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Seven Years in Tibet

  • 19971997
  • PG-13PG-13
  • 2h 16m
IMDb RATING
7.1/10
142K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
500
1,205
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
  • IMDbPro
Brad Pitt in Seven Years in Tibet (1997)
Official Trailer
Play trailer1:54
2 Videos
99+ Photos
  • Adventure
  • Biography
  • Drama

True story of Heinrich Harrer, an Austrian mountain climber who became friends with the Dalai Lama at the time of China's takeover of Tibet.True story of Heinrich Harrer, an Austrian mountain climber who became friends with the Dalai Lama at the time of China's takeover of Tibet.True story of Heinrich Harrer, an Austrian mountain climber who became friends with the Dalai Lama at the time of China's takeover of Tibet.

IMDb RATING
7.1/10
142K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
500
1,205
  • Director
    • Jean-Jacques Annaud
  • Writers
    • Heinrich Harrer(book)
    • Becky Johnston(screenplay)
  • Stars
    • Brad Pitt
    • David Thewlis
    • BD Wong
Top credits
  • Director
    • Jean-Jacques Annaud
  • Writers
    • Heinrich Harrer(book)
    • Becky Johnston(screenplay)
  • Stars
    • Brad Pitt
    • David Thewlis
    • BD Wong
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 179User reviews
    • 62Critic reviews
    • 55Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 3 wins & 8 nominations

    Videos2

    Seven Years in Tibet
    Trailer 1:54
    Seven Years in Tibet
    Seven Years in Tibet
    Trailer 2:33
    Seven Years in Tibet

    Photos122

    Brad Pitt and Jamyang Jamtsho Wangchuk in Seven Years in Tibet (1997)
    Brad Pitt and Ingeborga Dapkunaite in Seven Years in Tibet (1997)
    Brad Pitt and Jamyang Jamtsho Wangchuk in Seven Years in Tibet (1997)
    Brad Pitt in Seven Years in Tibet (1997)
    Sonam Wangchuk in Seven Years in Tibet (1997)
    Brad Pitt at an event for Seven Years in Tibet (1997)
    Kathy Bates at an event for Seven Years in Tibet (1997)
    Mariah Carey at an event for Seven Years in Tibet (1997)
    Mariah Carey at an event for Seven Years in Tibet (1997)
    Minnie Driver at an event for Seven Years in Tibet (1997)
    Larry King and Shawn Ora Engemann at an event for Seven Years in Tibet (1997)
    Jared Leto at an event for Seven Years in Tibet (1997)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Brad Pitt
    Brad Pitt
    • Heinrich Harreras Heinrich Harrer
    David Thewlis
    David Thewlis
    • Peter Aufschnaiteras Peter Aufschnaiter
    BD Wong
    BD Wong
    • Ngawang Jigmeas Ngawang Jigme
    Mako
    Mako
    • Kungo Tsarongas Kungo Tsarong
    Danny Denzongpa
    Danny Denzongpa
    • Regentas Regent
    Victor Wong
    Victor Wong
    • Chinese 'Amban'as Chinese 'Amban'
    Ingeborga Dapkunaite
    Ingeborga Dapkunaite
    • Ingrid Harreras Ingrid Harrer
    Jamyang Jamtsho Wangchuk
    Jamyang Jamtsho Wangchuk
    • Dalai Lama, 14 Years Oldas Dalai Lama, 14 Years Old
    Lhakpa Tsamchoe
    Lhakpa Tsamchoe
    • Pema Lhakias Pema Lhaki
    Jetsun Pema
    Jetsun Pema
    • Great Motheras Great Mother
    Ama Ashe Dongtse
    Ama Ashe Dongtse
    • Tashias Tashi
    Sonam Wangchuk
    Sonam Wangchuk
    • Dalai Lama, 8 Years Oldas Dalai Lama, 8 Years Old
    Dorjee Tsering
    • Dalai Lama, 4 Years Oldas Dalai Lama, 4 Years Old
    Ric Young
    Ric Young
    • General Chang Jing Wuas General Chang Jing Wu
    Ngawang Chojor
    • Lord Chamberlainas Lord Chamberlain
    • (as Ven. Ngawang Chojor)
    Duncan Fraser
    Duncan Fraser
    • British Officeras British Officer
    Benedick Blythe
    Benedick Blythe
    • Nazi Officialas Nazi Official
    Tom Raudaschl
    • Lutz Chickenas Lutz Chicken
    • Director
      • Jean-Jacques Annaud
    • Writers
      • Heinrich Harrer(book)
      • Becky Johnston(screenplay)
    • All cast & crew
    • See more cast details at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit
    After the deaths of 11 climbers, Austrian Heinrich Harrer (Brad Pitt) decides to add glory to his country and to the Austrian pride by climbing Nanga Parbat in British India, and leaves his expectant wife behind. An egoist and a loner, he does not get along with others on his team, but must bend to their wishes after bad weather threatens them. Then WWII breaks out and they are arrested and lodged in Dehra Dun's P.O.W. Camp. He attempts to break out several times in vain, but finally does succeed along with Peter Aufschnaiter (David Thewlis), and they end up in the holy city of Lhasa--a place forbidden to foreigners. They are provided food and shelter, and Peter ends up marrying tailor Pema Lhaki, while Heinrich befriends the Dalai Lama. They meet regularly; while he satiates the child's curiosity about the world, including Jack the Ripper and 'yellow hair'; he is exposed to the teachings of Lord Buddha, He even constructs a movie theater, while getting news of the end of the war, his divorce, and his son's refusal to communicate. But nothing will prepare him for the devastation about to descend when Communist China decides to attack, leading to the deaths of over 1 million Tibetans, the destruction of over 6000 monasteries, and betrayal from their very own people. —rAjOo (gunwanti@hotmail.com)
    • tibet
    • dalai lama
    • based on real person
    • 20th century
    • 1940s
    • 66 more
    • Plot summary
    • Plot synopsis
    • Taglines
      • At the end of the world his real journey began.
    • Genres
      • Adventure
      • Biography
      • Drama
      • History
      • War
    • Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)
      • Rated PG-13 for some violent sequences
    • Parents guide

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Jetsun Pema is the real-life sister of The Dalai Lama. In this film she plays the mother of The Dalai Lama and hence her own mother.
    • Goofs
      When Peter bargains with his watch about how much food they should get he shows the 3 with three fingers (the British way) and not two fingers and the thumb (the German/Austrian way).
    • Quotes

      Dalai Lama: We have a saying in Tibet: If a problem can be solved there is no use worrying about it. If it can't be solved, worrying will do no good.

    • Crazy credits
      As the end credits roll, a view of the mountains of Tibet is seen.
    • Connections
      Featured in At the Movies: Seven Years in Tibet/RocketMan/Boogie Nights/Gang Related/Washington Square (1997)
    • Soundtracks
      Clair de Lune
      Written by Claude Debussy

    User reviews179

    Review
    Top review
    An Underrated Pleasure
    "Seven Years in Tibet" was a pleasant surprise. Sporting an Austrian accent that got slammed by some critics, I thought Brad Pitt was pretty good as an arrogant Nazi who finds himself captured by the British during a failed expedition to the Himalayas and is later stranded in Tibet after escaping from a POW camp. He finds his humanity in the forbidden-to-foreigners city of Lhasa, especially after meeting the 14 year old Dalai Lama. Echoes of "Lost Horizon," "The King and I" "Last Emperor" and others abound, but the movie is "old Hollywood" in the best sense with magnificent scenery (widescreen advised: the mountains and countryside of Argentina and Canada stand in for Tibet). The heart of the movie is the relationship between the blond Aryan golden boy and the young "Kundun," with a performance by the young Tibetan actor playing the latter that is so charming he nearly steals the whole film. An engrossing blend of fact and fiction, the picture manages to avoid condescending to the Tibetans and over-reverent preachiness. Wrapped in an excellent production, this epic story makes entertaining viewing. One question: how did the young Dalai Lama come by his love of movies in that remote location?
    helpful•57
    13
    • Mankin
    • Feb 9, 1999

    FAQ7

    • Is 'Seven Years in Tibet' based on a book?
    • Where/what is Nanga Parbat?
    • When were Heinrich Harrer and the Dalai Lama born and when did they meet for the first time?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • October 10, 1997 (United States)
    • Countries of origin
      • United States
      • United Kingdom
    • Official site
      • Official Site
    • Languages
      • English
      • German
      • Mandarin
      • Tibetan
      • Hindi
    • Also known as
      • Siete años en el Tibet
    • Filming locations
      • La Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina
    • Production companies
      • Mandalay Entertainment
      • Reperage & Vanguard Films
      • Applecross
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $70,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $37,957,682
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $10,020,378
      • Oct 12, 1997
    • Gross worldwide
      • $131,457,682
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      2 hours 16 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Digital
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.39 : 1

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