THE LAST DALAI LAMA?

In his 1993 documentary “Compassion In Exile: The Life of the 14th Dalai Lama,” Mickey Lemle asked His Holiness what he wished for Tibet and for the remainder of his life. His answer to both was Independence, so he could exit the world spotlight and meditate. It was not to be. THE LAST DALAI LAMA? reconnects the filmmaker and the Dalai Lama at his 80th birthday celebration. From here, this warm and lively film looks both backward at the extraordinary history of this beloved world figure and forward to an uncertain future. Tibet’s struggle for autonomy continues, and the world grows more unsettled. Determined to remain a servant to the cause of peace, the Dalai Lama charts a hopeful path forward. This lovingly crafted film conveys his wise and hopeful plan unfiltered to the viewer. But it does not shy from its central question: at a moment when men of peace are greatly needed, will global unrest and politics conspire to make him the last Dalai Lama? —C.R.