Estimated read time: 1-2 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
BEIJING (AP) — Tibetan film director Pema Tseden has been hospitalized following a scuffle at a Chinese airport, bringing an outpouring of support from fans on social media.
Tseden's producer Sonam said the director was detained Saturday following a dispute over left luggage at the airport in the western city of Xining. The next morning, he was ordered held for five days of administrative detention for causing a disturbance and was taken to a hospital Monday night suffering from a headache, chest pain and other complaints, said Sonam, who like many Tibetans uses just one name.
Airport police did not immediately respond to questions about the case Wednesday.
Tseden was a member of the jury at this month's 19th Shanghai International Film Festival attended by international celebrities including British actor Ian McKellen.
The son of nomadic herders, Tseden is one of the few Tibetans to have graduated from the Beijing Film Academy. His films are rare in that they are filmed entirely in the Tibetan language, earning him legions of Tibetan fans at home and overseas. Many have taken to Twitter and other social media sites to express their concern over his condition.
Tseden's four films have won acclaim from critics and juries around the world. His second feature, "The Search," was selected to show at the Locarno Film Festival while his third, "Old Dog," won prestigious prizes at festivals across Asia.
Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.