The sudden death of Pema Tseden, the Tibetan filmmaker known for spearheading an emerging film genre often described as the Tibetan New Wave, has gripped the hearts of many over the past week.

The director and writer passed away in Lhasa during the early hours of May 8, “after ineffective medical treatment of an acute illness” according to an obituary published last Monday by the China Academy of Art, where Tseden taught filmmaking as a professor. He was 53.

“I couldn’t sleep for the whole night after learning about his death,” Khashem Gyal, a 33-year-old Tibetan filmmaker from Qinghai province, tells TWOC. It was Pema Tseden’s films that encouraged Khashem Gyal to follow a similar path, giving him confidence that Tibetans can make their own films. “To a certain degree, just his existence has inspired a lot of us,” he adds.

The next day, Khashem Gyal flew to Lhasa from Chengdu, Sichuan province, to attend the funeral. “The whole road to the funeral was crowded with people,” he recalls. Hundreds, including Tibetans and Han people, attended Pema Tseden’s funeral, holding candles while walking on streets near Jokhang Temple.

In China, Pema Tseden is often seen as the most important figure in the recent rise of Tibetan cinema. In the wake of his passing, young filmmakers like Khashem Gyal mourn the loss of not just a pioneer in the field but also a kind mentor, as they remember Pema Tseden’s generous support to younger generations.