Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom

The gentle Oscar-nominated Bhutanese drama about a city lad sent to teach in the the remotest school in the world is a bit conventional but never hits a false note, with shades of "Local Hero."

It seems every year when the Oscar nominations come out, there’s always at least one feature film, usually in the animation, documentary or international categories, that comes out of left field. Not only have most people not seen it, even (supposed) movie experts like me hadn’t even heard of it.

This year’s entry in that unofficial subcategory is “Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom.” I know wasn’t alone when the nominations came out and was left scratching my head, asking others if they’d heard of this yak movie.

Well, that’s now been rectified.

“Lunana” is a sweet and gentle story. A bit conventional, to be sure, but emotionally it never takes a wrong step.

Set in Bhutan — the country in the Himalayas next to Nepal, and yes I had to look it up — it’s about Ugyen, (Sherab Dorji ) a young teacher who doesn’t really like his job and doesn’t try very hard at it. He really wants to go to Australia and become a singer. But he signed a five-year contract with the government and has one more to go, so for his sins he’s sent to the village of Lunana to teach at “the remotest school in the world.”

People make jokes about getting sent to Siberia, but Lunana really isn’t that far off, geographically or climatically. As you might guess, the mountain vistas are spectacular, almost every film frame worthy of a still painting.

Ugyen doesn’t want to go. He’s a city kid and enjoys hitting the nightclubs and texting with his friends. (No age is given, but I’d guess mid-20s.) His parents died long ago and he lives with his elderly grandmother (Tsheri Zom) whose hectoring only fuels his desire to leave his homeland.

But refusing the assignment will doom his visa application, so away he goes. It’s a long bus ride away, followed by more than a week trekking on foot along rivers and into the mountains. Ugyen is perturbed at his guide, Michen (Ugyen Norbu Lhendup), a burly, jovial fellow, for underselling how arduous the trip is. (A “gentle walk” it is not.)

Things don’t improve when he gets to Lunana. The total population is 56 people. Everybody is a yak herder or a relative of a yak herder — they have no other industry. There is no telecommunications or even electricity. The school is a rough rowhouse, and his attached bedroom gets so cold he has to light fires with dried yak dung.

In fact, he immediately tells the village headman, Asha Jinpa (Kunzang Wangdi), that it isn’t going to work out and he wants to go home. But while arrangements are being made, he teaches his first few classes. Of course, the students are all adorable moppets, led by “class captain” Pem Zam (also the actress’ name), eager to learn.

From there… well, do I really need to tell you more? This is a joyful, life-affirming movie, so the outcome is never really in doubt. Ugyen will warm to his new neighbors, throw himself into improving the appalling conditions of the school (no blackboard and very little paper), encounter a special someone he makes a connection with and find himself contemplating staying on at Lunana longer… possibly even permanently.

It’s the first feature film from writer/director Pawo Choyning Dorji, a photographer by training. If it were an American film, we’d probably be dismissing it as sentimental or even trite. But the movie is so pure and sure of itself, you find yourself just swept up in this simple little story about belonging.

The performances are straightforward and unlayered, and indeed much of the cast is made up of non-actors. Dorji as Ugyen starts out as a not particularly sympathetic character, a callow kid who doesn’t respect his country, his job or his grandmother. He dreams of something bigger and better for himself, and makes the classic young person mistake (or any age) of not being present and focusing on the here and now.

It’s interesting: in a typical Western movie, Ugyen’s dream of leaving behind his past to strive for something else, particularly in the creative field, would be framed as an aspirational, uplifting story. But in Bhutan’s traditional mores, his motivations are seen as unworthy and disrespectful of others. Individual impulses vs. service to the community.

Kelden Lhamo Gurung plays Saldon, a young woman who is heard singing a traditional song every morning while overlooking the village, giving her blessing and thanks. Ugyen soon seeks her out, and they form a bond around music with the clear indication of potential romance.

She is in many ways the polar opposite of him: centered, satisfied, someone who accepts her place in the world and is determined to make the most of it. As Ugyen gradually calms himself and envisions a life in Lunana with Saldon, we see how they could be more than the sum of their separate parts.

The yak in the film’s title is not just proverbial. Ugyen is given Norbu, the oldest one in the flock, to provide him with dung. So the students scoot their tables forward while the yak hangs out in the back.

Lunana herders talk about the sacred relationship they have with their animals, as they provide most everything they need. It’s a sad occasion when one must be sacrificed for meat, and the mournful song Saldon sings is about a young herder forced to slaughter his favorite yak.

We’ve seen plenty of movies like “Lunana” before: someone goes somewhere they are the stranger or the outcast, ends up changing the community in subtle ways while undergoing an evolution inside themselves. “Local Hero” comes immediately to mind, and this film compares favorably.

Is it just the exotic nature of the setting and culture that overcomes these familiarities? Perhaps. This it the first Bhutanese film nominated for an Oscar.

Sometimes the oldest stories, retold from a new perspective, can be rediscovered anew, thrillingly.

“Lunana” is currently available for rental on Amazon Prime, Apple TV, Vudu and most streaming services.