Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom

Join filmmaker Pawo Choyning Dorji for a screening and discussion of his Oscar-nominated film, Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom.
About this Event

Date: September 23, 2026

Time: 6:00 - 9:00 PM

Location: Room 120, CK Choi, 1855 West Mall, Vancouver, BC, Canada V6T 1Z2

Admission: Free (RSVP required)

Join filmmaker Pawo Choyning Dorji for a screening and discussion of his Oscar-nominated film, Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom.

Pawo Choyning Dorji is an Oscar-nominated filmmaker and photographer from Bhutan. Pawo's directorial debut of Lunana redefined Bhutanese Cinema's exposure on the global stage and was recognized by His Majesty the Fifth King of Bhutan with the country's highest civilian award, the Druk Thuksey - making Pawo the youngest recipient of this esteemed honor.

Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom (2019) follows a young Bhutanese teacher who is set on emigrating abroad to become a singer, but is instead assigned to teach at one of the most remote schools in Bhutan. Initially disheartened and eager to quit, he gradually adapts to life in a rural community, forming meaningful connections that reshape his sense of purpose and commitment to education. The film centres around the themes of the value of education and the universal longing to find where you belong.

The director remarked, "The film was shot on location at the world's most remote school, with the actual students of that school as our cast, children who had never seen the world outside their village. Because the cast was entirely off the grid, with no electricity, the entire production ran on solar batteries. I always joke that the film is a carbon-negative film!"