HOME TO TIBET is a rare view into the world of Tibet and its people. Interweaving archival footage, interviews, and scenes from intimate family interactions, the film follows the journey of the exiled Tibetan stonemason, Sonam Lama, from his home in Massachusetts to his occupied homeland for the first time since his escape 12 years earlier. In preparation for an uncertain entry into Tibet and the dangers he may face there, Sonam visits Buddhist holy sites in India and Nepal and receives a private audience with the exiled Tibetan leader, the Dalai Lama. When he finally reaches Lhasa, he is reunited with his sister.

The bleakness and repression of Tibetan life under occupation shocks Sonam and prompts him to take action. With the words of the Dalai Lama in mind, his sister and cousin decide to send their young daughters to be educated in the Tibetan exile community in India. Their decision is a story of hope -- the hope of the Tibetan people to preserve their culture and way of life and to secure a future for their children.

Viewer Comments:

"The real story of what has happened since the Chinese occupied Tibet has rarely been told so well as in HOME TO TIBET. It reveals this national tragedy in a moving story of one man's return to his homeland. I recommend it to any one who cares about the Tibetan people, about justice and human rights, and about the human heart." -Daniel Goleman Ph.D., Author of Emotional Intelligence

"The very moving and true story of Sonam, the stone builder's return to Tibet, gives us the sad, but very human reality of what has happened to the Tibetans under 40 years of brutal Chinese occupation. -Richard Gere, Actor

"This video tells a wonderful story, one that is both heartbreaking and triumphant. I highly recommend it." -Jan Willis Chair, Religion Department Wesleyan University