In 1939, Austrian mountaineer Heinrich Harrer (Brad Pitt) leaves behind his pregnant wife to join Peter Aufschnaiter (David Thewlis) in a team attempting to summit Nanga Parbat in the British Raj (present-day part of Pakistan). Austria in under German Nazi occupation at the time. Before Heinrich 4 German expeditions have attempted Nanga Parbat and failed. 11 Germans lost their lives. It is now a matter of national pride. During the climb (in July they reach base camp), Heinrich slips and falls and badly injures his leg. Heinrich continues to climb, but when Peter slips, he is dangling off a cliff, with only Heinrich holding his rope. Due to his injury, Heinrich is not able to pivot off the rocks properly and almost loses Peter. Peter manages to climb out and sees the extent of Heinrich's injury. By 5th Aug, they are at camp 5 and holed up in fierce storms over the mountain. After an avalanche, Peter orders the team to climb back down, even though Heinrich asks for just 2 Sherpa to proceed and summit on his own. When World War II begins in 1939, they are arrested by the authorities for being enemy aliens and imprisoned in a prisoner-of-war camp in Dehradun (They reach there on Oct 15th, 1939) in the Himalayan foothills, in the present-day Indian state of Uttarakhand. In 1 yr Heinrich makes 4 escape attempts. Harrer's wife, Ingrid (Ingeborga Dapkunaite), who has given birth to a son he has not seen, sends him divorce papers from Austria, by then annexed by Nazi Germany. In Sep 1942, Heinrich and Peter make their first escape attempt. Peter dresses like an English officer and the rest as Indian workers, and manage to fool the prison guards who were mostly Indian and the only British officer, away for a brief while. After escaping Heinrich takes off on his own, and heads to Tibet. After a few weeks Peter catches up with him on the trail. Harrer and Aufschnaiter cross into Tibet. After being initially rejected by the isolated nation (& the highest country on Earth). The leader of the border village apprehends Heinrich and Peter and sends them back towards India. A monk explains that the 13th Dalai Llama prophesied that a foreign force will lead to the demise of Tibet and hence the whole country is hostile to foreigners. The leader assigns 2 escorts to walk them back to the Indian border 40 Kms away. They manage to trick their escorts and slip back into Tibet. Heinrich tricks Peter in selling his watch to trade for food, but later Peter finds that Heinrich has 3 such watches. Peter is amazed that Heinrich is so arrogant and selfish and has no remorse for his actions. Heinrich apologizes and gives his watches to Peter. The travel long distances. They are attacked by bandits and manage to escape. Peter has frostbite in the foot, but Heinrich saves it by giving him his boots. They eat raw horse meat to survive. They manage to travel in disguise to the Tibetan capital city of Lhasa (they reach there in 1944). There, they become the house guests of Tibetan diplomat Kungo Tsarong (Mako). They were caught eating food served to their dogs and brought to Tsarong. Tsarong asks Regent (Danny Denzongpa) for permission to let the foreigners stay in light of their arduous journey and the regent agrees reluctantly. The Tibetan senior official Ngapoi Ngawang Jigme (BD Wong) also extends friendship to the two foreigners with gifts of custom-made Western suits. Aufschnaiter falls in love with the tailor, Pema Lhaki (Lhakpa Tsamchoe), and marries her. Harrer opts to remain single, both to focus on his new job of surveying the land and not wishing to experience another failed relationship. Ngawang Jigme points to the regent that the Chinese are increasing their influence in the region by giving money to Tibetan monasteries, but the Regent ignores him. Ngawang Jigme complains to the Chinse mission in Lhasa, but he is rebuffed there as well. He can see the Chinese mission amassing weapons and installing radio equipment at their embassy. In 1945, Harrer plans to return to Austria upon hearing of the war's end. However, he receives a cold letter from his son, Rolf, rejecting Harrer as his father, and this deters him from leaving Tibet. Soon afterwards, Harrer is invited to the Potala Palace (By the Great Mother (Jetsun Pema)) and becomes the 14th Dalai Lama's (Jamyang Jamtsho Wangchuk) tutor in world geography, science, and Western culture. Harrer and Dalai Lama end up befriending each other. He calls Heinrich "Yellow Head" The Dalai Lama wants Heinrich to build him a movie theatre, but the workers refuse to dig as there are worms on the site. Buddhists believe in preserving all life as any living soul could have been their mother in the past. So, Heinrich makes a plan to dig all worms from the ground and transplant them to a different site. Meanwhile, political relations with China sour as they make plans to invade Tibet (as a new Chairman Mao Tse-Sung takes control of China and decides to re-unite the motherland). The Regent closes the Chinese embassy and throws them out. The Chinese mission is dismantled and shut down. Heinrich completes the move theatre and uses an old car engine as generator to bring electricity to power it. Dalai Lama is distraught as he has visions of Chinese army destroying his village in Tibet. Heinrich later learns that this event actually took place. Soon, China invades. The Chinese generals are invited to Lhasa where they arrogantly dismiss Tibetan traditions, insult the monks and refuse to let the Dalai Lama sit higher than them. The Chinese General Chang Jing Wu (Ric Young) offers regional autonomy if Tibet accepts China as their political master. But Dalai Lama offers a message of peace and Buddha. General later tells Jigme that religion is a poison and must be rooted out. China attacks with 84,000 troops. Ngawang Jigme leads the Tibetan army (8000 men and 50 pieces of artillery against PLA which is 1 MM men strong) (Tibet is a peace loving nation and many soldiers still wore a mesh armor) at the border town of Chamdo (if Chamdo falls, Tibet will fall) to halt the advancing People's Liberation Army. Jigme however knew the hopelessness of the task and wanted to placate the Chinese to gain favors later during their occupation. However, he ends up surrendering and blows up the Tibetan ammunition dump after the one-sided Battle of Chamdo. Tibet loses the war in 11 days flat. During the treaty signing, Kungo Tsarong tells Harrer that if Jigme had not destroyed the weapons supply, the Tibetan guerrillas could have held the mountain passes for months or even years; long enough to appeal to other nations for help. He also states that, for Tibetans, capitulation is like a death sentence. As the Chinese occupy Tibet, Harrer condemns Ngawang Jigme for betraying his country, declaring their friendship over. Out of anger, Harrer further humiliates the senior official by returning the jacket that Ngawang Jigme gave him as a present, a grave insult in Tibetan culture; as well as by throwing him onto the ground before storming off. Harrer tries to convince the Dalai Lama to flee, but he refuses; not wanting to abandon his people. The Dalai Lama encourages Harrer to return to Austria and be a father to his son. After the enthronement ceremony, in which the Dalai Lama is formally enthroned as the spiritual and temporal leader of Tibet, Harrer returns to Austria in 1951. Harrer's son, Rolf, refuses to meet him at first, but Harrer leaves a music box that the Dalai Lama gave him and this piques the boy's interest. Years later, Harrer and Rolf (now a teenager) are seen mountain-climbing together, suggesting that they have mended their relationship. 1 MM Tibetans died under Chinese occupation. 6000 monasteries destroyed. In 1959, Dalai Lama fled to India. In 1989 he won the noble peace prize. He and Heinrich remained friends to this day.
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