Wednesday 8 December
10am, 2:30pm, 5pm, 7.30pm
Directed by Pawo Choyning Dorji
Drama
Bhutan/subtitled
110 mins
An aspiring singer living with his grandmother in the capital of Bhutan dreams of getting a visa to move to Australia. As a reprimand, his superiors send him to the most remote school in the world, a glacial Himalayan village called Lunana, to complete his service. He finds himself exiled from his Westernized comforts after an arduous 8-day trek just to get there. There he finds no electricity, no textbooks, not even a blackboard. Though poor, the villagers extend a warm welcome to their new teacher, but he faces the daunting task of teaching the village children without any supplies.
The gentle, sincere hospitality of the villagers and the sweet adoration of the children are a contrast to the harsh living conditions to which the teach must accommodate. A young peasant girl who is an avid singer of local music also begins to break down his barriers.
A deceptively simple film that deeply probes into the meaning of ‘home’ and ‘exile’ – both literally as well as emotionally. A wonderful exploration of ‘belonging’ and ‘longing’ – Chinch_g
Offers a Buddhist lesson in true fulfillment – Karen Greenspan, Trike Daily