1 hours 49 minutes | Rated PG (Coarse language)
A young teacher in modern Bhutan, Ugyen, shirks his duties while planning to go to Australia to become a singer. 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. He wants to quit and go home, but he begins to learn of the hardship in the lives of the beautiful children he teaches, and begins to be transformed through the amazing spiritual strength of the villagers.
Reviews:
A reminder of how cinema can connect us to what matters most in life, sharing a specific story from a part of the world most of us will never experience, but zoning in on matters of the heart that resonate in a universal way. TheWrap
Dorji avoids predictable turns, instead building the drama toward an affecting tangle of feelings and an open-ended promise of transformation. Hollywood Reporter
Dorji and cinematographer Jigme Tenzing don’t deploy elaborate shooting techniques, but its simplicity is what makes the film charming. Deadline Hollywood Daily
Lunana proceeds with a slow, steady flow that complements the modest charms of its familiar fish-out-of-water narrative. RogerEbert.com
It struck a nimble balance between low-key humor and life-affirming drama. FilmWeek (KPCC – NPR Los Angeles)
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