Cinema of Bhutan

Last updated

The cinema of Bhutan is a small [1] but emerging industry, [2] having started in the mid-1990s. [1] It has since been supported by government officials and different businesses. [3]

Contents

A cinema hall in Thimphu Thimphu cinema.jpg
A cinema hall in Thimphu

Bhutan's film industry is highly influenced by neighboring Indian film industry, with most Bhutanese films being adaptations of Indian ones or based on the Indian film format. [1] In the 21st century [4] there have been calls by local filmmakers for a tilt towards originality in Bhutanese cinema. Many films have started to blend Indian cinema with local Buddhist teachings and traditions, and Bollywood films are now rarely seen in Bhutanese cinema halls after more than a decade of domination. [1] [2] Storytelling based on Buddhist oral history and supernatural beliefs are increasingly influencing Bhutanese cinematic structure. [5]

As of 2011, Bhutan's film industry produced an average of thirty films a year. [3] By 2012, Thimphu had six cinema halls. [6]

Some voices are confident that Bhutan's film industry is expected to grow and innovate in the future. [7]

History

In 1989, Ugyen India directed Gasa Lamai Singye, the first, pioneer Bhutanese feature film. [8] Gasa Lamai Singye, a tragic love story reminiscent of Romeo and Juliet , had a remake in 2016, directed by Sonam Lhendup Tshering. [9] Wangdi went on to direct several documentary films [10] His Yonten Gi Kawa (Price of Knowledge, 1998) was the first documentary made in Bhutan, and followed the daily life of a 11-year-old boy at home and school. It was followed by Yi Khel Gi Kawa (Price of A Letter, 2004), where Wangdi tells the story of a postal runner who worked throughout Bhutan for 26 years. [8]

In 1999, Tshering Wangyel released the first commercially successful movie in Dzongkha language, Rewaa (Hope), a love story where two college boys fall for the same girl. As one critic put it, "the commercial Bhutanese film industry was born." [4] Wangyel went on to produce some 50 movies and died of pneumonia while making his last film. [11] [12] In 2007, he had produced Bakchha , the first Bhutanese horror movie.

Buddhist lama Khyentse Norbu wrote and directed four award-winning films, The Cup (1999), Travellers & Magicians (2003), Vara: A Blessing (2013), and Hema Hema: Sing Me A Song While I Wait (2016). [4] Travellers & Magicians was the first feature film to be entirely shot within Bhutan. Hema Hema, which tells its story by following a mysterious ritual in the forest where all participants are masked, was praised by critics for "its portrayal of complex Buddhist themes like transgression, by juxtaposing them on to modern topics like anonymity on the Internet." [4] Another Buddhist lama, Neten Chokling, appeared in Travellers & Magicians, and in 2006 directed his own feature film, Milarepa .

The Holder, a short film, coordinated by Jamyang Dorji, debuted at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival and was screened in Brussels together with Original Photocopy of Happiness by Dechen Roder, [13] a young director from Bumthang who went on to direct in 2016 the mystery film Honeygiver Among the Dogs . The movie was described as "a genre-bending work, blending elements of neo-noir with Bhutanese mysticism." [4]

in 2014, Karma Dhendup directed Ap Bokto , a 3-d computer-animated fim based on a Bhutanese folk tale. In 2016, Drukten: The Dragon's Treasure was the first Bhutanese 2-d animation movie. [8]

For contemporary content, in 2017, R.C. Chand's film Thimpu was hailed as "doing away with the notion that all independent Bhutanese movies draw upon the country's Buddhist mysticism." It presents the life of Bhutan's capital through different characters, including an alcoholic family, a transgender woman, and a young singer with problems of career and love. [4]

Female directors are rare in Bhutan. One is Kesang Chuki, who produced ten documentaries, docudramas, and short movies, including Nangi Aums to Go-thrips (Housewives to Leaders, 2011), about the problems of Bhutanese women who assume public roles, and A Young Democracy (2008), where Chuki accompanies two candidates in their campaigns for the first ever democratic election in Bhutan. [10]

The Next Guardian was the first feature-length documentary film by Bhutanese director Arun Bhattarai and Hungarian director Dorrotya Zurbo. It premiered at IDFA, 2017 and was featured in MoMA among several other film festivals.

The Bhutan Beskop film celebration (2010, 2011) was a significant event for the local film industry. Financial specialists and sometimes banks fund new productions that are screened in one of Bhutan's several cinemas, of which the Lugar Lobby in Thimpu with 880 seats is the biggest. [14]

A sum of 152 Bhutanese movies were created in the main decade of the 21st century. Bhutan has two distribution houses. Business movies are periodically in light of an "affection" subject, here and there joined with a social issue (HIV, urbanization) taking after a customary script with exchanges, tunes, dances, complicated relations and a battle. Spending plans change from $15,000 to $50,000. Compensations for performers and vocalists have gone up from $1,000 (2006) to $10,000 per film for top on-screen characters in 2011. Real uses for film preparations are coordinations, gear and compensations. The brut income for a well known film (up to 90,000 onlookers) may reach up to $140,000, while less well known movies may raise half of it and unpopular movies hazard shortages. [15]

Main issues

Market

The Bhutanese market is small. Leading Bhutanese director Tshering Wangyel recalled in 2015 that in the 20th century, "distribution was an ordeal, requiring filmmakers to carry generators, fuel, and screening equipment from village to village." Much has improved in the 21st century but, according to Wangyel "distribution continues to be a slog, handicapping the industry's growth." Despite these problems, Wangyel said, "the industry is thriving, with audiences in one of the most remote countries on earth flocking to homegrown movies." [16]

Production

Bhutan's film industry has a limited number of studios, with incomplete equipment. [17] Most directors contribute money to their own productions, [16] although in the 21st century international funding has been occasionally available. [8]

Quality

A few Bhutanese movies have won international acclaim. [8] Others are seen as repetitious, returning time and again on Buddhist legends and the "clash between tradition and modernity, with conservatism getting the last word as characters hold forth on the importance of prayer and background chants urge viewers to be good Buddhists." [16]

Dissemination

Although regular movie theaters now exist in all the largest cities, it is still necessary today[ when? ] to "lug a makeshift cinema from village to village to reach Bhutan's movie-loving population," renting school auditoriums or setting up a tent in each venue. According to director Wangyel, "it takes a year to cover the country for screenings." [16]

Piracy

Piracy has been a worldwide issue and influences the Bhutan film industry. DVDs are effortlessly duplicated in Nepal/India and retailed through shops in the urban areas. Anti-theft measures are regarded as largely insufficient. [18] "The long wait for screenings" has been blamed for the flourishing of a piracy industry servicing "impatient audiences eager to watch illegal copies of Dzongkha-language films." [16]

Future

The government of Bhutan regards cinema as important, and has committed itself to promote the local production with adequate studios and support, and more effective policies against copyright infringement. [19]

Critical voices like director Tashy Gyeltshen are afraid that "the relentless push to promote tradition while imitating Bollywood formula risk creating a 'cultural desert' for future generations," with the most acclaimed directors just "wallowing in past glory." [16] There are also, however, more optimistic voices, persuaded that change is coming with a new generation of Bhutanese directors who "shun the influence of Bollywood and look inward," a process that has been rewarded with prizes in international festivals. [4]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thimphu</span> Capital of Bhutan

Thimphu is the capital and largest city of Bhutan. It is situated in the western central part of Bhutan, and the surrounding valley is one of Bhutan's dzongkhags, the Thimphu District. The ancient capital city of Punakha was replaced by Thimphu as capital in 1955, and in 1961 Thimphu was declared as the capital of the Kingdom of Bhutan by the 3rd Druk Gyalpo Jigme Dorji Wangchuck.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dzongkha</span> Sino-Tibetan language spoken in Bhutan

Dzongkha is a Sino-Tibetan language that is the official and national language of Bhutan. It is written using the Tibetan script.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jigme Singye Wangchuck</span> Druk Gyalpo of Bhutan from 1972 to 2006

Jigme Singye Wangchuck is a member of the House of Wangchuck who was the king of Bhutan from 1972 until his abdication in 2006. During his reign, he advocated the use of a Gross National Happiness index to measure the well-being of citizens rather than Gross domestic product.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wangdue Phodrang District</span> District of Bhutan

Wangdue Phodrang District is a dzongkhag (district) of central Bhutan. This is also the name of the dzong which dominates the district, and the name of the small market town outside the gates of the dzong—it is the capital of Wangdue Phodrang District). The name is said to have been given by the Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyal who was searching for the best location for a dzong to prevent incursions from the south. The word "wangdue" means unification of Country, and "Phodrang" means Palace in Dzongkha.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Music of Bhutan</span> Music and musical traditions of Bhutan

The music of Bhutan is an integral part of its culture and plays a leading role in transmitting social values. Traditional Bhutanese music includes a spectrum of subgenres, ranging from folk to religious song and music. Some genres of traditional Bhutanese music intertwine vocals, instrumentation, and theatre and dance, while others are mainly vocal or instrumental. The much older traditional genres are distinguished from modern popular music such as rigsar.

<i>Travellers and Magicians</i> 2003 Bhutanese Dzongkha-language film

Travellers and Magicians is a 2003 Bhutanese Dzongkha-language film written and directed by Khyentse Norbu, writer and director of the arthouse film The Cup. The movie is the first feature film shot entirely in the Kingdom of Bhutan. The majority of the cast are not professional actors; Tshewang Dendup, a well-known Bhutanese radio actor and producer, is the exception.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gross National Happiness</span> Guiding philosophy of the government of Bhutan

Gross National Happiness, sometimes called Gross Domestic Happiness (GDH), is a philosophy that guides the government of Bhutan. It includes an index which is used to measure the collective happiness and well-being of a population. Gross National Happiness Index is instituted as the goal of the government of Bhutan in the Constitution of Bhutan, enacted on 18 July 2008.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Drukair</span> Flag carrier of Bhutan

Drukair Corporation Limited, operating as Drukair — Royal Bhutan Airlines, is the flag carrier of the Kingdom of Bhutan, headquartered in the western dzongkhag of Paro.

The various mass media in Bhutan have historically been government-controlled, although this has changed in recent years. The country has its own newspapers, television and radio broadcasters and Internet Service Providers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Council of Ministers (Bhutan)</span>

The Council of Ministers is the highest executive body in Bhutan. It was created in 1999 by Jigme Singye Wangchuck, the fourth King of Bhutan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal Monetary Authority of Bhutan</span> Central bank of Bhutan

The Royal Monetary Authority of Bhutan is the central bank of Bhutan and is a member of the Asian Clearing Union. It is also the minting authority for the Bhutanese Ngultrum. The Royal Monetary Authority of Bhutan was established under the Royal Monetary Authority of Bhutan Act of 1982. Subsequently, the Act of 1982 was amended by the Financial Institutions Act of 1992 and replaced in its entirety by the Royal Monetary Authority Act of 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Languages of Bhutan</span> Overview of the languages spoken in Bhutan

There are two dozen languages of Bhutan, all members of the Tibeto-Burman language family except for Nepali, which is an Indo-Aryan language, and Bhutanese Sign Language. Dzongkha, the national language, is the only native language of Bhutan with a literary tradition, though Lepcha and Nepali are literary languages in other countries. Other non-Bhutanese minority languages are also spoken along Bhutan's borders and among the primarily Nepali-speaking Lhotshampa community in South and East Bhutan. Chöke is the language of the traditional literature and learning of the Buddhist monastics.

Sonam is a given name. It is a Tibetan name meaning "merit". Separately, it is also a name in various Indo-Aryan languages.

Kalden "Kelly" Sonam Dorji is a Bhutanese actor, model, and artist who works primarily in Indian movies.

Tsokye Tsomo Karchung is a Bhutanese actress and beauty pageant title holder who won Miss Bhutan 2008 and competed in Miss Earth 2008. She is also the first Bhutanese woman to be crowned as Miss Bhutan.
As an actress, she acted in many Bhutanese films including 'My Teacher, My World, Wai Lama Kencho and Meto Pema.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dochula Pass</span> A high-mountain pass in Bhutan

The Dochu La( Dochu Pass, la means pass in Dzongkha) is a mountain pass in the snow covered Himalayas within Bhutan on the road from Thimphu to Punakha where 108 memorial chortens or stupas known as "Druk Wangyal Chortens" have been built by Ashi Dorji Wangmo Wangchuk, the eldest Queen Mother. Apart from the chortens there is a monastery called the Druk Wangyal Lhakhang (temple), built in honour of the fourth Druk Gyalpo, Jigme Singye Wangchuck; the open grounds in its front yard is a venue for the annual Dochula Druk Wangyel Festival. The pass with 108 memorial chortens is adjacent to the country's first Royal Botanical Park.

Tshering Wangyel was a Bhutanese film director. He directed more than 50 films and died of pneumonia while making his last film.

<i>Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom</i> 2019 film

Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom is a 2019 Bhutanese drama film directed by Pawo Choyning Dorji in his feature directorial debut. The film had its world premiere at the BFI London Film Festival. It was a nominee for Best International Feature Film at the 94th Academy Awards.

Pawo Choyning DorjiDruk Thuksey is a Bhutanese filmmaker and photographer. His feature directorial debut Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom (2019) was nominated for Best International Feature Film at the 94th Academy Awards. His second film The Monk and the Gun (2023) was shortlisted for the Best International Feature Film for the upcoming 96th Academy Awards.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Stancati, Margherita (23 May 2011). "Does Bhutan Love Bollywood Too Much?". The Wall Street Journal . Retrieved 27 January 2015.
  2. 1 2 "Mountains, makeshift cinemas: Bhutan's battle to make movies". Egypt Independent . 31 December 2014. Retrieved 27 January 2015.
  3. 1 2 "Bhutan film industry – report December 2011" (PDF). Bhutan Film Industry. 29 December 2011. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 27 January 2015.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Nair, Prathap (21 April 2019). "Bhutan's New Wave". LiveMint. Retrieved 3 January 2020.
  5. Chaudhuri, Shohini; Clayton, Sue (2012). "Storytelling in Bhutanese cinema: Research context and case study of a film in development". Journal of Screenwriting. 3 (2): 197–204. doi:10.1386/josc.3.2.197_1.
  6. Two new cinema halls in Thimphu – BBS
  7. "Bhutan Film Industry" (PDF).
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 Tharchen (18 March 2017). "Emerging Film Industry in Bhutan". Business Bhutan. Retrieved 4 January 2020.
  9. Zangmo, Thinley (19 July 2016). "Gasa Lamai Singye and Changyul Bhum Galem-a tale retold". Kuensel. Retrieved 4 January 2020.
  10. 1 2 Mohan, Reena (16 October 2018). "The Importance of Being Idyll". Himāl Southasian. Retrieved 3 January 2020.
  11. "Popular film director dies". BBS. 8 December 2015. Retrieved 3 January 2020.
  12. "Bhutan film director Tshering Wangyel dies at 43". BBC News. 7 December 2015. Retrieved 3 January 2020.
  13. "Bhutan Film Industry" (PDF).
  14. "Bhutan cinemas".
  15. "Bhutan Film Industry" (PDF).
  16. 1 2 3 4 5 6 AFP (January 1, 2015). "Bhutanese Cinema: A World of Makeshift Screenings and Boloywood Copies". Hindustan Times. Retrieved January 4, 2020.
  17. "Bhutan film industry" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-03-04.
  18. "Bhutan".
  19. "/Bhutan-Film-Industry-29-12-2011.pdf" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-03-04.