Pawo is a Bhutanese filmmaker and photographer. His film, Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom (2019), was nominated for Best International Feature Film at the 94th Academy Awards, and had its world premiere at the BFI London Film Festival.

thumbnail_Pawo-Choyning-Dorji.jpg

Pawo-Choyning-Dorji.jpg

Pawo Choyning Dorji

<h4>
 PAWO CHOYNING DORJI
 is a Bhutanese filmmaker and photographer. His film,
 Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom (2019), was nominated for Best
 International Feature Film at the 94th Academy Awards, and had its
 world premiere at the BFI London Film Festival. Pawo speaks with
 PURNIMA RAMAKRISHNAN
 about the making of Lunana, the teachings of Buddha that
 inspired major parts of the film, and his hopes and wishes for young
 people today.
 </h4>

 <hr class="vertical-space1" />

 
 Q: Thank you so much for joining me.
 

 
 PCD: Thank
 you for having me, Purnima.
 

 
 Q: How did the idea of Lunana come about?
 

 
 PCD: I grew
 up outside Bhutan, as my father was a diplomat. I was born in India, and
 lived in Europe, the Middle East, and America. After finishing college,
 I returned to India and joined a Buddhist monastery in Himachal Pradesh.
 And after all that, I returned to Bhutan.
 

 
 Bhutan is very guarded about exposure to the outside world, so a lot of
 Bhutanese wonder what the rest of the world is like. When I returned, I
 went through the same journey as the protagonist of the film. He is
 reintroduced to his culture and falls in love with it. There is a lot of
 my own story in the film.
 

 
 One inspiration was the younger population seeking life in Western
 developed countries like Australia, Canada, and America. In Bhutan, we
 are going through that right now. Thousands leave, seeking happiness.
 

 
 I thought, “If our people are seeking life in the urban glittering
 lights of Western civilization, I will create a story where the
 protagonist goes to the opposite end of the spectrum. Let me take this
 protagonist to the remotest, most desolate place in Bhutan. ”That
 happens to be Lunana. In our language, Lunana means “the dark valley,”
 because it is so far.
 

 
 So the theme was: could we really discover in the shadows and darkness
 what we are longing for and so desperately seeking in the light? We
 could have cheated on the location, making the movie in a village with
 electricity and road connection, but I didn’t want to do that. I wanted
 us all to go through the experience and live in the darkness. I felt
 that it would then translate into the film. It is almost a docu-feature.
 

 <hr class="vertical-space1" />

 <div class="block-image">
 <figure>
 <img
 alt="image1"
 width="700"
 height="617"
 class="lazyload has-img-center"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/image1_700x617_53a48d34d7.jpeg?updated_at=2023-04-11T09:32:03.034Z"
 />
 </figure>
 </div>

 <hr class="vertical-space1" />

 
 Q: Lunana is a spark of inspiration. I can’t associate the
 word “darkness” with it.
 

 
 In many ancient traditions, a teacher is given importance next only
 to God. You don’t really know God, but you know the teacher who can
 take you where you need to go. You chose to portray the protagonist as
 a teacher, rather than a doctor, a social worker, or any other noble
 profession. That aspect has a deep significance. Can you tell me why
 you made that choice?
 

 
 PCD: There
 are two reasons. One is exactly as you say. Bhutan’s culture, tradition,
 and spirituality are based on Buddhism. And the teacher-student
 relationship is very important. We have this name “Dalai Lama” meaning
 “root teacher.” The root teacher takes the most important position in
 our life. So, I made the protagonist a teacher as he holds the most
 important role in Bhutanese culture and society, yet he is not happy and
 he wants to leave.
 

 
 The second reason is that I am trying to bring reality into my films.
 Reality is my inspiration. In the Bhutan of today, there are two common
 things. One is that most young people are leaving for Australia. The
 second is that most of the people who are quitting their jobs are
 teachers.
 

 
 I had many different aspirations. One was to tell the story of Bhutan,
 and another was to highlight and preserve our disappearing traditions.
 Yet another was to reach out to the teachers who are quitting their jobs
 every year. I told my friends that if I can save one teacher from giving
 up their profession, it would mean more than any award the film
 received.
 

 
 Q:That is a very noble idea. There is another interesting thing I
 observed in your film. Today we live in an age of excess. We produce
 more food than we can eat and we dump the excess food. We fight wars
 for trivial matters and aspire for space habitation, and yet you show
 in your movie that there are extremely joyful people living amongst us
 who do not have shoes or electricity, and who do not know how to use a
 toothbrush.
 

 
 While the gap is vast, and I cannot even fathom how it could be
 bridged, you very sublimely, subtly, and creatively bring this “social
 activism” to the forefront. My heart is deeply touched. Did you
 consciously think of these things, or did it just emerge?
 

 
 PCD: I am a
 lover of Bhutan. I made this film as a love letter from Bhutan to the
 rest of the world. I wanted to showcase and celebrate our culture and
 our traditions. I grew up outside Bhutan in a very materialistic world,
 where, as you said, there is a lot of excess. Where many people are not
 happy. Bhutan advertises itself as a happy country, and there is some
 truth in that. Unfortunately, we are losing touch with that because we
 too are falling into the race to modernize, the race to become worldly.
 Bhutan’s traditions are rooted in Buddha’s teachings. Buddha always
 talked about wishing all beings to be happy.
 

 <hr class="vertical-space1" />

 <div class="block-image">
 <figure>
 <img
 width="600"
 height="750"
 alt="love-letter-from-bhutan3"
 class="lazyload has-img-center"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/love_letter_from_bhutan3_27b2dc7748.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-11T09:33:00.643Z"
 />
 </figure>
 </div>

 <hr class="vertical-space1" />

 
 But what is true happiness? In this movie, I wanted to touch upon what
 happiness is for the people of Lunana. It is really two things. One is
 contentment. Contentment is a person saying, “I have enough.” He is much
 wealthier than any rich person. A rich person is never content, always
 longing for more and more, so they are never happy. In Lunana, the
 people have very little, yet they are content. Their lives are full.
 They are not rich but they are wealthy people.
 

 
 Buddha also taught that we must accept impermanence. Much happiness
 comes from that acceptance because everything is always changing. When
 we are attached to those things that are changing, then we will not be
 happy.
 

 
 So I really wanted to put across these two teachings of contentment and
 acceptance.
 

 <hr class="vertical-space1" />

 <hr />

 <h4 class="has-text-align-center">
 Much happiness comes from acceptance because everything is
 always changing. When we are attached to those things that
 are changing, then we will not be happy.
 </h4>

 <hr />

 <hr class="vertical-space1" />

 <div class="block-image">
 <figure>
 <img
 width="400"
 height="591"
 alt="love-letter-from-bhutan4"
 class="lazyload has-img-center"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/love_letter_from_bhutan4_8dce6c003c.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-11T09:33:39.621Z"
 />
 </figure>
 </div>

 <hr class="vertical-space1" />

 
 Q:The stark difference that you brought out between wealth and
 richness is a very poignant message.
 

 
 Spoiler alert: for those of you who have not yet watched the movie
 and wish to do so, please stop here, otherwise, continue
 reading.
 

 
 The protagonist leaves Bhutan for Australia toward the end of the
 movie. I was waiting with bated breath to see what he would do. I
 thought he would have a change of heart and stay back in Lunana to
 educate the poor children. But he left. I was surprised, yet I felt
 relieved that it was realistic, not like a Hollywood movie where the
 impossible happens. The ending made me weep. So, why did you choose
 for Ugyen to leave Bhutan?
 

 
 PCD:
 Because my movies reflect reality! In a real story, Ugyen would leave.
 He has passion and ambition.
 

 
 The second reason is the magic of storytelling, of cinema. If he had
 stayed in Lunana, the story would have ended there. He stayed for the
 kids. He stayed for his yak. He stayed for the girl, Saldon. That would
 be the end of it. But by Ugyen going to Australia, and singing the song
 he learned in Lunana in the club in Australia, the story continues. When
 the movie ends you wonder, “What did Ugyen do? He sang that song. Does
 it mean he will go back to Lunana?”With that thought, each viewer
 creates their own ending. Then it becomes a much more personal journey.
 

 
 Lord Buddha said that the art of storytelling is the creation of
 illusion to connect us to reality. And that is also cinema. We create
 illusory stories and illusory emotions and imaginary story lines to
 connect us to reality. My hope is that the audience can relate to their
 own journeys in life.
 

 <hr class="vertical-space1" />

 <div class="block-image">
 <figure>
 <img
 width="700"
 height="467"
 alt="love-letter-from-bhutan2"
 class="lazyload has-img-center"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/love_letter_from_bhutan2_700x467_4f47fe1c65.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-11T09:34:23.063Z"
 />
 </figure>
 </div>

 <hr class="vertical-space1" />

 
 Q: That is eye opening, Pawo. Lunana will always be close to my
 heart. It talks about the choices we make, our accountability, and the
 repercussions of our decisions. I hope and wish that all young people
 will watch this movie.
 

 
 I would like to ask if you have any message for young people
 today.
 

 
 PCD: I hope
 you will watch Lunana. It is a small film that my team and I made in the
 world’s remotest classroom, dependent completely on solar power. We made
 it with no money, and it went from the world’s remotest classroom to the
 Academy Awards. At the Academy Awards, I did not represent Bhutan, or
 myself, or this film. I represented every struggling filmmaker,
 storytellers who at times do not have the confidence to believe they can
 make it. If a film like ours can make it, if you put your heart into it,
 if you have the passion, there is the possibility to make it. That is
 how amazing this world is.
 

 
 Second, I am from Bhutan and I am a Buddhist. I want to share something
 about my culture and my spirituality. Buddha said that among all the
 animal footprints, the elephant’s footprint is the most majestic,
 powerful, and inspiring. Likewise, the Buddha said that among all the
 thoughts we might have, the thought of impermanence is the most majestic
 and inspiring.
 

 <hr class="vertical-space1" />

 <hr />

 <h4 class="has-text-align-center">
 My advice to young people is to reflect on impermanence, accept
 impermanence and change, and use them as tools for your
 career.
 </h4>

 <hr />

 <hr class="vertical-space1" />

 
 Why I am saying this is because the world we live in has taught us to be
 competitive and worldly; thoughts like impermanence are rare. They are
 looked down upon and considered useless and a waste of time. But it is
 impermanence that makes everything possible. Everything is constantly
 changing. Impermanence doesn’t mean the end. Impermanence means change.
 Impermanence means that if you do not have something, perhaps you will
 have it. Impermanence means that a little film powered by solar
 batteries and yak dung from the mountains of the Himalayas can make it
 to the Academy Awards.
 

 
 So, my advice to young people is to reflect on impermanence, accept
 impermanence and change, and use them as tools for your career.
 

 
 Q: Thank you, Pawo, for your wisdom.
 

 
 PCD: Thank
 you.

Pawo Choyning Dorji

Pawo is a Bhutanese filmmaker and photographer. His film, Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom (2019), was nominated for Best International Feature Film at the 94th Academy Awards, and had its world premiere at the BFI London Film Festival.

Explore