Our Subjects include (among others):

MICHAEL RUTLAND

The former tutor to the 4th King of Bhutan, Michael Rutland first came to Bhutan in 1970 when foreigners needed special permission by the royal family to enter the country. In 2006 his former student granted him citizenship, m aking him one of the very few Westerners to be so honored. Mr. Rutland is also the first Honorary Consul of Bhutan to the United Kingdom and founder of the Bhutan Society of the U.K. Eighteen years ago Mr. Rutland adopted Kesang Wangchuk, an 18-year-old Bhutanese boy  and now lives with Kesang and his family in the mountains north of the capital, Thimphu.

KESANG WANGCHUK (Mr. Rutland's adopted son)

Educated in the U.K, Kesang works as a reporter for the Bhutan Broadcasting System, the nation’s only television broadcast network. He grew up in a mountain village herding cattle and at the prompting of an uncle pursued an education and eventually met Mr. Rutland. We watch Kesang fulfill a life-long dream of building a new home for his mother Detchen. We also follow Detchen to the local polling station as she votes  for the first time.

TSHERING CHODEN

Ms. Choden and her husband Sonam are a young urban professional couple living in Thimphu with their 3 year-old daughter Yoedchen. Ms. Choden is a producer for the Bhutan Broadcasting System working on news and educational programs about democracy and acting as a media mentor to Kuzoo, the youth radio station which was founded by the new King.

PEMA SEYLDON

Pema and her sister Dekki attend the Dechencholing School just outside of Thimphu. It is Pema’s ambition to become the next Prime Minister of Bhutan. Her father recently gave up his job as a Civil Servant for the Agriculture Department to run for office in Bhutan’s historic first election. Pema’s family is part of the growing suburban community establishing itself a few miles outside of the city. Pema volunteers for Kuzoo youth radio and is working on a radio show about democracy. We meet Pema’s father and mother when they return after three months on the campaign trail.

KINLEY SINGE

Kinley wants to become a doctor. His father passed away several years ago and his mother Dorji is struggling to raise Kinley and his younger brother and sister (left). Though life might be easier among relatives in the farming village where she comes from, Dorji feels that there will be better opportunities for her children closer to Thimphu. Between walking 1 1/2 hours to school each day and working to help support the household, we watch as Kinley tries to stay on top of his own studies while tutoring and helping to take care of his two young siblings. While Kinley is of legal age to vote, due to the cost of returning to their village, only his mother was able to participate in the election. She tells us what it felt like to vote for the first time and why she thought it was so important to her family that she make the long journey home.