Two Bhutanese films, Buelwa-An Offering and Gangnam Girls, are now streaming on Amazon Prime Video in 72 countries. The films were made available on the platform starting last Saturday. Amazon Prime Video is an American subscription- based OTT streaming service owned by Amazon.
Buelwa, An Offering is co-produced by Samuh and Bezya Pictures. It tells a story of a monk forced to leave the monastery and ends up as a key witness in a drug case, unexpectedly becoming the guardian of three youths.
Gangnam Girls is produced solely by Samuh which follows four school friends after years apart to mend a past misunderstanding during a three-day gathering.
The production team has spent nearly two years working to take these films to an international audience. Now that both the films are streaming on Amazon Prime Video, they say the real challenge has just begun.
“I think we have achieved a great feat by having both the films on Amazon Prime in 72 countries. But as I said, the challenge has just begun because if people don’t watch our films, and you know, our films are not as popular as other films. So, we really need the Bhutanese community from all over the world and friends everywhere to watch the film. So, if the films do well, that’s going to create the market, and that’s going to make it possible for other films to also find their way on OTT platforms. Not just Amazon, it could be any,” said Charmi Chheda, Director.
“One option is to produce high-quality films and submit them to major international film festivals or aim for recognition through platforms like the Oscars, as Lunana did. This can attract the attention of distributors, who may then approach us for distribution. If that doesn’t happen, we must create our own opportunities by proactively reaching out to sales agents and distributors, showcasing our films directly to them. Ultimately, there is an opportunity as long as we focus on creating quality films with strong, compelling stories,” said Nyema Zam, Producer, Samuh.
The Department of Media, Creative Industry & Intellectual Property played a key role in facilitating the films’ reach on Amazon Prime Video, including providing financial support. The department’s bigger goal is to promote Bhutanese cinema beyond its domestic market.
“We always talk about a 700,000 population, small market, and all, but we intend to take Bhutanese films beyond the 700,000. Now, some upcoming movies are coming out. So, this is a good indication that the industry is moving in the right way,” said Sonam Penjor, Director, DoMCIIP.
He added that the international exposure of Bhutanese films not only supports the film industry but also highlights Bhutan’s unique identity on the global stage.
“Now, Amazon has even included the word Dzongkha in the language search. So, these are cultural penetrations. As a small country, these are soft power that we have. So, when we penetrate, we are positioning ourselves, the Bhutanese identity, Bhutanese sovereignty, and Bhutan as a country in the global entertainment space.”
The release of these two films on Amazon Prime Video is a significant milestone for Bhutanese cinema and the start of a bigger effort to share Bhutanese stories with the world.
Namgay Wangdi
Edited by Sonam Pem
