Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom (2019)

Drama, Family

Ugyen (Sherab Dorji) has completed four of his five mandatory years of training as a teacher for the government. However, he does not enjoy teaching and wishes to move to Australia to become a singer. When he is assigned (by the Government) to teach in the remote mountain village of Lunana (it is officially the most remote school in the entire world), he considers quitting his job, but his grandmother (Tsheri Zom) urges him to complete his teaching duty. He decides to take the assignment and leaves the city. Tandin (Sonam Tashi) is Ugyen's best friend and promises to keep track of his Aus visa application, while he is away. Lunana is a 8 day hike from Thimphu.Ugyen meets Michen (Ugyen Norbu Lhendup) at the town of Gasa (population 448, altitude of 2800 m), a village guide who leads him up the perilous path to Lunana. Singye (Tshering Dorji) is Michen's assistant. The route has a steep climb and Ugyen soon gets very tired. Michen gently coaxes him to continue going on. Michen carves him a walking stick. They reach Koina, Population of 3, Altitude of 3100 m. Koina is their last stop, after which they have to sleep in tents. Ugyen is miserable when his waterproof shoes leak and he develops sores and blisters in his feet. Michen treats him with homemade recipes. Soon, battery of Ugyen's phone runs out. Ugyen refuses to follow the rituals at the mountain pass where travelers typically put a stone on top of a pile, to worship the mountain. Michen talks about how the snow line has receded through the years and has had an adverse effect on the population of snow lions in the area. Lunana has a population of 56 and is 4800 m above sea level.The villagers are excited by his arrival (the entire population travels 2 hours out of the village to welcome Ugyen), but Ugyen, appalled by the poor conditions of the village (No electricity, no running water, no toilet), admits regret at coming and requests to be taken back. Michen informs him that the mules need time to rest, and he can take Ugyen back in a few days. The next morning, Ugyen is awoken by Pem Zam (Pem Zam), the class captain, who tells him the children are waiting for him in the classroom (class starts at 8 30 am, but Ugyen couldn't wake up as he had no alarm on account of his phone battery being dead). Ugyen is taken aback by their affection for him, as the children believe teachers have the ability to "touch the future." He decides to stay and teach for the remainder of the year. Pem Zam tells Ugyen about the subjects the previous teacher used to teach and that his books are kept in the trunk in Ugyen's room.Michen shows Ugyen around the village, including his wife, Pem Zam's drunk father and so on. A grandma from a nearby village brings her granddaughter to Ugyen, since there is no school in her village and she wants her granddaughter to have an education.Ugyen returns the next day better prepared to teach and improvises the lack of a blackboard by writing directly on the wall with charcoal. Michen later constructs a makeshift blackboard for him. Ugyen slowly makes improvements to the classroom, including sacrificing the paper covering his windows when the children run out of writing material. Ugyen writes to Tandin, who sends supplies for the school, via Ghasa (which are picked up by Michen). The supplies include copies, chart papers and Ugyen's Guitar. Ugyen also receives word that his visa application to Australia has been approved. He quickly becomes a favorite of the children, performing songs on his guitar and teaching them math, English and Dzongkha. They are sad when they learn that Ugyen plans to leave when winter comes and will not return.Ugyen later meets Saldon (Kelden Lhamo Gurung), almost like a daughter to village leader Asha (Kunzang Wangdi), as she sings a traditional song atop a hillside. She tells him that she sings it daily as an offering to the village, and he asks her to teach it to him; they meet daily, and he slowly learns how to sing it himself. She says it is called Yak Lebi Lhadar, and it was
  • 2019-10-05 Released:
  • 2022-10-05 DVD Release:
  • N/A Box office:
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  • Pawo Choyning Dorji Director:
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