Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom

Bú dan shì jiàoshì

Director: Pawo Choyning Dorji
Country: Kingdom of Bhutan

2019 | 110 min. | Dzongkha
Synchronization in German
FSK 6
Age recommendation: Ages 8+

Cast_ Sherab Dorji, Ugyen Norbu Lhendup, Kelden Lhamo Gurung Screenplay_ Pawo Choyning Dorji Camera_ Jigme Tenzing Producer_ Pawo Choyning Dorji, Steven Xiang, Stephanie Lai, Jia Honglin Rights_ Films Boutique

When a dream at first cannot come true, it can result in an unexpected opportunity. That’s what is revealed by this moving film, set against the sublime backdrop of the Himalayan mountains.

Ugyen is a young teacher who doesn’t like his job. He wants to become a singer instead. However, before he can pursue this dream he is transferred to the world's most remote school, in the Himalayas. At first he hates it, finding this new world completely foreign. But then, things start changing for him.

Lunana takes us to a faraway world untouched by the achievements of modernity, but also by its hectic pace and interpersonal coldness. The film is full of magnificent images of the breathtaking mountain landscape – a film that shows how we can be changed by a new experience, and what is truly important in life. Told with delicate insight, it is a great experience for children and adults alike.

Director

Pawo Choyning Dorji is a Bhutanese writer, photographer and filmmaker. In 2016 he produced the film Hema Hema: Sing Me a Song While I Wait, which had its world premiere in Locarno and received a special mention in Toronto. Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom is his directing debut.

Trailer