Bhutan, a Buddhist kingdom on the edge of the Himalayas, may be considered the “Happiest Place on Earth,” but Ugyen wants more. A young teacher with aspirations of being a singer, Ugyen dreams of moving to Australia. While waiting for his visa, he is sent to Lunana, one of the most remote villages on Earth. Accessible by a long bus ride followed by an arduous week-long hike on foot, Ugyen arrives to find the conditions more primitive than expected. The school is a bare room, devoid of supplies, textbooks, even a blackboard. But the locals are so relieved to have a teacher that they pitch in to provide him with necessities, both tangible and intangible. Little by little, the displaced educator in turn learns the importance of simplicity. Shot on location at more than 16,000 feet, writer/director Pawo Choyning Dorji’s uplifting and visually awe-inspiring tale was filmed using solar-powered batteries to account for the area’s remoteness and lack of practical filmmaking resources.

In competition for the New Voices New Visions Award

Writer/director Pawo Choyning Dorji is expected to be in attendance on January 11 and 12.