Bhutan Films Blog

Bhutan's First Entertainment Magazine

2009-11-07T07:42:00.000+06:00

Source: Kuenselonline

From celluloid to print

Druk Trowa: first film and entertainment magazine

6 November, 2009 - You have seen them cry, laugh or fight for their beloved on the celluloid for long enough in different roles and characters. But Bhutan’s first film and entertainment magazine, Druk Trowa, will bring the people in the entertainment industry closer to you by sharing their stories.

Scheduled to launch on Monday, November 9, Druk Trowa’s first issue introduces those in the glamour industry through comprehensive one-to-one interviews and profiles. A galore of colourful pictures of singers, actors and actresses, Druk Trowa in glossy papers also offers cut out pictures of some of the popular actors apart from a 17-page picture essay on the 8th national film awards. It also has a section on movies in the making.

The magazine’s editor, Yagchen Dukpa, calls the magazine a “dictionary for the industry”. It is an addition to compliment the growing film and entertainment industry, says Yangchen. “By bringing the industry in print, we want to promote the industry and create a stronger interaction between the production set and the viewers.”

Chief executive officer of Wisdom Pictures and publisher, Yeshey Tshering says the magazine also aims to promote the Bhutanese culture. Druk Trowa is a biannual magazine with an aim to go once in four months from next year. With a seven-member team including the CEO, producing the first issue was challenging and interesting, says the editor. “We all did everything from reporting to editing to designing and taking photographs,” said Yangchen.

Meanwhile, you can wait for some gossips about our local celebrities with the magazine planning to get intimate with the celebrities in its future editions. “We need to have some spice to make it interesting, but we will strictly follow the media ethics,” says the editor.

The magazine which cost Nu 100 is printed in India.

By Ugyen Penjore

Bhutan Adventure

2009-11-06T17:30:00.003+06:00

Source: Serac Adventure Film School

LIVE IT, FILM IT. In Bhutan!

Join Serac Adventure Films at the 2010 Bhutan Film School and learn to make your own adventure film.

Why Bhutan?

Bhutan is one of the most mystical and alluring travel destinations on earth. The tiny Buddhist kingdom tucked amongst the hulking Himalayas offers hushed temples, virgin forests and remote villages waiting to be explored. It’s there, in the Land of the Thunder Dragon, that students will capture the beauty of a forgotten region and create their own adventure film.

What will you film?

Everything from in-depth cultural stories and stunning landscape sequences to behind-the-scenes shots—you decide!

Past student films have covered topics ranging from mountaineering expeditions and extreme sports, to cultural explorations, all while exploring the most exotic edges of the globe. Our students have trekked to Peru’s magical Machu Picchu and to the roof of Africa on Mount Kilimanjaro, filming all the while.

What will you learn?

From the beginning of the adventure film experiences, film school students are immersed in the adventure filmmaking process. Our expert instructors will let you in on the tricks of the trade while you develop your film from pre-production (when you’ll learn how to create a compelling story while planning for your expedition), to production (when you film your thrilling adventure), to post-production (when you edit your film and screen before a live audience).

After this experience you will have the skills and confidence to make more films, enter them to festivals, post them to the Internet or even start a career in film. Some of our student films have won awards and have appeared on national television. Many students have started successful careers in the industry.

Why go with Serac?

The Serac Adventure Film School has built a reputation for innovative instruction and successful, exciting expeditions.

You will make your adventure film with Michael Brown as your mentor. Michael's films have garnered more than 50 film festival awards and three national Emmy Awards, and he has been a member of expeditions on all seven continents including four times to the summit of Mount Everest.

Our Adventure Film School gives you unparalleled access to the best instructors in the industry, who specialize in extreme adventure filmmaking and have taken cameras into the world's most intense environments. They’re at your disposal to teach you the true art of adventure filmmaking first-hand and to guide you through the stages of successful filmmaking.

For more information, visit Serac Adventure Film School

Story of Dorji Wangmo

2009-11-05T10:09:00.002+06:00

Source: Bhutan Observer

Actor and mother, at once good

26 August 2009

To say that Dorji Wangmo is a woman who wears many hats is an understatement. This creative actor, director, producer and scriptwriter has devoted her life to the young Bhutanese film industry besides her children. How does this busy mother of five do it all?

D orji Wangmo has worked successfully with many of the industry’s top directors. Considering that she has no formal training in any of the fields in which she has done well, she is talented and versatile.

“I work closely with directors and actors. What I am today is because of them.

I believe that one needs determination and hard work and not a degree in acting,” she said.

Born in 1976 in Trashiyangtse, Dorji Wangmo has lived all her youthful life aspiring to be an actor.

“I think I was not even in my teens when I got excited about movies and actors. I always participated in dramas and shows in schools,” she recalls. She initially thought that she would take up acting as a part-time job, her choice of profession being teaching.

S ince her acting debut in 1994, she has acted in more than a dozen feature films including Rang Gi Sem , Druk Gi Goem and Yue gi Bum.

D orji Wangmo is today one of the most recognizable faces on the big screen. Born to a family of four, she is the eldest. Life wasn’t easy for her.

Her father passed away when she was young and her unschooled mother looked after her and her siblings. “Despite what happened, courage and determination kept me going,” she recollects.

Today, Dorji is a hard working artist and a doting mother. “I can’t believe when I look back. I was busy working when I was pregnant with my first child. And for another four years, I did the same. Five kids in five movies,” she laughs.

S he exudes an air of exuberance, optimism, humour and spirituality. “I just wish I was filthy rich. I would help every poor person on the street. But I need to think of my children and their education,” she sighs.

D orji Wangmo is 33 but has the vigour of a 15-year-old. Her children are her biggest fans. Three of her elder children have acted in a few films. “I am very proud of them. Acting runs in the family,” she says. S he made her directorial debut in 1998 with Jigdrel. “I wasn’t scared. I felt like I was born to act. I was born to be part of the film industry,” she said.

S he has plans to direct a movie in mid September and is already working on the story. “This movie will be different, something unique. Bhutanese films lack uniqueness.

I might fail to do it but I will try my best,” she says, bubbling with enthusiasm.

S he bagged the best actress award in 2003 and best makeup artist in 2006. S he says, “Emotions should come from your heart and not your head. I get into the character.

If I am playing the role of a village girl, I am not Dorji Wangmo anymore; I am the village girl.” D espite being a workaholic, she finds time to play with her kids, chat with friends and meditate, which is also her diversion.

“I love being a mother. I can’t imagine not being involved in parenting. Of all things I have done or ever expect to do, parenting is by far the most rewarding. I wouldn’t trade it for anything,” she says.

S he loves watching Hindi movies and gets motivated by her favourite Bollywood actors like Sharukh Khan, Rani Mukherjee and Aishwariya Rai.

A sked about her love life, Dorji Wangmo seems a little tongue-tied but then says flippantly, “I am a single mother. I believe that a woman needs a partner to share her sorrows and happiness with. But after all that I went through, I have a hard time trusting anyone to be my partner.” D orji Wangmo plans to work till she is 50.

“Then, if I can fulfill all my children’s dreams, I want to meditate for the rest of my life. Luxury is impermanent,” she says. “The only ultimate thing is god.”

By Kinzang Choden

Ads Assignment Bhutan Film Class

2009-10-29T07:30:00.001+06:00

First class assignment for summer media workshop in Thimphu. Each group made a food advertisement.

Uploaded by BhutanYouthMedia

Chorten Kora II

2009-10-26T08:16:00.003+06:00

Story, Director and Producer: Wangchuck Director of Photography: Chencho Dorji Assistant Director: Rinchen Namgay Cast: Chencho Dorji, Pema Yanki, Nguldrup Dorjiks, Rinchen Namgay and Jalab Lakey

120 mins, color, 2009

There is good news for Bhutanese movie fans who did not have enough of Chorten Kora. The sequel to the film, Chorten Kora II, has been released at the Trowa Theatre in Changjiji in Thimphu.
The sequel is not a continuation of the first part. The lead characters are rebirths of the characters of the first part but the story is different from the first part.
E xcept for Wangchuk, who dreams of his past life, the other characters are oblivious of their past lives. Besides romance, the film also depicts the strong bond of friendship and trust. The film shows glimpses of activities during the Gomphu kora and Chorten kora tshechus. The film has two songs and was shot in two places in Tashiyangtse within a month.
Read full review at Bhutan Observer

City of Dreamz

2009-10-22T20:54:00.003+06:00

Directed by Chungdra Gyeltshen

"city of dreamz" is a new feature film from Bhutan, written and directed by Chungdra Gyeltshen. Drama/comedy/romance. Trailer speaks for itself. Hope you enjoy, and get a chance to watch it. Will play in Trowa theater in Thimphu in September. Music by Dechen Pem and Namgay Jigs.

Read Review here @ Bhutan Observer

Wake up Jigs

2009-10-19T14:49:00.002+06:00

Trailer for short film from Bhutan written and directed by first-time director 'Acho' Karma Wangchhuk.

The film is about a young boy who is on the threshold of drug addiction. It follows a slow day in his life, as he is forced to reflect on the words of his mentor, a former drug addict.

Uploaded by DechenR

The Height of Happiness

2009-10-18T15:20:00.002+06:00

Long thought of as a secluded paradise hidden deep in the Himalayas, and renowned for its pursuit of happiness over economic prosperity, Bhutan now struggles to accommodate the invasion of tourists, new media and western materialism in the twenty first century.

As monks play with condoms, clowns offer advice on AIDS and farmers feed cannabis to pigs, we hear the thoughts of Government officials, Buddhist monks, tourists and ordinary Bhutanese themselves, as they face up to the challenge to the underlying spiritualism of this mystical country and its rapidly changing identity in an internet shrunk world.

- Journeyman Pictures, April 2008, 52 mins

Watch full feature here

Rashomon - Akira Kurosawa Classic

2009-10-12T13:48:00.006+06:00

Rashomon
(1950) - B&W - 88 min
With English Subtitle
Starring - Toshirô Mifune as Tanjomaru -the bandit, Machiko Kyô as Masako - the woman, Masayuki Mori as Takehiro, Takashi Shamura as the firewood dealer, Minoru Chiaki as the Priest, Kichijro Ueda as the Commoner, Fumiko Honma as the Spiritual Medium
Directed by - Akira Kurosawa

Akira Kurosawa's Rashomon is a tale about murder and rape - and a look at truth, justice and lies.

We witness four separate accounts of the crime, each different than the other. The film explores perception and reality. If you have read any Existential works by Jean Paul Satre, Soren Kierkegaard, or Martin Heidegger - this film will really get you thinking about man's search for TRUTH.

Rashomon is one his best films, and listed in most lists as one of the top 20 films ever made.

In case you are unfamiliar with Kurosawa's remarkable talent, he is the director of Seven Samurai - which is the inspiration for The Magnificent Seven, Yojimbo, which inspired Clint Eastwood's A Fistful of Dollars, and Hidden Fortress, which inspired George Lucas to make the Star Wars Trilogy.

So, here it goes. The full feature! So, happy viewing! (Sorry, not available for downloads)
Visit Classic Films Digest to watch more classics

Travellers and Magicians at youtube

2008-05-25T14:37:00.003+06:00

Khyentse Norbu's Travellers and Magicians (the first feature length and award winning film from the kingdom of Bhutan) is at YouTube. I mean the whole feature with English subtitles!

I am not sure if tangpa infringed the copyrights thing, so I cannot give you the link. Anyway, you can Google or search the clips at youtube.

Singye Galeem

2008-01-29T01:40:00.001+06:00

Singye Galeem breaks hearts and box-office records, from: BhutanTimes.bt

January 23, 2008-Phuentsholing: A lot of Bhutanese movies are screened at the legendry Mig cinema hall, but no movie has wowed audiences like Singye Galeem is doing. It began showing last Monday on the silver screen and if box office receipts are anything to go by, it is already hitting record levels, said a Mig cinema representative.

A production of Wisdom Pictures, Singye Galeem is Gasa’s legendry saga of timeless love with the protagonists Lamai Singye and Chang Galeem set in modern times. It portrays the eternal nature of love depicting the tragedy of love incomplete. The lovers are predestined to meet again and again in various forms of reincarnation until love itself is consummated.

The director of the film, Tshering Wangyal, denied that the movie was a sequel to the well-known Gasa Lamai Singye.

“It is not about a sequel. What we have done here is stressed on contemporary times. With two movies on this story already released, it was obvious that the movie should look different. That is why doing this one was more challenging,” he said.

One major challenge the filmmakers faced was the need to fill in the lingering memories of people for the earlier picture by making this an original work of their own.

Tshering Wangyal said one of the ways to do that was by introducing a newer cast with fresh faces. To polish the picture with more than a touch of originality, he faced the task of not only making it his own version but more artistically in making the raw cast enact what was a demanding and daunting role.

The film boasts new debutante Tshering Zangmo playing the female lead, with Tshering Phuntsho and Kinley Zangmo also making their acting debuts. Adding color to the cast is the young and vibrant Chencho Dorji who does a good role playing Singye.

The film’s five songs are well scored lending a melodic soothing cushion to the film’s scenes. Indeed, one of the main strengths of the film is its thematic scores.

The comic element of the film has also been a major factor drawing numerous movie buffs. Gyem Dorji (playing a eunuch) and Phurba Thinley (playing Singye’s brother) are at their comical peak sharing an obvious chemistry between the duo. The role Gyem Dorji ferries as a eunuch has been apparently well received by large sections of the audience.

“The homosexual context in the film is something new to Bhutanese society, but it is all commercial and it seems to have worked well. People are enjoying this part. In order to captivate the audience, sometimes you have to add such scenes,” said Tshering Wangyal.

The movie, filmed at an approximate cost of Nu 1.7 million, was shot extensively in different locations at Thimphu, Paro, Punakha, Gasa, Wangduephodrang and the tea estates of Dalsingpara, about five kilometers away from Jaigaon.

Meanwhile, audiences exiting the cinema hall are all praises for the movie.

“I watched the first show and it is a very good movie. It is very romantic and touching, the story and the music deserve credit. After watching Hindi movies consistently I am surprised the similarities are not as big as I assumed, but I would still rate it 10 out of 10,” said Sonam Choden, a Phuentsholing shopkeeper.

A government employee said that for a change, the movie was good. “But one main drawback in the movie is that there were lots of thing happening at the same time.”

The producer of the film, Yeshi Tshering, is absolutely pleased with the showings. The film is running on two housefuls and ticket revenues are going through the roof at more than Nu 60,000 a day. This is one tragic love story people seem to buy.

An Englishwoman abroad: Bhutan

2008-01-28T01:35:00.000+06:00

Source: Telegraph UK

Lindsay Hawdon experiences the magic of the movies on a smaller scale in the reclusive kingdom of Bhutan.

The banner outside the Luger cinema in Thimpu, Bhutan's capital town, reads, "Dolma Pictures Presents, Muensel".

"It means, true love comes and goes," says Tshewang, a 27-year-old Bhutanese man who's taking me to see the film. We are already late. The foyer feels like a swimming pool.

The walls are covered in cracked, pale-pink tiles. Rivulets of grime run down on to the grey concrete floor. The place stinks of damp clothes. Two teenage boys sit behind an old school desk, collecting money in a metal tin and listening to Bhutanese music rattling from a small cassette-player.

We pay 80 ngultrum - about £1. Tshewang opens a small door at the back of the foyer and we shuffle directly into the auditorium, the screen flickering and silhouetting rows of heads. The cinema is full and hot. People sit on hard, wooden benches.

There is nothing glamorous about the place at all.

Tshewang leads me up a flight of narrow stairs to the gallery and the more luxurious seats, which are orange plastic and look just as uncomfortable as those downstairs. A few fans whirl on the ceiling but do little to temper the heat.

The air smells of hot breath and cigarettes, though in Bhutan smoking is forbidden.

We sit down and I look at the screen. What seems to be a very bad daytime soap is playing and I presume it must be the second feature. The sound is slightly out of sync. I watch as the lead character, a blind teenage boy, stumbles on to the set, a white stick knocking rhythmically on the floor, a pair of oversized dark glasses hiding his eyes.

He starts to sing. He has a beautiful voice. The camera pans round to show the people he is singing to, a large crowd who, like him, are blind. The camera stops on one particularly unfortunate-looking individual, and a ripple of laughter echoes from the audience. Nobody tries to to stifle it.

"He is thanking the blind school for bringing him up," Tshewang explains, making no effort to talk quietly. He is more animated than I have seen him. When I ask him if he comes to the cinema often, he tells me that he does, mostly to see Bhutanese films.

"Is there a drama college in Bhutan?" I ask, slightly confused about who the actors might be. "No there is no school. The producer will sometimes use people off the street, or his friends. There are only four cinemas in Bhutan. It's a small industry."

I watch people wander in and out of the auditorium, talking loudly and rustling sweet wrappers. Meanwhile, the action has moved on. The boy is in a classroom at a college, sitting next to a pretty girl with whom he is obviously in love. The film becomes more bizarre by the moment.

A second boy is vying for the girl's affections and he has just tricked the blind boy into walking into the women's lavatory to humiliate him. The audience is in raptures. Tshewang is clapping his hands and laughing.

As the film goes on and on, the love story slowly unfolding towards a rather stilted happy ending, I realise that this isn't the second feature at all. It is the film itself. It is Muensel. I look at the people around me.

They are transfixed, their faces full of pleasure, their worries forgotten for the night. I glance at the shaft of dust caught in the light of the projector and I realise that the magic of cinema isn't restricted to the multiplexes and blockbusters of Bollywood or the West. Any old space will do; any old film.

Lindsay Hawdon travelled with Cox & KingsTravel (020 7873 5000; www.coxandkings.co.uk), which offers tailor-made trips and private journeys to Bhutan. A 13-night escorted group tour costs from £2,775 per person, including flights, accommodation, meals, guided excursions and transfers.

A Star Lost

2008-01-23T21:15:00.000+06:00

Heath Ledger 1980-2008

Great Ledger's Films.

"10 Things I Hate About You"
"A Knight's Tale"
"Brokeback Mountain"
"I'm Not There"
"Lords of Dogtown"
"Monster's Ball"
"The Patriot"
"The Brothers Grimm"

Found dead in his apartment amid sleeping pills on 22 January 2008. He was 28.

Tragic.

May you be liberated!

Bhutan: Gross National Happiness (Modernization)

2008-01-21T22:02:00.000+06:00

Producers: Journeyman Pictures
Release Date: 2000
Duration: 20 min
Format: 16mm, 35mm, Video, web
Languages: English
Youth Media: No
Educational Media: Yes

Film Description

Bhutan is choosing to travel on a path not based on economics. "We are not interested in gross national product, but in gross national happiness," is the doctrine of the young king. His unorthodox approach is not anti-technology. They want to modernize, but on their own terms. A giggling family gathers for their first taste of television. Smiling triumphantly, a Buddhist monk explains that TV must be an illusion of an illusion.

Official Site: http://www.chiptaylor.com
Contact: sales@chiptaylor.com

Bhutanese Film at Bangkok Thailand

2007-12-02T14:10:00.000+06:00

A Production of Golden Pictures, the feature film from Bhutan, GOLDEN CUP: THE LEGACY will be screened in Bangkok, Thailand on the 14 and 15 December 2007 at SFW Cinema, Central World Plaza.

Directed by Tshering Wangyel and written by Tshering Penjore, the film is an adaptation of an ancient folklore told through the generations. The film is based on Rinzin Rinzin's book, The Talisman of Good Fortune.

The story depicting the lives of Bhutanese rural villages that is unique and well known, reflecting the country’s long heritage and culture, amidst remote and natural setting was told through a light and touching narrative in a musical theme with songs and dance sequences.

GOLDEN CUP: THE LEGACY is about Lhamo betrayed by her lover Tshering. Pregnant and heartbroken, she is consoled by her mother who revealed to her the curse their family has been living through.

Her great-grandmother Choden was given the Golden Cup, a talisman of good fortune that when neglected will release an unimaginable curse, by her lover as a token of his immense love for her before he dies. Their daughter Dolkar accidentally released this curse and then it gets passed down to all the women in their family generations later.

Now, the family curse gets passed down to Lhamo and gives her evil power which could be used for seeking revenge to her former lover and his family. She then devotes her life to evil and finally gets her revenge. However, after avenging her revenge, her life becomes empty and wasted and then desires to be on the other side. Finally, she takes decision that will bring heroine mettle in her life and breaks the curse forever.

The film will be shown on Friday 14 December at 7:30 pm and on Saturday 15 December 2007 at 2:30 pm at the SFW Cinema, Central World Plaza. The ticket would cost 150 Bhat and can be purchased at the SF World Cinema’s box office. The film will be screened in the original Dzongkha soundtrack with English subtitle.

Copied with good cause from Kuzuzangpo.com, Golden Pictures

Ladha-Gau

2007-06-21T01:57:00.000+06:00

26 November 2004 - The latest local film to hit the market Lhadha-gau is refreshing in many ways and, by far, leaves the sweetest taste.

Lhadha-gau is refreshing

Directed by Karma Tshering, Lhadha-gau is on the usual love story theme but it’s a story told with a different touch. Shot in Sakten and Lingzhi- it tells a story about a yak herder Lhadha-gau, played by Nguldrub Dorji, and his pursuit of a forbidden love that soon culminates in a dangerous confrontation with a social machinery devoted to their suppression.
The highlight of the film are, of course, the Brokpas of Sakten and their costumes which give the two hour film its unique touch. Not forgetting the breathtaking landscapes which gives much of the film’s visual and aural texture, thanks largely to fluid interesting camera shots and smooth editing.
But it’s not only that. The subtlety with which the film tucks in social, culture and traditional elements and insights of this popular yet obscure nomadic tribe into the story- is noteworthy. The “night hunting” scenes, predictably, elicit the most laughter from the audiences but, thankfully, are not vulgar.
The film has interesting characters. Nguldrub Dorji infuses much substance and life into the film, and he along with two other characters, one of whom has an acute weakness for booze and would do anything for it, brings out the funnier side of the film. Karma Chhoden as a new comer is convincing.
Beside the five main characters, the rest of the actors are all Brokpas. And if responses to the film are any indication, the whole package is a job done pretty well although it could have been better with a stronger story narration.
Costing nearly Nu. 2 million, the film took three months to complete and was shot entirely in Sakten and Lingzhi amid cold and rain. Filming entailed long hours of walk about the rugged terrain, carrying heavy equipment, and even took the film crew as far as to the borders of Arunachal Pradesh. Sakten is three days walk uphill from the nearest town, Trashigang.
Speaking to Kuensel, Karma Tshering said that he had tried making a movie profiling the Brokpa populace and its vanishing traditional practices. Semi-nomadic tribesmen and yak herders, Brokpas represent a time and a place that has marched to a different beat. But with modernisation their way of life was on course to a change, Karma said. Their distinctive dresses were already losing out on ghos and kiras.
These and other reasons have inspired Karma Tshering to try and take the film to international film festivals. In fact, he said, his film’s main target was the outside market.
While Lhadha-gau may not make international headlines, it just might inspire local film makers.
By Kencho Wangdi

Bhutan's fledgling cinema influenced by Hollywood, Bollywood

2007-06-06T00:00:00.000+06:00

By Syed Zarir Hussain, Indo-Asian News Service
First Published: 12:21 IST(5/6/2007)
Source: Hisdustan Times

When Hollywood star Demi Moore was taking a snapshot of her own blow-up tucked at a ramshackle video parlour in Bhutan, nobody noticed her - locals passed her off as another white skinned tourist visiting the Himalayan kingdom.

Nobody even gave them a second look when Richard Gere, Cameron Diaz, Mick Jagger or Keanu Reeves strolled the streets of Thimphu and other Bhutanese towns.

Largely isolated and not much exposed to the outside world until recently, Bhutan's dalliance with films began only in 1989 - Gasa Lamai Singye was the first movie made in the local Dzongkha language by Ugyen Wangdi, the pioneer of the country's fledgling cinema.

Bhutan's movie industry is in its infancy - just 89 movies made since 1989 - some of them, however, received rave reviews in the international media and got mainstream awards.

"Last year, Bhutan produced 22 digital films. Digital cinema is the key to Bhutan's movie industry. The Bhutanese audience lapped it up," Wangdi said.

There is just one cinema in Thimphu and seven in all across Bhutan, the Land of the Thunder Dragon of about 700,000 people.

The Luger Theatre in Thimphu that was set up in 1969 screens just Bhutanese language films all year round and is booked till next year. It takes nine months of waiting for a local language movie to get it turn for screening in the theatre.

Most of the films have plots based on traditional folklore, legends, culture, and history, although some of the movies made in recent years have the flavour of both Hollywood and Bollywood - with Hindi films and its songs influencing young Bhutanese filmmakers.

"The film Jig Drel made in 1997 had songs and music like you have in the Bollywood and that film actually transformed the movie scenario in Bhutan - it became an industry and also gave star status to actors," Sherub Gyaltshen, general secretary of the Motion Picture Association of Bhutan, told IANS.

Bhutanese films made its first big splash in Hollywood when Khyentse Norbu, a lama recognized as the incarnation of a 19th century Buddhist saint, completed his first feature film in 1999, a modest and supremely entertaining slice-of-life comedy called Phorpa or The Cup - the true story of a young Buddhist monk's impious obsession with watching the World Cup soccer finals on TV.

Phorpa picked up awards at the Pusan, Munich, and Toronto film festivals - the New York Times in a review described Norbu as "a born filmmaker."

In 2005, the revered monk made another big splash in the international film circuit with his Travellers & Magicians - filmed in Bhutan in the national language Dzongkha with English subtitles.

Young talented Bhutanese are taking up filmmaking as a career with the nation recently hosting the 6th National Film Awards at the famous Clock Tower Square in capital Thimphu.

The Nu 50-million ($1.2m) film industry has about 100 producers (55 of them members of the Association) and in all about 200 people, including technicians, earning their livelihood from the just born movie industry.

"The future of our film industry is very bright as without any financial support from the government we have been able to capture the Bhutanese market," said Dorji Wangchuk, an award winning documentary filmmaker and vice president of the Association.

Like in most films, strong religious beliefs and superstitions formed the core themes and one such movie, the "49th Day", grabbed seven awards including best film of the year.

"Bhutanese film industry is growing and the commitment and the zeal to make films focusing on culture and traditions is our hallmark," said Pema Rinzin, another well-known Bhutanese filmmaker.

2007-06-04T01:49:00.000+06:00

"Chuu..." shouts Tshomo passing a traditional wooden cup filled with water. "Oh water," smiles Michael and takes the cup.

"Wotor?" repeats Tshomo making a funny face. The audience roars in laughter.
The comedy of a yak herder in Laya and an American tourist to Bhutan trying to communicate is one of the highlights of Druk ge goem (The Guest), the latest Bhutanese movie showing in Thimphu since March 24.
And the Bhutanese audience is enjoying it.
"The misinterpretation of the language with funny expressions kept me glued to the screen from the start," said Tenzin Choden, who emerged from the hall smiling.
The two and half hour romantic comedy, which was running full house until March 31, introduces Michael (Michael Harris) as a tourist from New York who gets lost on the way from Gasa to Laya.
He meets Tshomo (Dorji Wangmo) and the romance picks up in the midst of yaks and the isolated hills. The movie also shows glimpses of the activities carried out by the local tourism companies.
Many people who watched the movie said that they were drawn to the idea of having a foreigner in a Bhutanese movie.
The typical Bhutanese attitude towards foreigners, age-old cultures and practices, kindness and ignorance of remote people are brought out distinctly through Micheal's role.
According to the lead actress, Dorji Wangmo, who is also the producer and the script writer, the romantic theme was made possible only with the introduction of a foreigner as the lead actor.
Depicting the unique life style of yak herders of Laya and the breathtaking landscape and greenery of Soe-phu adds colour to the movie.
The movie was shot in Gasa, Laya, Paro and Soe-phu over the period of five months.
The five songs in the movie, including a Layap song and a song in English, has appealed to people of various age groups.
The director and the cameraman, Kinley Dorji, said the movie was an effort to present something new to Bhutanese moviegoers.
"Besides entertaining, the movie is about responsibility and respect and to treat the guests with perfect hospitality," he said.
Besides using crane shots and sound effects, a professional cameraman from South India was also hired, according to the director. "The cooperation of the Layaps made the movie making very easy," said Kinley Dorji.
By Kesang Dema

Macho Meets the Mystical in a Himalayan River Trek

2007-05-20T03:23:00.000+06:00

From: New York Times

Television Review 'Adventure: Bhutan'

ADVENTURE BHUTAN
Documentary
Directed by Scott Welsh; written and produced by Alex Williamson. Produced for Discovery Channel by Atlantic Productions. For Discovery Channel, Peter Lovering, executive producer. For Atlantic Productions, Anthony Geffen, executive producer.

The tiny kingdom of Bhutan was ranked the eighth-happiest country on earth in a study last year by a British scientist at the University of Leicester in England. It is probably no coincidence that the Bhutanese do not go in for white-water kayaking. Leave it to the West to import this perilous activity and make a documentary about it.

“Adventure: Bhutan,” which will be shown on the Discovery Channel tomorrow night, follows 24 intrepid types on a 10-day river trek from the Himalayas, south to the Indian border. Nobody has done this before, and there seems no reason to do it now, other than to make this documentary; the network assembled the team for that purpose.

The leader is Gerry Moffatt, a Scot who can say things like, “We’re all in the same boat together” and not sound corny — that’s how handsome he is. His impressive crew includes Greg Mallory, who is paralyzed from the waist down but paddles a mean kayak all the same, and Land Heflin, whose name alone destines him for macho adventure.

The members of the team start out among the gorgeous hillside temples of northern Bhutan, where they meet the locals and get a blessing that requires drinking alcohol from a human skull. They do more sightseeing than Matt Lauer, the globe-trotting “Today” show co-host, did on his recent Bhutan stop, but we learn less from them. These buff adventurers are here for one reason: the river.

Much of the scenery they lurch through, the narrator tells us, “has never before been seen by Western eyes.” Still, once those rapids start rolling, we could be in Colorado.

The usual trials follow. Will they make it to camp before dark? Will they get out of the gorge alive? Will the guy who’s having pure alcohol poured into his bone-deep leg wound stop moaning?

And will we driven Westerners ever learn the secrets of the East? Not in this documentary, that’s for sure. Everybody talks about the “mysticism” of the Buddhist culture that surrounds them, but, as Mr. Moffatt says, “I can’t quite put my finger on it.”

It’s simple. Just get out of the boat and walk away.

Dangphu...a review

2007-05-14T01:52:00.000+06:00

5 January 2006- The burden of taxes on the common people before the monarchy was established and at a time when Bhutan was ruled by petty chieftains forms the central theme of Dangphu, the last local film to be released in 2005.

Taxes of the past form the theme of the movie

The film, which is currently screening in Thimphu, tries to depict various kinds of taxes that existed then such as loenthrel, which was paid in kind (rice, butter, wood, grass, cattle, and land) and kamthrel, paid in cash which came much later.
Other forms of taxes like Thoja (tax for rented land), Thaekhu and Nagtsa (taxes in the form of ashes and soot), Shingthrel (in the form of woods), Deythrel (tax for making papers), and Wangyoen (taxes for the annual blessings) are also shown.
Lhachey, played by a newcomer Sonam Zangmo, and her father represent the common lot in a society who have to suffer to fulfill the demands of the rulers.
The movie also portrays the life of slaves, jowo and jam, and their life of discrimination by society.
Actors Phurba Thinley, Nidup Dorji and Rinchen Namgay try to add an element of romance and comedy in an otherwise serious film. While the movie is yet to draw packed houses many who watched the three-hour show said it appeared that a lot of research was done.
Most of the viewers Kuensel spoke to said the setting of the film and the untainted local language impressed them.
The producer of the film, Tobgyel, who is also the scriptwriter, actor and the lyricist, said that if the film informed viewers about the suffering of the past its purpose was served. He said that a lot of time was spent on doing research on the language, houses, dress and tools and utensils used.
The movie was shot in Kabisa and Namseling in Thimphu in 65 days and was directed by Karma Norbu and Karma Deki Dorji.
By Kesang Dema

Bhutan Film Awards, Update

2007-05-10T22:10:00.000+06:00

Posted with permission from Visit Bhutan 2008

Guys,Sorry for the late video post of the 6th Bhutan National Filmfare awards 2007 held in the Clock Tower Square, Thimphu on the 2nd May coinciding the Birth Anniversary of the Third King of Bhutan Jigme Dorji Wangchuk, The Night was simply a mind blowing for all the Thimphu Resident as they had a wonderful 4 hours of the Awards Ceremony. The Best swap away with the awards, yet Bhutanese Movies have created a nerves breakdown for all the Bhutanese people back home and abroad as they have come up with quality themed movies and story.

Check out the 6th Bhutan National Filmfare awards Video Clip which i got on that Night. For Those of you who don't understand the Bhutanese Language, i bed pardon, Eh!! Sorry.. there was English Announcement as well... so relax and enjoy the clip. :-) :-)

*note: since YouTube is still busted at this part of the world, I'm unable to link it. Visit http://bhutan2008.blogspot.com for the clip

No Way to go but grow

2007-05-07T01:44:00.000+06:00

By Tashi Dorji, Kuenselonline

The Bhutanese audio-visual industry has undergone a phenomenal growth in the past decade. It can be best gauged in the prolific releases of music albums and local films with each passing year. This year the film industry released 25 local productions, the highest so far.

It can also be seen in the investment in recording equipments, cameras and other gizmos that cost millions of ngultrums. And with money in the making, more and more people are entering the rapidly evolving industry.

Some people already in business contend that despite its growth it has not yet gained an industry status.

The fact is the audio-visual industry has changed many lives for both professionals in the business and numerous part-timers.

GROWTH

As of June this year, the trade and industry ministry had issued 115 audio-visual licenses out of which 96 were operational. The enactment of the Media Act this year also came as a silver lining for those in dilemma to enter the business as it created “an enabling environment,” said the chief industry officer of the ministry, Dhanraj Subba.

The motion picture association of Bhutan (MPAB) has 45 registered members today and “we are getting more applications,” said general secretary Kinley Dorji. While the association got about four to five applications in the past, this year it has already received an unprecedented 12 applications, indicating a boost in the eagerness to invest in the industry according to the general secretary.

The first Bhutanese movie to be made was “Gasa Lamai Singye” in 1989 when staged folklore dramas were popular. It sank without a trace. Till 2001, the industry witnessed a sluggish production rate with 11 more movies.

Soon after, the trend accelerated and by the end of last year Bhutan had produced about 60 movies. However, the maximum number of movies produced was this year with 25 movies already produced (three are under review), according to records maintained by MPAB. The first Bhutanese film festival was started in 2001.

The MPAB does not have records on audio production but with every movie having an audio version of its songs and with increasing number of other production, a similar trend is expected. “The industry has witnessed a phenomenal growth rate since 2000,” said Kinley Dorji. “The technology used in making movies is also becoming more advanced and the quality of movies has also improved,” said Wangchuk, who produced “Chorten Kora”.

INDUSTRY STATUS

Those in audio-visual business claim that their venture is not an industry today. “We are not recognised as an industry,” said Tshering Gyeltshen of Triple Gem Media and Infotainment.
“We are in the process of appraising the government for industry status,” said general secretary Kinley Dorji of MPAB. “We have created an emerging business platform but we don’t have an industry status.”

Government officials disagree.

“They have an industrial license and it means that they are seen as an industry,” said Dhanraj Subba. The Bhutan Infocom and media authority (BICMA) told Kuensel that the concern was never voiced out. “The issue has never come to us,” said Wangay Dorji. The debate over industry status, those in business believe, would enable them to avail certain additional perks from the government.

A paper presentation by Tshewang Dendup on the audio-visual industry said that “one of the immediate gains after obtaining industry status would be easier availability of financing and loans for productions”. The paper adds that in the past, Bhutanese producers sold their businesses and mortgaged their property to avail loans for the production of their films. Wangchuk who made “Chorten Kora,” which cost him Nu. 5.6 million, said that he had to mortgage his personal property to get a loan from Bhutan Development Finance Corporation Limited.

Today, Bhutanese filmmakers cannot avail loans from the financial institutions based on the strength of the movie nor can they keep their production equipment as security to get the loan.
Kinley Dorji said that getting an industry status would also enable them to get some tax holidays which some prioritised upcoming industries enjoy. Once it gains industry status Kinley Dorji said that MPAB would have a committee that would study the proposal of the movie, review the script and recommend the financial institutions to provide loans.

STATE SUPPORT

Today government support for the film industry is in the form of entertainment tax exemption, which means they don’t have to pay tax from the sale of tickets while screening movies.
Licensed audio-visual houses can also claim custom duties and sales tax exemptions while importing audio-visual equipment. The revenue and customs have a list of audio-visual equipments eligible for exemption. However, they have to pay the annual income taxes.
In the past movies were sponsored by the Dzongkha Development Authority on the grounds that films played a major role in the preservation and promotion of the national language, Dzongkha.

MOVIE MAKING

A Bhutanese movie today is made with an average budget of about Nu. 2.00 million, said Kinley Dorji. Each movie on an average employs about ten skilled technicians, double the number of unskilled manpower and about 15 actors. It takes an average of one to two months of actual shooting. Editing, recording and other final touches take a month more.

Going by averages, with 25 movies already made this year, about Nu. 50 million had already been pumped in by investors.

The film industry has also sparked a new trend lately. A lot of people who used to be part timers are resigning from their jobs and entering the business, said Kinley Dorji.

CONCERNS

Inadequate expertise, lack of movie halls, limited market, lack of professionals in the field of animation and graphics and difficulty in financing are some of the concerns gripping the film industry.

Kencho Wangdi of Kilkhor production, who wrote the scripts and songs for “Kilkhor”, said that the lack of movie halls was one of the major deterrents in the movie business. With the only movie hall in the capital, Lugar theatre, booked in for several months in advance, he is releasing his new movie, “Nge Sem Nge Sem”, in Phuentsholing.

Kinley Dorji said that screening movies in the dzongkhags were a problem because they had to get permission from the dzongkhag authorities on top of a blanket permission from the National Film and TV Review Board, which should actually be enough. He added that in many places movies had to be screened in makeshift tents. “Thimphu can easily accommodate at least two more movie halls,” he said.

The lack of production equipment was one problem. Today, only about five film production houses had proper equipments.

In the audio sector, piracy was the main concern. A lot of pirated Bhutanese audio cassettes, CDs and DVDs have recently flooded the market, especially in the Indian border town of Jaigon.

FUTURE

“The Bhutanese films industry has only one way to go. It will grow,” said Kinley Dorji.
“Bhutanese movies have a lot of external market potential,” said Tshering Gyeltshen. Some Bhutanese documentaries have received international acclaim and “Chorten Kora” was a hit in Arunachal Pradesh, India.

However, some skepticism remains. “The domestic market is small, the number of movie makers are increasing and with the public demanding quality, the future is certain for us,” said Kencho Wangdi.

BICMA is planning to develop a “National ICT Development Fund,” which is expected to give financial and technical support to the audio-visual industry among others if the Fund comes through, said Wangay Dorji.

6th Bhutan National Film Awards

2007-05-05T23:55:00.000+06:00

Source: Kuenselonline

Namgay Retty’s 49th Day bagged three awards, the best movie of 2006, best music awards, best child artist at the 6th National Film Award held at the Clock tower square in Thimphu on May 2.The best actor award was awarded to Nguldrup Dorji for his role in Saang Wai Charo and newcomer Sangay Chodon Tenzin bagged the best female actor award for her astounding role in The Rose. She also got the best female newcomer award for her role in the same film.

Director Palden Dorji was awarded the award for the best director for Euchung Lhamo, which also bagged the best storyline award.

A total of 24 artists received awards in 27 categories at the award ceremony sponsored by Zimdra automobiles.

Six Boys

2007-04-30T02:01:00.000+06:00

In 1996 six boys disappeared in the forest above the Tango monastery. The incident triggered country-wide concern and a massive rescue mission.
Twelve days later four boys were found in Punakha with two dead in the forest from fatigue and starvation.
The nightmare the boys lived through is the subject of a new film that has realistically captured the ordeal of being lost in one of the country’s thickest forests.
Shot in real locations, the film traces the travails of the six boys from Begana, Thimphu, on that fateful dry-picnic trip to Dhomendey peak, about six hours walk from Tango monastery, which went horribly wrong.
The film brings vivid images of the boys’ painful struggle to keep themselves alive without food and amid blood-sucking leeches and insects, made worse by the forest’s terrain. Frustrated, starved and beaten the boys trudge on though never really finding a way out of the forests they come to hate and dread. Throughout the journey though, the boys’ hope never subsides even when death hits them.
Written, produced and directed by Karma Tshering of the Jigdrel fame, the true story ‘6 Boys’ is also a breathe of fresh air- it’s 1:45 minutes long with one song and it has no tragic melodrama. The camera movement is fluid and the dialogues short. Careful editing and a good background music to accompany the film’s nuances could have made the film better.
The film benefits from a strong cast in that the main actors are all first timers, and they play their part well. The six actors, aged 11-18, are school-dropouts; two are small time restaurant waiters, another two are street doma sellers, one is a monk and the oldest is an unemployed youngster. The tough task though was making them remember the dialogue.
Director Karma recalled how he was rattled mid-way through a shooting one day when he heard that the boys were planning to dump the film and run away. The boys had complained that their breakfast and lunch was being cut down. The director had wanted the boys to be pale and hungry to look authentic. The director barely managed to coax the angry boys to stay.
Shooting wasn’t easy either. Two rainy months in the forest with heavy equipment was a challenge in itself.
For Director Karma, the film was a dream come true. “It’s a long awaited film for me,” Karma said. “I wanted to show to people what really happened in those 12 days.” He worked five years on the film. The interviews with the surviving four boys and the several difficult months trying to convince their parents about the movie was a test.
It is hard to gauge how the film, which opened yesterday in the Luger theatre, will do, given that it has the enormous job of weaning moviegoers away from the usual bollywood takeoffs complete with songs and tears.
By Kencho Wangdi

Bhutan Film in NY!

2007-04-23T18:52:00.000+06:00

Choe Da Jigten
Dzongkha with English subtitles

Show : Only One
Date : 6 May 2007
Time : 3:00 pm
Venue : Eagle Movie Theatre,
73-07 Street,Jackson Heights,
New York

The film "The Divine and the Mundane" delves into the inner turmoil of a monk torn between spiritualism and materialism. Choeda(played by Gyem Dorji) the main character, is the most learned monk in a remote monastery.One day he is overcome with self-doubt and beings to question his existence. He abandons his faith in the pursuit of a material life only to suffer every conceivable misery.How will Choeda find peace and happiness?Will he be able to repent his sins?Find out your self Gyem Dorji who plays the lead role in the movie is one the finest actors in Bhutan's rapidly evolving film industry. He has won numerous national awards for acting, script and spoken national language.
Kinley Peldon who plays the lead actress has also been recognized for her acting skills at the national level.
Director Chencho Dorji is among the upcoming breed of filmmakers with professional skills in direction and film editing.
Two popular Bhutanese singers, Nidup Dorji & Rinchen Namgay, play the supporting roles.

Produced by: Karma Lhaden Dorji