Bhutanese take pride in three names - religion, culture and traditional -- and these often come to the rescue of our identity and nationalism when any intellectual debate outside occur.
Being a proud and real Bhutanese, I wanted my
youth to absorb as much of Bhutanese in them, but as luck would have it, none
of the youth now show much interest in religion, culture, and tradition.
However, I myself being a subservient son
of Bhutan have its own perils. When I was a thirteen-year-old kid, I watched GasaLamay
SenGi with my friends. It was Bhutan’s first movie. To be or not, it was not about religion, culture or
tradition, but human bonds- love triangle. There were little fights, dishoom-dishoom
and some songs. The movie moved some of us to be like heroes and it entered inside
our juvenile brains. It was no traditional-cultural film, I remember.
Today, when I look back at those days, a
sense of nostalgia takes over. I can reflect the flicks of that movie. It was in
fact, the emerging of movie-making in the country. I am not a Bhutanese movie
buff. I watched GasaLamay SenGi as there was no TV at those times.
Now, I am a type of ‘Wood;’ Hollywood and Bollywood. I have watched about seven Bhutanese movies so
far. Therefore, I find Bhutanese movies a little un-Bhutanese, a little tactless,
amateurish, sluggish, and predictable. All copycat. Bollywood from Hollywood,
Hollywood from Bollywood, and others ‘woods’ and then to Drukpawood. Our Drukpawood is the mixture Masala of all Woods.
And thinking it would become delicious Emadatshi. And thinking because of these
testy Emadatshi, that our ‘Drukpawood’ could also match the international level, we copy. But otherwise, it’s
the commonly tasted ones. Our Dzongkha is
becoming Dzonglish. Anyway, let’s think over this; Fiji, a smaller country than
Bhutan produces the world’s best movies.
Most of our Bhutanese movies do not depict
the story of the rich history of our country- its rich historical background
and traditions. We had so many Penlops, Deps, legends, myths, and folktales
that could be made into very good films. For example, the legend of Ling
Gesar Ghyap, Zhabdrung, and his Dzongs, etc could be made into beautiful movies.
But nowadays, yes, nowadays, we live in the floating world, so we see in the
movies some flashy cars, immaculate houses, decked up ladies in tatters, fancy mood
lighting, all these flesh and bones, and difficult to understand what and why
are they portrayed.
Some film directors look like rocky rock.
See Tshering Wangyel’s girly hairs and the blackest spec.
whatever he may be, people love his directions and his films.
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| Photo credit: Facebook (TW) |
Bhutanese movies are very much threaded in
misery and weepy kind of life with little sparkling moments of joy that brings
a smile to the viewer's face. The scene in which Phurba Thinley tries to behave
like a woman gives little guffaws or the westernized musical party where the
kids gather, dance, and sing an Nga Chelu Ga, Che NgaLu Ga or
ting-a-ling-ling-song. Otherwise, there is no striking moment in the movie. The scene in where Singlam and Galam go to see their old ruined house
and breaks apart, or cruel mother-in-law, Aum Lamo crouches the head of a hero’s girlfriend and thrashes on the wall, or the scene of heroes running
through sometimes in poverty and dejections (and it usually happens because of
the lady he loves... gripping lives... and then, they understand each
other-their heart, they become together and start a new life, which will be a success
within a minute flicks). The films, most of the time tighten the knots showing
brutal and faithless life, making audiences, especially Bhutanese women
considering their life like film.
Films must excite, startle, thrill, and
shake viewers. Its effects cannot be produced by a play that is lacking in
conflict. The conflict in the movie may be between human beings pulling in
different directions, between a character and the environment
in which he finds himself or the society in which he is a member. Movies must
generally represent human sufferings, which raises pity and fear among
audiences and make audiences decide that the film is a great one in its
tragic appeal. The misfortune of the film should be simple and straight-
forward, but sublime and universal in its penetrative appeal.
The good film
as per my judgment should represent human suffering, have fear and pity, embellished
language, and have emotional/cathartic appeal, and of all, it should educate,
entertain and inform. There are two views on the tragic vision of life. One is
that man is the plaything of inscrutable power called fate and another is
that character is responsible for the tragic end. In Greek tragedies, tragic
fate for the heroes is predetermined. Oedipus and Antigone become
obstinate and tyrannical. Their tragedy is due to their overconfidence in
their respective attitudes.
Films though portrayed antinomies of our
lives, a majority our viewers take it as reality. Because of this, the films
should touch various themes and issues, and, not only love failures that
dominate most of our Bhutanese films, the films must represent history, contemporary
Bhutanese society, roles, changing relationship,s and educate about the morals of
faith and believing.
