Lunana: A Yak In The Classroom - School Screening

Still training to be a teacher, Ugyen lives in Thimphu, the capital of Bhutan, but dreams of moving to Australia to become a singer. When he finds out that his final year teaching placement will be in Lunana – a community so remote that it is a seven day walk from the nearest road – his enthusiasm for the teaching profession is dampened still further. But go he must, and he sets off with all his urban essentials, including his mobile phone ever-present in his hand. But the onset of the high altitude, the lack of amenities and the absence of any signal doesn’t improve his mood, and he arrives in Lunana ready to turn straight around and head back to the city. Can the children in his new community change his mind, and win him round before the onset of winter forces him to decide – should he stay or should he go?

"A captivating view into life in northern Bhutan."

Proud of its claim to have been shot on location in the world’s most remote school, the making of the film was as much of a challenge to the film team as that faced by Ugyen. Using cameras operating on solar-powered batteries, this is a captivating view into life in northern Bhutan. With us all having been kept at home so much recently, it’s a wonderful opportunity to see how other parts of the world live and breathe. So – northern Bhutan? Or Australia? Would you make the same choice as Ugyen ultimately does?

Dir: Pawo Choyning Dorji
Bhutan 2019 / 1h49m / Age 8+
Dzongkha with English subtitles

Here's more from Festival Producer, Mike Tait, on why you should watch Lunana - A Yak In The Classroom:

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