Convenience for clients, safety of vital communication, efficient service is taking the services near its rivals In order to recognise the contribution of Bhutan’s nebulous and unsupported film industry, His Majesty the King awarded the Motion Picture Association of Bhutan (MPAB) with a gold medal on the occasion of the National Day on December 17.
The medal has been given in recognition of the association’s contribution to the nation in preservation and promotion of the rich culture and language through films and music, thus contributing to Gross National Happiness (GNH) philosophy of the country.
Yesterday, at the Bhutan Chamber of Commerce and Industry conference hall, the president of MPAB, Dasho Ugyen Tshechup Dorji and the other members of the association held a press conference to showcase the efforts put in by association members, as well as share their gratitude towards His Majesty for appreciating their effort.
However, the MPAB also shared the difficulties and handicaps faced by the film industry in Bhutan.
“During the National day, MPAB was awarded a gold medal and this is a great honour. It has also been a great boost to each and every person involved in making films and music. I feel that MPAB has come a long way, despite the existing difficulties, and I am proud to say that MPAB has been able to contribute something to GNH and to the country as a whole,” said Dasho Ugyen Tshechup Dorji.
MPAB also disclosed their proposals to the government, like request for allotment of land in urban areas to build theatres, a film and music development fund in order to segregate avant garde movies – which have a poor market restricted to the culturally conscious – from commercial ones; development of a film city, and most importantly, to provide the film producers loan from banks in the country.
Dasho Ugyen told the media that the producers are not eligible for loans from the banks due to lack of ‘industry’ status and absence of infrastructure.
Incidentally, in May, the Prime Minister had promised to look into the issue of granting ‘industry’ status to movie making but nothing has happened so far.
The MPAB was established on 9 September, 1999, with the aim to preserve the culture and tradition of the country, create employment for youth, link up with other associations of the world and stay abreast of affairs that could be used to market Bhutanese films.
One of its original goals was also to assist the protection of individual copyright and protect local audiovisual products from any form of piracy.
The industry had kicked off with the making of “Gasa Lamai Singye”, a period romance in 1987, and the first commercial film “Jigdrel” was produced by Norling Drayang in 1998.
The success of Jigdrel led to the emergence of the Bhutanese film industry and the formation of MPAB. As of December 2009, more than 150 feature films have been made, with an average of 18 films produced each year.
The films in Bhutan are made in digital format rather than on celluloid, with producers working on shoestring budgets and lacking in a team of trained professionals.
By Kesang Wangmo (Bhutan Today)
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