Irish Film Institute -LUNANA: A YAK IN THE CLASSROOM

LUNANA: A YAK IN THE CLASSROOM

Director: PAWO CHOYNING DORJI

110 mins, Bhutan, 2019, Digital, Subtitled

When Ugyen (Sherab Dorji), a rudderless young teacher, is posted to a school in the remote, sparsely populated 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.

There will be Open Captioned screenings at 13.10 on Sunday 12th and 20.10 on Wednesday 15th.

Notes by David O’Mahony

Book Tickets

Wednesday 29th

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