Goodbye Tibet is the story of a 20,000-foot high mountain pass on the border between Tibet and Nepal. For thousands of Tibetan refugees it has been their gateway to freedom - but for many it has been a fatal gauntlet. It is the story of Kelsang Jigme, a legend among the Tibetan guides who help refugees escape over the treacherous mountain pass. And it is the story of six children sent by their parents into freedom - and exile - across the highest mountain range in the world, and of the heartbreak of their parents who had to remain behind in Tibet. It is a story of imprisonment and torture - and of a love that transcends borders. Finally, Goodbye Tibet is the story of a family of kindred spirits formed over the years by all of the protagonists: the children, their mothers, Kelsang and other guides, and the filmmaker herself. A decade of destiny reflects the dreams, hopes and strength of a people, a culture and a religion facing the threat of extinction.

Good Bye Tibet

On the roofs of a Tibetan monastery two boys let fly a kite, but suddenly a shot rips the relaxed silence, and one of the two guys gets shot, the "Golden Boy" which is the fictitious successor to the Dalai Lama. The monks act immediately and bring him out of Tibet to secure his body. In the meantime, the Berlinese mountaineer Johanna and her Swiss friend travel to the monastery to stay there for some days...