Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom

When Ugyen, a day-dreaming but discontented young teacher, is posted to a school in the remote village of Lunana, dizzyingly high up in the Himalayan glaciers, he is disheartened to find a simple yak herding community lacking basic amenities such as electricity or even a blackboard. But the enthusiasm of his young students and the unassuming warmth of the village folk buoy Ugyen’s spirits and he must decide whether to return to the city before the gruelling winter sets in or remain in this strange and captivating land. Beautifully photographed in extraordinary mountain locations, this poetic and enchanting drama earned Bhutan the country’s first-ever Oscar nomination and gives a fascinating insight into a region largely uncharted on screen.

Genre: Drama