When director Shenpenn Khymsar first began thinking about Four Rivers Six Ranges, the story came to him through memories passed down by elders and later through Martin Scorsese’s 1997 film Kundun, which chronicles the early life of the 14th Dalai Lama. Working on this project, for Khymsar, was an opportunity to present a chapter of tibetan history that he believes has received limited attention on screen. “I want the world and particularly our young generation to know that the tibetans didn’t just run away. they fought hard and valiantly,” he says as he sits down with CE for a brief interaction ahead of the film's release on September 18.
The 132-minute historical action film is set in 1958 and follows Gonpo Tashi and a group of Tibetan fighters who take up armed resistance. The film had its world premiere at the International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFr) in 2025, where it was presented as a period action film centred on the Chushi Gangdruk resistance, an armed tibetan resistance movement which emerged in eastern tibet in 1958 in opposition to Chinese control.
Khymsar took on several responsibilities during the film’s making, serving as director, writer, producer and composer, with music credited to him and musician Rohit Shakya. “Wearing so many hats was purely because of budget constraints,” he says, adding “telling this story was more important than succumbing to the circumstances and giving up.” He adds that this only strengthened his conviction to complete the project.
Another challenge awaited him: getting the film into theatres. According to Khymsar, finding distributors proved difficult due to the film’s subject being ‘Anti-China’, and lacking established stars. He eventually established his own distribution company to take the film to audiences himself. “Quitting was never an option,” says Khymsar, also known for Journey of a Dream (2011), Jigden: The Beginning of the End (2017) and Broken Wings (2022).
The making of the film was demanding, with Khymsar describing the landscape as ‘one of the characters’ of the film. Much of it was shot at altitudes of around 15,000 to 16,000 ft. While working within tight time and budget constraints, the film was completed in 19 days. “I faced many challenges and unseen battles, but I sincerely believe the spirits of the warriors were guiding me,” says the director, who is also a human rights activist.
India occupies a significant place in the film’s historical context. The story unfolds in the period preceding the Dalai Lama’s escape to India in 1959, connecting the resistance movements to the events surrounding his eventual refuge here. As Four Rivers Six Ranges hits theatres, Khymsar says, “As a filmmaker and a tibetan I hope that Indian audiences will resonate, empathise and start discourse regarding the freedom of tibet and securing the safety and the borders of this nation,” he signs off.