cinéma vérité(French; : “truth cinema”)

French film movement of the 1960s that strove for candid realism by showing people in everyday situations with authentic dialogue. Influenced by documentary filmmaking and Italian Neorealism, the method produced such outstanding examples as Jean Rouch's Chronicle of a Summer (1961) and Chris Marker's Joli Mai (1962). A similar movement in the U.S., where it was called “direct cinema,” captured the reality of a person or an event by using a handheld camera to record action without narration, as in Frederick Wiseman's Titicut Follies (1967) and the Maysles brothers' Salesman (1969).

Learn more about cinéma vérité with a free trial on Britannica.com.

In Tibetan Buddhism, a spiritual leader. Some lamas are considered to be reincarnations of their predecessors; others have won respect for their high level of spiritual development. The most honored of the reincarnate lamas is the Dalai Lama; second in spiritual authority is the Panchen Lama. The process of discovering the new incarnation of a lama, especially the Dalai Lama, is elaborate and exacting. Oracular messages, unusual signs during the lama's death or during a birth thereafter, and examinations of candidates identify a successor. The child thus identified as the lama's incarnation is given extensive monastic training from an early age.

Learn more about lama with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Any of the line of reincarnated lamas who head the Tashilhunpo Monastery in Tibet, traditionally second only to the Dalai Lama in spiritual authority in the dominant sect of Tibetan Buddhism. A Panchen Lama installed by the Chinese Nationalist government in 1949 later became an official under the Chinese communists. He remained in Tibet after the 14th Dalai Lama fled into exile in 1959 but was imprisoned in 1964 after criticizing the government. He was released in the late 1970s and died in 1989. The Dalai Lama and government subsequently chose different successors.

Learn more about Panchen Lama with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Head of the dominant Dge-lugs-pa order of Tibetan Buddhism. The first of the line was Dge-'dun-grub-pa (1391–1475), founder of a monastery in central Tibet. His successors were regarded as his reincarnations and, like himself, manifestations of the bodhisattva Avalokitesvara. The second head of the order established the 'Brasspungs monastery near Lhasa as its base, and the third received the h1 Dalai (“Ocean”) from Altan Khan. The fifth, Ngag-dbang-rgya-mtsho (1617–82), established the supremacy of the Dge-lugs-pa over other orders. The 13th Dalai Lama, Thub-bstan-rgya-mtsho (1875–1933), held temporal and spiritual power after the Chinese were expelled in 1912. The 14th and current Dalai Lama, Bstan-'dzin-rgya-mtsho (b. 1935), was enthroned in 1940 but fled to India in 1959 with a large contingent of followers after a failed revolt against the central government, which had gained control of Tibet in 1950–51. He now lives in exile in Dharmsala, India. He was awarded the 1989 Nobel Peace Prize in recognition of his proposals for solving world problems.

Learn more about Dalai Lama with a free trial on Britannica.com.

(born Oct. 7, 1955, Paris, France) French-born U.S. cellist. Born to Chinese parents in France, he made his cello debut at age five. He attended the Juilliard School and then Harvard University. Praised for his extraordinary technique and rich tone, Ma performed and recorded the standard cello repertoire and received a large number of commissions from contemporary composers. He is known for his many recordings with the pianist Emanuel Ax (b. 1949), for his collaborations with an unusual range of other musicians and artists, and for his energetic work on behalf of music programs for young people and a variety of international causes. In 1998 he founded the Silk Road Project, an arts organization that explores the historical and current exchange of ideas between Asian and Western cultures.

Learn more about Ma, Yo-Yo with a free trial on Britannica.com.

(born 971—died April 30?, 1030, Ghazna, Ghaznavid empire) Son of the founder of the Ghaznavid dynasty, Sebüktigin. After ascending the throne in 998, he gave nominal allegiance to the caliph of the aynAbbāsid dynasty and in return was granted autonomy. He expanded his kingdom through some 17 invasions of the Punjab and northeastern India, carrying with him the banner of Islam. With the treasures he amassed, he transformed the city of Ghazna into a brilliant cultural centre. At his court were the scholar al-Bīrūnī and the poet Ferdowsī.

Learn more about Mahsubdotmūd of Ghazna with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Ancient city ruins, north-central Yemen. The ancient fortified city of Mahamzahrib was the centre of the pre-Islamic state of Sabahamzah (950–115 BC). It was located on one of the caravan routes between the Mediterranean Sea and the Arabian Peninsula, and it prospered through its trading monopoly on frankincense and myrrh. The ancient Mahamzahrib Dam was built circa 7th century BC to regulate the waters of the Wadi Sadd; some 1,800 ft (550 m) long, it irrigated more than 4,000 acres (1,600 hectares) and supported a densely settled agricultural region. The dam was destroyed by the 7th century AD and possibly earlier.

Learn more about Mahamzahrib with a free trial on Britannica.com.