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In a time when bigger is assumed to be better, especially in terms of budget and star power, “Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom” scored a surprising Oscar nomination for Best International Feature, the first ever for Bhutan, a country in the Himalayas with a population of less than 800,000.

In the Covid era, however, the film’s core messaging of a simple life, where people help people and educators are worthy of honor and praise, resonates more strongly than ever. So many of us discovered the importance of these values during the pandemic, and Ugyen (Sherab Dorji), the film’s protagonist, realizes it through a crisis of his own.

When we first meet Ugyen, he is an unsatisfied teacher working in Thimphu, the nation’s capital, with dreams of escaping to Australia and becoming a singer, despite his grandmother’s insistence that being a teacher and a civil servant is...

Raised by his grandmother after his parents’ deaths, Ugyen (Sherab Dorji) is considered lucky by his friends. He became a teacher and is just one year away from finishing his mandatory government contract, yet the thing he’s discovered most during that time is the unfortunate truth that his heart isn’t in it. So while he’ll complete his tenure, his dream of immigrating to Australia to pursue a singing career is all that’s on his mind. And everyone knows it—including his boss. As punishment for his constant tardiness and obvious disinterest, she declares that his final posting will be at the so-called “most remote school in the world.” At almost twice the elevation of Bhutanese capital city Thimphu and an eight-day hike from the nearest town, Lunana awaits.

Pawo Choyning Dorji’s feature debut Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom captures the juxtaposition of big-city living...

The trusty old tale of a city slicker teacher being posted to a school in the sticks is given a fresh coat of paint in the delightful Bhutanese comic drama “Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom.” Gloriously filmed on staggeringly beautiful locations around the most remote school on Earth and wonderfully performed by a cast comprised almost exclusively of first-time actors, this big-hearted crowd-pleaser marks a bright debut for writer-director Pawo Choyning Dorji. After winning audience awards at numerous festivals including Palm Springs and Cairo, “Lunana” will line up as Bhutan’s official entry in this year’s Oscar international feature race.

Premiering at London in 2019, “Lunana” was forced to withdraw from the 2020 international Oscar category on a technicality related to the formal nomination process. It’s fair and correct for this charmer to now be accepted and become the Himalayan country’s first submission since Khyentse Norbu’s 1999 hit “The Cup,...