IN THE MUSIC OF NONVIOLENT RESISTANCE”

This week in 2009, the Sundance Film Festival came to a close with the documentary Tibet in Song winning the Special Jury Prize.

The documentary, directed by Ngawang Choephel, explores how Tibetan songs and music resist Chinese occupation and censorship and also sheds light on Chinese authoritarianism. The Chinese government does not allow any expressions of Tibetan culture–including music–so the creation of the documentary is an act of resistance in itself.