10 Questions about Seven Years in Tibet | Movies

Answer: 1939

The movie opens in 1939 Austria with Heinrich getting ready to leave on the expedition. At the train station, much is made of Heinrich's mountain climbing being accomplished for the glory of the Reich, but Heinrich is a self-possessed man who is doing what he does for his own glory.

Answer: False

Heinrich's wife, Ingrid, is very upset that he is leaving and will be gone when their baby is born. When Ingrid is asked by reporters when the baby is due, she makes a point of mentioning that it will be about the time Heinrich is reaching the base camp. He becomes upset with her for airing their problems. Heinrich and Peter are going to attempt to climb Nanga Parbat in the Himalayas.

Answer: No

First, Heinrich is injured and doesn't tell anyone how badly. Then, the group is affected by an avalanche, causing Peter to decide that they will return to the base camp. Heinrich asks that Peter let him summit alone, but Peter says no. When they reach the base camp, they are arrested by the British because war has begun.

Answer: she wants a divorce

The British put Heinrich and Peter in a POW camp in India after arresting them. Heinrich continually attempts to escape, but has no success. He receives a letter, and divorce papers, from Ingrid. She tells him that their son Rolf is two years old and that he calls their friend Horst his papa. Ingrid tells Heinrich that she is marrying Horst as soon as their divorce is finalized.

Answer: his watch

Heinrich joins a group of other POWs escaping, but then separates from them. He and Peter later cross paths and travel together. They come upon a trading post and are both hungry. Heinrich says if he had a watch he would trade it. Peter doesn't want to trade his watch because it was a special gift, but he does so anyway.

He later sees three watches in Heinrich's backpack and is angry that Heinrich selfishly asked Peter to give up his watch. Later in Lhasa, Heinrich, who has become more compassionate, gives Peter a gift which turns out to be the same watch Peter had traded.

Heinrich had found it for sale at a market.

Answer: Peter

After their long and arduous journey, Peter and Heinrich enter the holy city of Lhasa. They see a woman putting a bowl of food out for her dog, and are so hungry they attempt to eat the food themselves. The woman's husband, Kungo, befriends Peter and Heinrich and invites them to stay with them.

He requests and receives permission from the council for the foreigners to remain in Lhasa. Ngawang Jigme, a secretary on the council, sends the tailor to make suits for Heinrich and Peter as gifts. Both Heinrich and Peter spend time with Pema, but she and Peter end up marrying.

Answer: movie theater

The teenaged Dalai Lama, called Kundun, has been watching the two foreigners in Lhasa with his telescope and is very interested in them, particularly Heinrich. After Peter and Pema marry, Heinrich is thinking about leaving Lhasa, but is summoned to the home of the Dalia Lama's mother.

She tells Heinrich of her son's interest in him, and invites Heinrich to come for her monthly visit with her son. Kundun plies Heinrich with questions about western culture and asks him to build a movie theater since he has a projector and films.

Answer: earthworms

As they begin digging for the foundation, a worker finds an earthworm and tells Heinrich that it could have been his mother in a past life. They refuse to dig further and Heinrich goes to the Dalai Lama about it. The Dalai Lama explains to Heinrich that they will not harm any living creature because they believe everything has a soul.

He tells Heinrich he'll have to find a solution. In the next scene, which is guaranteed to bring a smile to your face, we see monks transferring the earthworms from the construction site to another hole which has been dug.

They gently place each earthworm in the dirt, cover him up and say a prayer over him.

Answer: False

After the Chinese invade Tibet, Ngawang Jigme underhandedly blows up the Tibetan's ammunition dump so that they cannot defend themselves. Heinrich goes to see Ngawang at the Chinese headquarters and gives him back the suit he had given as a gift when Heinrich and Peter first arrived. Ngawang tells Heinrich that to return a gift is unforgivable, but Heinrich doesn't care.

Although he will miss his friend and tutor, the Dalai Lama tells Heinrich that he must leave because it is becoming too dangerous for him to remain in Lhasa. Likewise, Heinrich begs the Dalai Lama to leave with him after his enthronement ceremony. Kundun asks what kind of leader would he be if he ran away.

Heinrich and Kundun share a touching goodbye and Heinrich sets off.

Answer: Yes

Heinrich had received a letter years earlier from Rolf telling him not to write anymore. But after Heinrich returns to Austria, he goes to the home of Ingrid and Horst to see his son. Rolf hides in his closet, while Heinrich sets out a music box which begins playing.

He leaves the room and Rolf comes out to look at the music box. We next see Heinrich and Rolf reaching the summit of a mountain, where Heinrich plants the Tibetan flag for his friend the Dalai Lama.