Leaving Fear Behind

Leaving Fear Behind (in Tibetan, Jigdrel) is a documentary shot by Tibetans from inside Tibet, who wanted to have Tibetan voices heard ahead of the Beijing Olympic Games in 2008 with the global spotlight on China. The filming concluded on the eve of the eruption of unprecedented mass Tibetan protests across the Tibetan plateau. Shot primarily in the eastern provinces of Tibet, the film provides a glimpse into the hearts and minds of the Tibetan people and their longstanding resentment of Chinese policies in Tibet. The footage was smuggled out of Tibet, and the filmmakers were detained soon after getting the tapes out.