The Next Guardian

In a remote village in the Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan, 16-year-old Gyembo and his 15-year-old sister Tashi wander around aimlessly while their father meticulously polishes ancient relics on the altar of their private monastery. For thousands of years, this family has watched over the temple. Unlike their father, whose life is entirely devoted to the monastery, Gyembo and Tashi nourish aspirations that extend beyond the confines of this sacred place. Gyembo dreams of becoming a footballer. True to tradition, their father wants Gyembo to carry on the family legacy. He is convinced that the only way for his son to accumulate good karma is to leave school and dedicate his life to religion. The film explores the irony of two generations with opposing dreams. - 'We wanted to find a story that reflected the intersection of traditional values and Western influences, as well as the beginnings of modernisation in the country. We felt that this contrast, which shapes both the ethical and moral values and the physical landscape of Bhutan, represents a crucial life experience for many young Bhutanese who grew up from the late 1980s onward.' A. Bhattarai and D. Zurb�