With its focus on the importance of education and its sincere centre, Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom elevates its predictable material into something wholly uplifting.

| Original Score: 4/5 | Sep 3, 2024

Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom was written, directed and produced by first time filmmaker Pawo Choyning Dorji. Dorji is a Buddhist, which in retrospect comes as no surprise; the story he tells unfolds like a Buddhist fable for modern times.

| Jul 26, 2023

The sort of film that the word "charmer" was made for.

| Original Score: 3.5/5 | Mar 16, 2023

This is a warm and involving exploration of the clash between community and individualism, pitting an ancient culture against modern aspirations. And with its terrific cast of characters, the movie feels like it's a gift to the world.

| Original Score: 4/5 | Mar 15, 2023

Lunana does have charms, including beautiful mountainous scenery, and Pawo Choyning Dorji’s film uses them to create a loveable tale.

| Original Score: 4/5 | Mar 13, 2023

The story behind Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom is almost as heartwarming as the tale that it tells...

| Original Score: 4/5 | Mar 12, 2023

Made for next to nothing in impossible circumstances in a remote Bhutanese village, Lunana was nominated for an Oscar last year and is altogether irresistible.

| Original Score: 5/5 | Mar 10, 2023

It’s reassuringly familiar and nicely done.

| Original Score: 3/5 | Mar 10, 2023

[This] coming-of-age story is sweet and warm, if a bit predictable.

| Original Score: 3/5 | Mar 10, 2023

While the simple plot is predictable, the scenery is gorgeous, the setting is authentic and the non-professional actors are unaffected and utterly charming.

| Original Score: 4/5 | Mar 9, 2023

The gorgeous views of the Himalayan mountains only add to the appeal of a film that, while hitting familiar plot beats, is an irresistible delight from start to finish.

| Original Score: 4/5 | Mar 9, 2023

This leisurely, quietly euphoric film lets you breathe the visual and sonic fresh air of its setting — yet the Lunana section itself is not without a romanticising streak.

| Original Score: 4/5 | Mar 9, 2023

There is something winning in this calm, walking-pace drama – and the landscape is amazing.

| Original Score: 3/5 | Mar 9, 2023

Though the premise is a familiar one, there’s plenty of charm woven throughout writer-director Pawo Choyning Dorji’s feature debut.

| Original Score: 4/5 | Mar 6, 2023

Enchanting.

| Original Score: 4/5 | Mar 3, 2023

Lunana: A Yak In The Classroom is a wonderfully warm and simple tale, and one which takes great pride in its native culture.

| Feb 8, 2023

That ending is perhaps the most authentic and affecting part of Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom. It’s open-ended, leaving the possibility of a range of outcomes.

| Dec 16, 2022

The first thing that strikes you about Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom is how charmingly simple, yet effective the film is in delivering its message; it has no long speeches or melodrama.

| Dec 15, 2022

Pawo Choyning Dorji’s feature debut Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom captures the juxtaposition of big-city living and small-town surviving in a way that resonates beyond its cultural specificity—we all understand the contrast.

| Original Score: B+ | Dec 15, 2022

Sweet without being sentimental, poignant though never preachy.

| Dec 15, 2022