The Valley of the Heroes (2013)

The Valley of the Heroes tells the story of an extraordinary effort to preserve Tibetan language in Hualong County, a remote Hui (Muslim) community in Amdo, Tibet. Over the past several decades, the Tibetans living there have experienced rapid cultural changes and marginalization -- today, more than 30% are able to speak their own native language. The film spends time with an assortment of village residents and elders, as they reflect on the cultural and linguistic changes taking place in their community. It also documents a unique Tibetan language program attempting to address the situation. As a rare insider account of the situation on the ground, The Valley of the Heroes is both a warning call and flicker of hope for the future of Tibet.