Controversial Canvas: The Making of Kundun

By Martine De Hert

A Film That Shook an Empire. A Story That Had to Be Told.

In 1997, one of Hollywood's greatest directors took on a subject so sensitive it nearly brought a media empire to its knees. Controversial Canvas reveals the explosive, untold story behind Martin Scorsese's Kundun, a film whose turbulent production became a flashpoint for international politics, corporate cowardice, and artistic integrity.

Go Behind the Scenes of a Legendary Production:

Before a single frame was shot, the vision for a meditative, visually stunning portrait of the young Dalai Lama was already in peril. This book takes you on set to witness:

The immense challenges of recreating the lost world of Tibet in the Atlas Mountains of Morocco.The brilliant collaboration between director Martin Scorsese, screenwriter Melissa Mathison, cinematographer Roger Deakins, and composer Philip Glass.The crew's quest to create not just a film, but a moving, illuminated manuscript on screen.Witness the Clash Between Art and Commerce:

As the cameras rolled, a storm was brewing. This gripping account details the intense pressure campaign waged by the Chinese government against the film's studio, Disney, threatening its access to a billion-person market. Plunge into the high-stakes corporate drama as a revered auteur's project becomes a pawn in a global chess match, forcing a painful choice between creative freedom and commercial ambition.

From its divisive reception to its surprising cultural impact and the final, bitter irony of Shanghai Disneyland, Controversial Canvas is a riveting exploration of a misunderstood masterpiece and a testament to a film that dared to tell a forbidden story.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: B0G5FBP5DK
• ISBN13: 9798277664414
• Release Date: December 2025
• Publisher: Independently Published
• Length: 84 Pages
• Weight: 0.27 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.2" x 6.0" x 9.0"