The Cup

This is both an enjoyable light-hearted movie as well as a bit of an eye-opening education. I think it's important as a film as it underlines the Buddhist cause in Tibet.

I loathe football (Soccer to you Yanks)as I find it overrated, boring and assumes an importance in peoples' lives far beyond its actual value. That said I just love this series which is built around "the beautiful game" as played by a minor junior team.

In its simplicity this is by far the best movie about the REALITY of Buddhist monastic life, very far from the sheer propaganda of "Seven years" and from the mistakes and confusions of "Little Buddha".This is Bhutanese thinking.

If you are a European or South-American man, than you are probably born with soccer on your mind. It's one of the most popular sports over here and it's probably the only thing that unites so many people from so many different classes and believes during a small period of time.

Horses have been an important part of director Simon Wincer's oeuvre, with films like The Lighthorsemen to his credit. He has also worked on a number of westerns, like Lonesome Dove for US television.

This is a true story based on the 2002 Melbourne Cup horse race. As a Brit although I'm aware of the Melbourne Cup I didn't know of this particular story.

Even though this film was shot in north India and centers around Tibetan exiles who are to this day persecuted by the Chi-Coms, it brought back great memories of a visit to a country monastery in Bhutan, the Chimi Lhakhang, filled with "baby monks." It was on that visit that I witnessed their passion for soccer and their genuine childlike behavior.

Based on the true events, "The Cup" movie not only manages to deliver certain political messages regarding Sino-Tibetan relations but also creates an atmosphere which literally immerses you into the monastery life of Tibetan Buddhists in exile. After China's invasion of Tibet, the religious practice in the region of the Tibetan Plateau faced numerous struggles.