The Dalai Lama and his family were portrayed by his real-life relatives, now living in exile. Tenzin Thuthob Tsarong, who played the adult Dalai Lama, is his grand nephew.
Martin Scorsese, Melissa Mathison, and her then-husband Harrison Ford were added to a list of over 50 people banned from entering Tibet because of this film.
Filmed in Morocco.
Martin Scorsese dedicated this film to his mother, Catherine Scorsese, who died during pre-production. "The Dalai Lama represents unconditional love, and to me my mother was the closest person with that kind of love", Scorsese said.
Cinematographer Roger Deakins believed that Martin Scorsese hired him for the documentary experience; given that they were working with a cast of non-actors, he had the ability to naturally sense when the scenes would be properly executed when the actors finished a take.
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