Our guide told us about two good Bhutanese movies. The first is Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom.
I watched this and highly recommend it for an inside look at what Bhutan is like today and in the past along with the challenges that Bhutan has in trying to bring a society based in the 11th century into the 21st century. Each day the teacher hikes on the trail to Lunana is like moving a 100 years back in history. As the link above states, Lunana still has no network or electricity (other than what they get from solar). There a are many lessons in the movie that I feel apply to us today, but I especially liked the quote "As a teacher you touch the children's future". You can easily watch it for free if you have a library card at hoopla.
In the movie I learned about the importance of wood serving bowls. Now I understand more why our last lunch restaurant featured them.
The second movie is a The Monk and the Gun by the same director which is also available on hoopla. It covers the time when the country became democratic and the confusion in a village about voting. The director makes several subtle points about democracy as the villagers wonder why they need it. The director does a good job of contrasting old and new Bhutan in the movie. The last scene really brings home the influence and power of Buddhism in Bhutan. And yes, there is a good reason as to why a monk needs a gun.
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