In some parts of the world, teachers get the recognition and respect they deserve. Students attend in silence and are nourished by their knowledge. They consider that their future is in the hands of that person and that the learning they extract from them will determine whether or not they prosper in life. This same idea is manifested in Lunana, a yak at school, the Bhutanese film nominated this year for Best International Film, which now hits theaters.
Its director, Pawo Choyning, explains to La Vanguardia that with the participation of this film in the Oscars, “it is the first time that we as Bhutanese contribute to something really important. We are not in the Olympic Games, we are not participating in the World Cup final, so being able to contribute something big for me has been very important”.
The film came about when he returned to his country. “I was brought up in a very different way from other people in Bhutan. My father was a diplomat and I grew up abroad. When I came back as an adult, I completely fell in love with the people and re-introduced myself to the culture. I got to know a lot of interesting stories and I was sad that no one told them as very few people focus on Bhutan, so I decided to do it myself.”
Its protagonist is Ugyen, a young teacher who feels unhappy in what is considered the happiest country in the world, Bhutan. A paradox and, at the same time, a reality, because his true dream is to be a singer in Australia. His family and his friends do not understand how his studies are not enough for him to find the peace he demands. Neither do his superiors understand him who, as a reprimand for not valuing his trade, send him to what is considered one of the most remote schools in the world, located in a glacial Himalayan village called Lunana.
His arrival is greeted with joy by all, but Ugyen is only able to visualize at that moment the poverty of his new destination. There is no electricity, no heating, as well as no windows or blackboard in the classroom. Still, the welcome is warm, though he is concerned about having to teach without any material at his disposal. Overwhelmed, he decides to leave but over time he realizes that simplicity, kindness and the desire to learn from both children and families take precedence. Happiness, in short, “the main objective to be achieved in Bhutan. It is no coincidence that he is considered the happiest country in the world.”
Pawo Choyning anticipates that “I wanted the protagonist to be a teacher for two reasons. One because in the culture of Bhutan the teacher is the most important person after the parents. And second, because the profession that is most abandoned in this country today, curiously enough, is that of teacher. Hundreds of people leave their jobs and I think this is very worrying because they have a very big responsibility”, argues the filmmaker.
He adds as context that "Bhutan is a very poor country and one of the government's objectives is that its inhabitants be very happy, something that it believes can be achieved if free education is provided to all its inhabitants, from the time they go to kindergarten until who arrive at university. That is very good but, precisely because it is free, there is not enough money to have all the necessary availability in classrooms throughout the country. And this is the real reason why many teachers leave the profession. To avoid this, the Government is implementing different measures, such as raising their salaries and offering them more opportunities to prosper in their professional careers.
Another reality reflected in the film is the modernization of Bhutan. “In this process, the country is losing a little bit of its cultural and artistic identity, which is what defines who we are and, for this reason, I try to recover this essence, mainly with some traditional songs that are today on the verge of extinction. That's why music plays a very important role in the film."
The yak was also something that could not be missing. Not everyone is familiar with this animal, considered sacred in many areas of Bhutan as it “represents life. In a place where there is nothing else, like Lunana, the yak gives you everything. It gives you milk, cheese, hair to later build the shops, butter and meat. He even has a song dedicated to him.
