Product Details

• Actors: Robert Brakey
• Directors: Sheryl Brakey
• Format: Color, Full Screen, NTSC
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Number of discs: 1
• Studio: SJB Productions
• DVD Release Date: December 20, 2003
• Run Time: 24 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 1.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B0002VO1F2
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #340,723 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars A short amateurish introduction to Tibet, October 31, 2005

By 

Eclectic Amazonian (Arizona, USA) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Exploring Tibet (DVD)

This DVD is a short (24 minute) travelogue covering a few of the main points of interest in Tibet. Perhaps the most informative part of the DVD is a brief history of Tibet, which may be new to some viewers. My personal favorite scene was a Tibetan boy singing, while accompanying himself on a crude string instrument (which we are not told anything about). There are a few shots of monastaries such as Sera and Shigatse, and of the Gyantse Dzong that are impressive, but the quick look at these and other places such as the Potala and Jokang Temple does nothing more than whet your appetite for more. There are no interior views of most places, and the 'exploration' of Tibet is limited to only a handful of the well known features. Tibet is of course a subject that can not be done justice in 24 minutes, and perhaps that is the main reason I found this DVD disappointing.

As far as production goes, much of the music in the DVD seems erratic, out of place and distracting. A scene of trucks exchanging cargo on a muddy road in the mountains is accompanied by a dramatic and majestic climax of (western) music, but there is nothing happening to justify this musical exclamation - just mud, trucks, and a few people standing around. This scene seems to get as much film time as the Potala or other sights. Adding to the amateurish feel is the sporadic and inconsistent use of on-screen overlayed titles. Part way through the film you'll see a title flash by so fast that it can not be read, then they are not used again until the visit to the Tibeten weaving facility in Katmandu (which of course is not even in Tibet) near the end of the film, where we are shown titles such as "Weaving Room", "Dying Room', and "Rugs for sale". The narrator appears once on-screen for a few seconds to speak of prayer flags, but this seems out of place since the rest of the film appears to have been narrated after the fact. Also, the film includes what appear to be still photographs mixed with the video. All in all, this DVD feels very much like a home movie and it reminds me of 'educational' films produced for children in elementary schools.

If you know nothing at all of Tibet, then you will get something from this film, but if you already have basic knowledge, or if you're looking for a well-produced travelogue or an informative source of information on Tibeten culture and customs, better look elsewhere.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Hardly An Exploration, August 29, 2006

By 

Chan Joon Yee "Dr Chan" (Singapore) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Exploring Tibet (DVD)

The video quality is poor and the narrative is fast-paced but boring. If you close your eyes, you may think that someone is reading a geography textbook aloud. Most of the information can be found in books and the internet. There are no fresh insights, the pronunciation of Tibetan names is all wrong, showing that the narrator is neither an expert on Tibet nor a true explorer.

It's only towards the end when he enters Nepal that the narrator mentions his 9 days in Tibet. That explains why the video is so full of "researched information" that can be found online and in books. Th video then gets political and takes a peek at refugee centres in Nepal. Again, the author relies on "official information", assuming that all these people are political refugees eager to return to a free Tibet.

This video is hardly an exploration and I certainly wouldn't recommend it to anyone who wants indepth, insightful information about Tibet. It's only when the credits roll out that I realise that this is a husband and wife effort and the couple followed an organised tour specially for elders! With FITs allowed in Tibet nowadays, a backpacker would have given us more valuable info.

For someone quite familiar with the Himalayas, this DVD is definitely a waste of time and money for me.

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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Exploring Tibet, August 22, 2006

By 

Andrea Heller (Williston, ND USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Exploring Tibet (DVD)

Poor cinamatography and made Tibet look depressing. I have many books on the people and the culture and didn't get that impression after reading them.