(Thimphu) Shot in the depths of one of the most isolated countries on the planet, nestled in the Himalayan mountains, The school at the end of the world is the first Bhutanese film nominated for an Oscar. It questions “the quest for happiness”, according to its director, Pawo Choyning Dorji. Naturally.
Posted at 8:11 a.m.
Nominated in January for the Oscars in the category of best international feature film, The school at the end of the world is located in Lunana, the village in Bhutan where the film was shot. Located at 3400 meters above sea level, it has no more than fifty souls, ten days’ walk from the nearest road.
The scenario of Lunana: a Yak in the Classroom, its original title, is imbued with Bhutanese mysticism and references to respect for nature. The action takes place in an untouched natural setting with vast expanses of virgin land and snow-capped peaks.
The story deals with the difficulties of a society in transition symbolized by Ugyen, a teacher unhappy to have been transferred to this backwater of Lunana, a village of yak herders and mushroom pickers, he who dreamed of a career singer in Australia.
“It’s a universal human story, about the quest for what you want, your place (in the world), happiness,” the 38-year-old director told AFP.
Upon his arrival in the village, Ugyen is rather negative, but the kindness of the inhabitants – played by the real villagers of Lunana who, for the most part, have never seen a film – lead him to question himself.
When her young students point out to her that a teacher is “familiar with the future”, touched, her perspective begins to change.
The status of teacher is highly respected in Bhutan. Along with doctors and civil servants, they are among the best paid in the country. Yet hundreds of them quit every year.
“The Australian Dream”
Bhutan, famous for its Gross National Happiness (GNH) index, prioritizes the well-being of its people over its economic growth. In the opening scenes of the film, Ugyen wears a T-shirt with a design reminiscent of this reputation.
Still, thousands of Bhutanese have left the country in recent years in search of better economic and educational opportunities.
“So many Bhutanese seem to be leaving this so-called ‘land of happiness’, in search of happiness elsewhere,” Dorji notes. “There’s nothing wrong with that”, he adds, “that’s life”.
Australia, where Bhutan opened an embassy in October, is the favorite destination for these emigrants. In Bhutan, we now talk about “the Australian dream”.
Lunana embodies this societal change. 3G was installed there just as production on the film was wrapping up.
The young pupil, star of the school and of the film, Pem Zam, says Dorji, sends him messages on Facebook. Even the teacher there posts beautiful photos on Instagram.”
Winters are long and harsh in Bhutan. Electricity is only produced by solar energy. The multiple logistical challenges are significant.
To transport the equipment and materials necessary for the shooting of the film, it was necessary to use 75 mules. Over 70 helicopter trips were made to transport cast and crew.
“Offering” for the Oscar
The school yak died of old age some time after filming.
“He was one of the stars of the film”, recalls the filmmaker, “we are saddened that he is gone, but happy that he lives through the film”.
Crediting him like all the other actors in the credits is “just the way things are done in Bhutan,” he also explains, “our beasts aren’t just beasts, they have names and personalities.”
This is the second time that a Bhutanese film is in competition, after The Cup by Khyentse Norbu, Dorji’s mentor, who had been critically acclaimed in 1999, but not to the point of joining the finalists.
The school at the end of the world has already won 18 awards at international festivals, but Dorji says he has “no expectations” regarding its potential consecration next month.
Many Bhutanese had never heard of the Oscars before. A monk assured him that he had given a kilo of homemade butter and 50 Bhutanese ngultrum ($0.60) as an offering to a temple for prayers dedicated to the Oscar.
“Other films have big budgets to boost their campaign, not us”, underlines Dorji, “ours is carried by the hopes, the aspirations and the prayers of an entire country”.