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.
Yaks had to be imported to the filming location in Argentina. Each yak had its own passport, with photographs and teeth imprints.
Because of their roles in the movie, David Thewlis and Brad Pitt were banned from entering China, however Brad Pitt visited China in 2016 to promote a movie.
Director Jean-Jacques Annaud sent a team to Tibet to secretly film footage. About 20 minutes of it made it into the finished film. This was kept secret even after the film's premiere and not known until summer 1999.
Richard Gere was considered for the role of Heinrich Harrer. Though he eventually did not appear in the film, Gere did a favor to the producers and sent the script to The Dalai Lama in order to gain his approval. The Dalai Lama indeed read the screenplay and was pleased with it.
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