Directed by Khyentse Norbu • 1999 • Bhutan
Starring Orgyen Tobgyal, Neten Chokling, Jamyang Lodro
Soccer fever seizes the most unlikely of places in this supremely gentle, warmhearted tale of tradition and change, the first feature film made in Bhutan. After fleeing Tibet, two young boys (Kunsang Nyima and Pema Tshundup) are taken in by a Tibetan monastery-in-exile in the foothills of the Himalayas. Along with their spiritual studies, however, they also discover a passion for soccer thanks to their football-obsessed roommate (Jamyang Lodro)—an enthusiasm that reaches its height during the World Cup finals. A quest to procure a satellite dish so as to watch the match sets up a playful reflection on what happens when thousands of years of spiritual practice collide with the realities of globalization.
Up Next in Directed by Khyentse Norbu
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Travellers and Magicians
Directed by Khyentse Norbu • 2003 • Bhutan
Starring Tshewang Dendup, Sonam Lhamo, Dasho Adab SangyeMystical journeys of spiritual discovery unfold against the spectacular landscape of Bhutan in this enchanting philosophical odyssey. Young government official Dondup (Tshewang Dendup) dreams of e...
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Hema Hema: Sing Me a Song While I Wait
Directed by Khyentse Norbu • 2016 • Bhutan
Starring Tshering Dorji, Sadon Lhamo, Thinley DorjiEvery twelve years, masked participants gather deep in a forest in Bhutan for a ritual that begins with the full moon and ends only when the new moon rises. Bound by strict rules and forbidden from rev...
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Pig at the Crossing
Directed by Khyentse Norbu • 2024 • Bhutan
Starring Kuenzang Norbu, Prasanna B. Hambarde, Sonam PeldenAfter a young teacher and aspiring YouTube creator dies in a motorcycle accident, he awakens in an unfamiliar realm suspended between death and rebirth. As Dolom (Kuenzang Norbu) slowly comes t...
