Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom

The narrative unfolds in contemporary times, following a government teacher's assignment in a distant village. The journey spans a six-day ascent to Lunana and a full school year there, set against harsh winters and limited resources. The ending shifts back to Australia, grounding the tale in a modern world outside Lunana's mountains.

Lunana is a remote mountain village perched at 4,800 meters with 56 residents, its stark, breathtaking landscape shaping the story. Thimphu is the capital where Ugyen hails from, contrasting with Lunana's austere conditions and traditional life. The film also shows a brief stretch in Australia, signaling a different world that the protagonist imagines and later returns from to continue teaching.

🏠 Belonging

Ugyen arrives as a hesitant outsider, but Lunana's warmth and the children's eagerness draw him into their world. The villagers' simple classrooms, shared songs, and daily routines show belonging is built through care and consistent presence. Through guitar melodies and patient teaching, he forms bonds that make leaving harder and harder. The kids' plea to stay, and the farewell song, crystallize that his sense of home now rests with them.

🎓 Education

Education in Lunana becomes a communal act that transcends resources. Ugyen adapts by drawing on walls for a blackboard and turning scarce materials into lessons. The students' curiosity and resilience reveal the power of learning to shape futures, even in an austere setting. The classroom becomes a bridge between tradition and new possibilities.

🎶 Music

Music is the thread that ties learners to their culture and to Ugyen himself. The Yak Lebi Lhadar becomes both a song and a symbol of promise, sung by Saldon and later learned by the teacher. Ugyen's guitar performances transform lessons into moments of shared joy. The closing scene in Australia uses the same tune to connect disparate worlds, underscoring music as a universal bond.