After going through forty waves to be accepted by the jury, the film “knocked on the door” of the Oscars in 2022, as it was nominated for Best Foreign Language Film and came in 5th place.

Through his lens, Dorhi tells the story of a young man who is a teacher in Bhutan but neglects his responsibilities as his dream is to become a singer in Australia, seeking happiness based on Western standards of happiness.

The Minister of Education gives him an unfavourable transfer to the border village of Lunana. A village in the Himalayan highlands, isolated, with no contact with the outside world.
After eight days of exhausting trekking just to reach the village, he realizes that he must bid farewell to its westernized comforts. In Lunana there is no electricity, no textbooks, not even a blackboard. Despite their poverty, the villagers prepare a warm welcome for their new teacher, but he has the heavy duty of teaching the village children in the absence of any infrastructure. And as he prepares to resign and leave, the difficulties of the daily life of his wonderful students begin to move him and the incredible spiritual power of the villagers begins to change him.
There, our hero, Ugyen will get to know the traditional values of Bhutan, a Buddhist country, up close and personal.

Starring: Sherab Dorji, Ugyen Norbu Lhendup, Kelden Lhamo Gurung, Pema Zam
Produced by Pawo Choyning Dorji, Jia Honglin, Stephanie Lai, Shaokun Xiang
Photography: Jigme Tenzing Editing: Hsiao-Yun Ku Set Design: Chungdra Gyeltshen, Pema Wangyel

This year’s Municipal Cinema section is held in collaboration with the Olympia International Film Festival for Youth and Children. Through this collaboration, the Cultural Organization of the Municipality of Patras aspires to bring children and young people of the region closer to good and award-winning cinema. The films are aimed at young and old and are fiction, animation and documentary films.