Tibet represented at the Isle of Wight Film Festival 2012

Train to Lhasa - Part One of a series of short Tibet travel documentaries currently hosted on the Free Tibet website, - was chosen to open the International Short Film strand at the Isle of Wight Film Festival this year. The film, shot and produced by Island filmmaker Joe Briscoe and his American travelling partner, Derek Smith, details the spectacular journey of a tourist across China on the recently completed train line. The railway, the highest in the world, funnels Chinese workers directly into the ancient Tibetan capital of Lhasa - a method which Beijing uses to justify their occupation of Tibet. Once the filmmakers arrive in Lhasa, they use secretly filmed footage to show the conditions under which people live their daily lives - with armed soldiers patrolling the streets, and sniper rifles constantly aimed at them from surrounding rooftops.

Director Joe Briscoe (2nd from right) outside the Sacred Cinema, Ventnor.

Local media, including the County Press and hyperlocal site Ventnor Blog, attended the screening which took place during the Ventnor Fringe Festival.

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County Press, Friday 24th August 2012, "Weekender" pg.20

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Film tackles Tibet controversy

Review from the County Press website

By Harry Tiley

Friday, August 17, 2012

ISLE OF WIGHT FILM FESTIVAL
QUITE apart from tackling a controversial subject matter — the Chinese presence in the Tibetan city of Lhasa and the effects of the 2008 Tibet riots — this documentary brings much more to the table than textbook controversy.

Filmed in short, illuminating bursts, Derek Smith and Isle of Wight filmmaker Joe Briscoe, narrate and present a world plagued by poverty and oppression in their film Train to Lhasa.

The audience gains a real sense of the pervasive nature of the Chinese occupation of Lhasa and through a haunting soundtrack and cleverly cut handheld footage, the film captures the intense and ever-present fear that hangs over the city and its native culture.

This inspired short — shown as part of this year’s Isle of Wight Film Festival — provided shocks and chills on both a political and emotional level for its audience and is not to be missed.

March for Tibetan Freedom, London 2012 - Report 3/3

THE THIRD of three reports filmed during the March for Tibetan Freedom which took place in London on Tibetan Uprising day 2012.

Stephanie Brigden, director of the London-based 'Free Tibet' organisation, spoke to Joe Briscoe about the urgent situation in Tibet, and outlines the steps the UK should be taking to help:

"In many ways this is Tibet's spring" she said. "We've seen it in Egypt, we've seen it in Libya, it's taking place in Syria - this is now Tibet's spring. It's the time for the British government to stand behind those Tibetan people and to speak out."

Filmed by Joe Briscoe on March 10th, 2012.

Click here to see all the reports on the Tibet Society.

March for Tibetan Freedom, London 2012 - Report 2/3

THE SECOND of three reports filmed during the March for Tibetan Freedom which took place in London on Tibetan Uprising day 2012.

Filmed by Joe Briscoe on March 10th, 2012.

Click here to see the report on the Tibet Society, and here to see on Candle4Tibet.

March for Tibetan Freedom, London 2012 - Report 1/3

THE first of three reports filmed during the March for Tibetan Freedom which took place in London on Tibetan Uprising day 2012.

Filmed by Joe Briscoe on March 10th, 2012.

Click here to see the report on the Tibet Society, here to see on Candle4Tibet,
and here on Tibet Custom.

March for Tibetan Freedom, Photos - Saturday, 10th March 2012

The march heads towards Trafalgar Square.
Photo by Joe Briscoe

"China lies, people die!"
Photo by Joe Briscoe

China: End occupation of Tibet!
Photo by Joe Briscoe

Tibetan Singers
Photo by Joe Briscoe

Tibetan Singers
Photo by Joe Briscoe

Tibetans are sacrificing themselves.
Photo by Joe Briscoe

"What do we want? Free Tibet!"
Photo by Joe Briscoe

"When do we want it? Now!"
Photo by Joe Briscoe

Any photos used must be properly credited. 

Secret Photo: Freedom?

This image from 2009 shows a Chinese security official closely watching
a group of Tibetans on the slopes of the Potala Palace.
Chinese forces were present wherever we saw small gatherings such as this.

Even small gatherings of people are controlled by the Chinese in Tibet.
Photo by: Joe Briscoe, 2009

Any photos used must be properly credited. 

Chinese New Year Celebrations - Freshwater - 29th Jan 2012

THE new Chinese year of the Dragon was celebrated in style on Sunday night with a traditional Chinese lion dance at both Freshwater and Newport Hong Kong Express restaurants. Manager Michael Hang, and martial arts instructor Simon Lailey spoke to Joe Briscoe about the performance, it's meaning, and the importance of recognising different cultures on the Isle of Wight.

Click here to see on IW Radio, here on the County Press,
here on Island Pulse and here on iwightTV.

Secret Photo - Watched every moment

A cropped version of this photo is already available elsewhere on this blog, but here is the full version, clearly showing the sniper in relation to the Jokhang temple.
You also get a better idea of just how oppressive the snipers presence is.

Overlooking the Jokhang temple and the Barkhor,
a Chinese sniper sits in wait - January 2009
Photo by Joe Briscoe

Any photos used must be properly credited.

Secret Photo - Armed Soldiers in the Barkhor.

After recently seeing some of my photos appearing alongside news items on Tibet, I thought I might begin to post a few more photos which I have taken during my travels.

I'll start with another one taken in the Barkhor in January 2009 - this time the face of one of the soldiers and his gun are both clearly visible. Of course photographing the military in Tibet is strictly forbidden, and pictures such as these were taken secretly.

ARMED Chinese guards, their fingers on the triggers,
walk among the Tibetans in Lhasa's Barkhor Square - Jan 09
Photo by Joe Briscoe

Close up: GUNS at the ready, Chinese soldiers patrol the
area around the holy Jokhang temple. (Tibet, 2009)
Photo by Joe Briscoe

Any photos used must be properly credited.

Tibet Sun

It's always worth "googling" yourself every now and then - it's often quite interesting what you find.

For example, today I came across this article on the Tibet Sun site, written by Christopher Bodeen of the Associated Press. Tibet Sun used one of my photos to accompany the article.
http://www.tibetsun.com/archive/2012/01/19/china-to-again-close-tibet-during-sensitive-period/

Nice to see them getting some use.

Click here to see the article

Armed soldiers patrol the Barkhor Square, Lhasa.
Photo by Joe Briscoe