Josef Vaniš : Tibetské deníky 1954
| Title in English | Josef Vaniš : Tibetan Diaries 1954 |
|---|---|
| Authors | |
| Year of publication | 2025 |
| Type | Monograph |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
| Citation | |
| Description | On the occasion of the centenary of the birth of film director Vladimír Sís (1925–2001), who, together with cinematographer Josef Vaniš (1927–2009), became the first Czechoslovak citizens to reach Lhasa, a unique two-volume edition of their travel diaries has been published. Both men provided multiple accounts of their nearly year-long stay in Tibet in 1954—some during the sojourn itself, but primarily after their return home. These included a book in English and German, two books in Czech, as well as contemporary reports in newspapers and magazines. However, the most crucial information about “what really happened” in China and Tibet during the 1950s is contained in their private travel diaries. These diaries reveal a wealth of previously unknown facts about Chinese and Tibetan society at the time, along with numerous unpublished photographs. During their stay, they filmed a one-hour color documentary entitled The Road Leads to Tibet, whose Chinese version, A Happy Journey to Lhasa, was discovered in the Military History Institute in Prague in 2023. The two versions differ significantly, as the Czechoslovak and Chinese conceptions of the film diverged to such an extent that two separate films had to be produced. The Chinese version remains virtually unknown outside China and, in fact, was never screened there after 1959. The accompanying study by Kamila Hladíková and Luboš Bělka focuses on the representation of the road construction project to Tibet as the principal symbol of the “civilizing mission” proclaimed by the Chinese Communist Party and the People’s Liberation Army on the “Roof of the World.” The study outlines various thematic frameworks envisioned for the planned documentary, whose purpose was to depict the military invasion of Tibet as a “peaceful liberation” bringing progress and prosperity to the Tibetan population. The study introduces several prominent figures involved in the so-called “United Front,” including representatives of Tibetan feudal and religious elites who collaborated with the Chinese. Their life stories help illuminate the scale of the tragedy that unfolded in Tibetan regions under Beijing’s control during the 1950s and 1960s. The Tibetan diaries of Vladimír Sís and Josef Vaniš offer a behind-the-scenes view of Chinese activities in Tibet shortly after its military occupation and expose the precarious position of the Chinese as well as the instability of the “United Front” system, which ultimately collapsed amid a series of uprisings. |
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