Kundun (1997)

Director:

Martin Scorsese

Writer (WGA):

Melissa Mathison (written by)

Release Date:

25 December 1997 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Drama | History | War

Tagline:

The destiny of a people lies in the heart of a boy.

Plot:

From childhood to adulthood, Tibet's fourteenth Dalai Lama deals with Chinese oppression and other problems.

Plot Keywords:

Tibet | Chinese | Dalai Lama | Lama | China

Awards:

Nominated for 4 Oscars. Another 5 wins & 4 nominations

Cast

Tenzin Thuthob Tsarong	...	Dalai Lama (Adult)
Gyurme Tethong	...	Dalai Lama (Age 12)
Tulku Jamyang Kunga Tenzin	...	Dalai Lama (Age 5)
Tenzin Yeshi Paichang	...	Dalai Lama (Aged 2)
Tencho Gyalpo	...	Mother
Tenzin Topjar	...	Lobsang (5-10)
Tsewang Migyur Khangsar	...	Father
Tenzin Lodoe	...	Takster
Geshi Yeshi Gyatso	...	Lama of Sera
Losang Gyatso	...	The Messenger (as Lobsang Gyatso)
Sonam Phuntsok	...	Reting Rinpoche
Gyatso Lukhang	...	Lord Chamberlain
Lobsang Samten	...	Master of the Kitchen
Jigme Tsarong	...	Taktra Rimpoche (as Tsewang Jigme Tsarong)
Tenzin Trinley	...	Ling Rimpoche
Namgay Dorjee	...	Kashag / Nobleman #1 (as Ngawang Dorjee)
Phintso Thonden	...	Kashag / Nobleman #2
Chewang Tsering Ngokhang	...	Layman #1
Jamyang Tenzin	...	Norbu Thundrup
Tashi Dhondup	...	Lobsang (Adult)
Jampa Lungtok	...	Nechung Oracle
Karma Wangchuk	...	Deformed Face Bodyguard
Kim Chan	...	Second Chinese General
Henry Yuk	...	General Tan
Ngawang Kaldan	...	Prime Minister Lobsang Tashi
Jurme Wangda	...	Prime Minister Lukhangwa
Robert Lin	...	Chairman Mao
Salden Kunga	...	Tibetan Doctor (as Selden Kunga)
John Wong	...	Chinese Comrade
Gawa Youngdung	...	Old Woman
Tenzin Rampa	...	Tenzin Chonegyl (Age 12)
Vyas Ananthakrishnan	...	Indian Soldier
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Ken Leung	...	(voice)
Yoon C. Joyce	...	Chinese soldier (uncredited)
R. Gern Trowbridge	...	Monk (uncredited)
Ben Wang	...	General Chang Ching-Wu (uncredited)

Directed by
Martin Scorsese

Writing credits (WGA)
Melissa Mathison		(written by)

Produced by
Barbara De Fina	....	producer
Laura Fattori	....	executive producer
Scott Harris	....	associate producer
Melissa Mathison	....	co-producer
Perry Santos	....	associate producer
Jeanne Stack	....	producer: Canada

Original Music by
Philip Glass

Cinematography by
Roger Deakins

Film Editing by
Thelma Schoonmaker

Casting by
Ahmed Abounouom
Ellen Lewis

Production Design by
Dante Ferretti

Art Direction by
Franco Ceraolo
Massimo Razzi
Alan Tomkins		(supervising art director) (as Alan R. Tomkins)

Set Decoration by
Francesca Lo Schiavo

Costume Design by
Dante Ferretti

Makeup Department
Hayat Ouled Dahhou	....	hair stylist
Elisabetta De Leonardis	....	hair stylist
Mirella Ginnoto	....	key hair stylist
Giorgio Gregorini	....	hair stylist
Fabrizio Sforza	....	key makeup artist

Production Management
Leslie Kobyluck	....	production manager: second unit
Roberto Malerba	....	unit production manager
Karen L. Thorson	....	post-production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Bernard Bellew	....	second assistant director
Norman Berns	....	second assistant director: "Sand Mandala" sequence
E.J. Foerster	....	second unit director: British Columbia
Abraham Fraser	....	second assistant director: British Columbia second unit
Rachid Gaidi	....	assistant director
Scott Harris	....	first assistant director
Ahmed Hatimi	....	first assistant director: Morocco
Alberto Mangiante	....	second assistant director
Phil Marco	....	director: New York second unit
Barbara Pastrovich	....	second second assistant director
Philip C. Pfeiffer	....	second unit director
Jacki Phipps	....	first assistant director: "Sand Mandala" sequence

Art Department
Elio Altamura	....	dressing props
Alice Baker	....	assistant set decorator
Brian Bishop	....	scenic painter
Doug Bishop	....	scenic painter
Mike Fowlie	....	property master
Abdenabi Izlaguen	....	props
Byron K. Lovelace	....	property master
Byron K. Lovelace	....	property master: New York second unit
Byron K. Lovelace	....	props: New York
Roberto Magagnini	....	dressing props
Darryl Paterson	....	stand-by prop
Rachid Quiat	....	assistant art director
Luigi Sergianni	....	construction manager
Domenico Sica	....	assistant art director
Ivano Todeschi	....	scenic painter
Gary Wiffen	....	dressing props

Sound Department
Tim J. Carroll	....	consultant: Dolby Digital
Benjamin Cheah	....	assistant sound editor
Marko A. Costanzo	....	foley artist
Kay Denmark	....	adr boom operator
Matthew Desorgher	....	boom operator
Tom Fleischman	....	sound re-recording mixer
Frank Kern	....	foley editor
Nicholas Renbeck	....	dialogue editor
Steven J. Rogers	....	sound mixer: second unit
Philip Stockton	....	supervising sound editor
Clive Winter	....	sound mixer
Dustin DuPilka	....	assistant foley artist (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Conor Coughlan	....	special effects technician
Massimo Cristofanelli	....	special effects
Kevin Hannigan	....	senior special effects
Kevin Hannigan	....	special effects coordinator

Visual Effects by
Craig Barron	....	visual effects supervisor: Matte World Digital
Jennifer Basnyat	....	visual effects
Jeff Burks	....	visual effects supervisor
Doug Delaney	....	scanning and recording
Krystyna Demkowicz	....	executive in charge of production: Matte World Digital
Rick Dunn	....	compositor: Digital Domain
Mark O. Forker	....	digital compositing supervisor
Karl Formander	....	digital compositor
Simon Haslett	....	digital effects artist
Claas Henke	....	compositor: Digital Domain
Dennis Hoffman	....	visual effects executive producer: DQI
Christopher Holsey	....	scan record supervisor
Brian Leach	....	compositor
Joe Mandia	....	digital artist
John McCunn	....	pipeline engineer
Matt McDonald	....	digital compositor
Kelvin McIlwain	....	matte artist: illusion arts
Brandon McNaughton	....	digital compositor
Craig Mullins	....	digital matte painter
John Murrah	....	technical director
Howie Muzika	....	rotoscope artist
Erik Nash	....	visual effects director of photography
Tony Noel	....	digital compositor
Brian Peyatt	....	technical coordinator
Linda Renaud	....	assistant visual effects editor
Paul Rivera	....	digital composite supervisor: Mate World Digital
Carl Seibert	....	visual effects producer
Lisa Spence	....	digital effects coordinator
Melissa Taylor	....	visual effects producer
Cari Thomas	....	visual effects producer
Morgan Trotter	....	CG artist
R. Gern Trowbridge	....	best boy electric: visual effects unit
Michael Ventresco	....	title designer
Michael Ventresco	....	visual effects
Grant Viklund	....	digital technical assistant
Kieran Woo	....	production controller: pre-production, Digital Domain
Jason Dost	....	digital imaging operator (uncredited)
Kyle J. Healey	....	digital effects technician (uncredited)
James Healy	....	digital systems administrator (uncredited)
Rick Lopez	....	scanning and recording technician (uncredited)
Geoff Richardson	....	digital compositor: Matte World Digital (uncredited)

Stunts
Stefano Maria Mioni	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Giampaolo Bagala	....	grip
Mario Bramucci	....	electrician
Patrick Bramucci	....	electrician
Patrick Bramucci	....	rigging gaffer
Fausto Cancellieri	....	machinist
Stephen Carmona	....	assistant camera: "a" camera, second unit
Pete Cavaciuti	....	Steadicam operator
Ali Cherkaoui	....	video playback operator
Massimiliano Dessena	....	grip
Sergio Faina	....	grip
Stefano Falivene	....	assistant camera: "b" camera
Giovanni Galasso	....	electrician
Dylan Goss	....	aerial camera operator (as Dylan M. Gross)
Bruce Hamme	....	dolly grip
Andy Harris	....	first assistant camera
Jan Kiesser	....	director of photography: second unit
Jeremy Knaster	....	electrician
Giampaolo Majorama	....	grip
Tommaso Mele	....	key grip
William Moore	....	best boy
Bill O'Leary	....	gaffer
Philip C. Pfeiffer	....	director of photography: second unit
Richard Sobin	....	assistant camera
Doriano Torriero	....	grip
Michael Wale	....	second assistant camera
Derek Walker	....	assistant camera
Derek Walker	....	second assistant camera
Claudio Zamarion	....	second assistant camera
Jim Matlosz	....	plate photographer: Morocco (uncredited)

Casting Department
Ahmed Abounouom	....	extras casting

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Romano Amidei	....	set costumer
Edelweis Azzurro	....	tailor
Nezha Dakil	....	set costumer
Ali Lammari	....	set costumer
Elsa Malandra	....	tailor
Mustapha Mimis	....	set costumer
Bona Nasalli-Rocca	....	wardrobe supervisor (as Bona Nasalli Rocca)
Abdelfattah Qzaibar	....	costume aging and dying
Marina Roberti	....	set costumer
Maria Antonietta Salvatori	....	seamstress
Salvatore Salzano	....	tailor
Dana Schondelmeyer	....	costumes
Edda Soliani	....	tailor
Hassan Taghriti	....	set costumer
Madoka Tomoi	....	set costumer

Editorial Department
Tom Foligno	....	first assistant editor
David Orr	....	color timer
Kyle Ann Stokes	....	apprentice editor
Sara Thorson	....	second assistant editor

Music Department
Nancy Allen	....	assistant music editor
Martin Czembor	....	music engineer
Suzana Peric	....	music editor
Michael Riesman	....	conductor

Transportation Department
Khalid Banoujaafar	....	transportation captain
Driss Benchhiba	....	transportation coordinator
Peter Huff	....	transportation coordinator: second unit
Hicham Regragui	....	transportation coordinator

Other crew
Noureddine Aberdine	....	production assistant
Cecilia Alvarenga	....	production coordinator (as Cecelia Alvarenga)
Randall Balsmeyer	....	title designer
Giorgio Catalano	....	accounting assistant
Vito Colazzo	....	location manager
Akrame El Meziane	....	production assistant
James Ellis	....	script supervisor (as James Ellis Deakins)
Dawn Freer	....	script supervisor: insert photography
Antonio Gabrielli	....	executive location manager
Dean Hood	....	location accountant
Patricia Johnson	....	unit publicist
Jerzy Lamirowsky	....	yaks and rats wrangler
Lobsang Lhalungpa	....	technical advisor
Pierre Olivier Marotel	....	cook: Mr. Scorsese
Francesco Marras	....	location manager
Karin Mercurio	....	assistant accountant
Tim Monich	....	dialect coach
Robin Mounsey	....	location manager: second unit
Robin Mounsey	....	mountain safety coordinator
Riccardo Neri	....	location manager
Joel Proust	....	horse wrangler
Lobsang Samten	....	religious technical advisor
Enzo Sisti	....	production auditor
Kim Sockwell	....	assistant: Mr. Scorsese
Jean Philippe Varin	....	vultures wrangler
Robert 'Bobby Z' Zajonc	....	aerial coordinator
Hamid Araissi	....	location manager: Morocco (uncredited)

Thanks
The Dalai Lama	....	acknowledgment (as His Holiness the Dalai Lama)
Catherine Scorsese	....	dedicatee

Production Companies

• De Fina-Cappa
• Dune Films
• Refuge Productions Inc.
• Touchstone Pictures (presents)

Distributors

• Buena Vista Pictures (1997) (USA) (theatrical)
• AMLF (1998) (France) (theatrical)
• Atlantis Entertainment (1998) (Czechoslovakia) (theatrical)
• Filmes Lusomundo (1998) (Portugal) (theatrical)
• Focus Film AG (1998) (Switzerland) (theatrical)
• Kinowelt Filmverleih (1998) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Laurenfilm (1998) (Spain) (theatrical)
• Scanbox Entertainment (1998) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Gativideo (2008) (Argentina) (DVD)
• IPA Asia Pacific (2010) (Taiwan) (DVD)
• NTV-PROFIT
• Panorama Distributions (2010) (Hong Kong) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Paris Vídeo (199?) (Brazil) (VHS)
• RCV Film Distribution (Belgium)
• RCV Film Distribution (Luxembourg)
• RCV Film Distribution (Netherlands)
• U.G.C. Worldwide Distribution

Special Effects

• Digital Domain
• Dream Quest Images
• Matte World Digital

Other Companies

• C5  post-production sound services
• Nonesuch Records  soundtrack
• Redman Movies and Stories  electrical equipment

Also Known As:

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for violent images

Runtime:

134 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Tibetan | Mandarin

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Australia:PG | Finland:K-12 | France:U | Germany:6 | Portugal:M/12 | Singapore:PG | Sweden:11 | Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) | UK:12 | South Korea:12 | Iceland:12 | Hungary:14 | Canada:PG (Ontario) | USA:PG-13 (certificate #35670) | Norway:11 | Brazil:12 | Argentina:Atp

Filming Locations:

Ait Benhaddou, Ouarzazate, Morocco

Company:

De Fina-Cappa

Trivia:

Martin Scorsese dedicated this film to his mother Catherine Scorsese who had died during the pre-production of this film, because "the Dalai Lama represents unconditional love, and to me my mother was the closest person with that kind of love".

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: Some of the Chinese soldiers with goggles that go marching by are obviously Caucasian.

Quotes:

Dalai Lama:Thus by the virtue that has collected through all that I have done may the pain of every living creature be completely cleared away.

Movie Connections:

Featured in The 55th Annual Golden Globe Awards (1998) (TV)

incredibly beautiful movie

I rented Kundun to further my quest to see all the Scorsese movies I can. I never expected such an incredible movie. I didn't want this movie to end. It's really difficult to describe how I feel about this movie since I have only viewed it once and was completely blown away, it left me in complete awe.

Like most when I first started watching Scorsese I thought that he did brilliant gangster films and that was his thing, but I have recently discovered that this couldn't be further from the truth. Fist seeing The Last Temptation of Christ and now Kundun I wouldn't care if Scorsese ever made another gangster film. It is easy to see that he is an artistic genius, the acting in the film was great, but I could have watched it on mute and still have been amazed.

If, like I was, you are unfamiliar with the Buddhist religion and the Chinese takeover of Tibet this film has even more to offer. Scorsese's risk of using real Buddhists to do all of the acting payed off better than I ever expected it would, the fact that we are hearing the story through the people it affected adds another level to this movie.

I cannot believe that this film only has a rating of 7 on this site. If you are a fan of Scorsese and are not sure you are going to like this just give it a chance, it deserves at least one viewing, if you give it that I am sure you will be amazed as I was. Scorsese's vision's in this movie are unlike any of his films, not to mention a great score by Phillip Glass.