The finalists in the (competitive) category for Bhutanese films 2011:
EYES HAVE IT director: tashi palden
Kelden falls in love with a blind girl, Yeewong. His love for her exceeds everything, and he makes an extraordinary sacrifice, which will change both of their lives forever.
BEFORE HAPPINESS director: tandy norvu
Sometimes, Buddhist principles are better explained with metaphorical events. Following the morning of an ordinary man who wishes to change certain aspects of his life, it reveals the difference between the ordinary and the different.
KHAMSUM director: loday chopel
One normal day, a man finds a young child following him around, calling him “father” and asking him for a pick up from school. The child persists with these strange requests and actions, and eventually the man has no choice but to surrender to his persistent ways. Soon the man is drawn into the child’s world and memories, and the connection between the man and child is revealed, uncovering a past the man once forgot.
SOONER OR LATER director: ashik pradhan and kavita rai
This is a short animated fiction film, which tells the story of how ignorant humans are to the effects of global warming. It says that sooner or later we will all face the repercussions of our ignorance and our actions.
THE LITTLE ROCKSTAR director: solly dorjee
The general theme of the movie is the importance of education in the midst of the unemployment issue in Bhutan.
The story revolves around a young boy who is very passionate about rock music. When the boy finally gets a “real” touch of a real guitar, it turns into a heavy tug of war between his love for the instrument and the urgent need to study for his final exams. Eventually, his passion and love for the instrument is defeated by circumstances, but only for the time being.
THE STONE director: thinley jamtsho
The Stone is about grief of a woman following the death of her lover. A stone carver narrates the story of the death of his good friend, Joe, and the lover he leaves behind. She visits the stone carver to ask him to cut the stone for Joe’s graveyard. As she watches the stone carver at work, day and night, her grief follows the lines and etching of the chisel. When the stone is ready, she disappears from the carver’s life.
THE BEGGER director: jigme lhendup
When a generous man offers to help a beggar in the street by giving him food, money and clean clothes, his surprise to find the beggar back at his usual place the following day, begging for alms becomes inevitable.