About

For fifty years, the Kingdom of Bhutan has maintained that “Gross National Happiness is more important than Gross Domestic Product” and the film Lunana is imbued with this delightful philosophy. It follows a hapless young teacher, Ugyen (Sherab Dorji), who reluctantly puts his contemporary lifestyle and personal aspirations to immigrate to Sydney on hold and treks from the nation’s modern capital to a remote posting at a tiny school high in the Himalayan mountains. The spectacular landscape cinematography and insight into Bhutan’s spiritual customs and musical traditions transport the audience to a region of the Asia-Pacific rarely seen on the big screen. It’s a charming and joyful cinematic journey, crafted by masterful storytellers who care deeply about the land and its yaks as well as its people. JS