The Next Guardian (2017)

Bhutan is not a country that has given the world many films, which makes The Next Guardian (2017) something of a rarity before you have even pressed play. The small Himalayan kingdom, landlocked between India and China, is better known internationally for its policy of measuring Gross National Happiness than for its cinema output, and the country's Buddhist heritage and relatively recent opening to outside influences give it a cultural texture that most Western audiences will find genuinely unfamiliar. It is precisely that gap between the familiar and the foreign, between teenage restlessness and centuries of tradition, that sits at the heart of this 75-minute documentary from co-directors Arun Bhattarai and Dorottya Zurbo.

The film is a co-production between Bhutan, Hungary and the Netherlands, produced through Éclipse Film, and Bhattarai and Zurbo bring an observational, unhurried approach to their subject. Rather than imposing a conventional documentary structure, they follow their subjects with a patience that lets the rhythms of daily life set the pace. The film centres on a real Bhutanese family: Gyembo, a teenage boy whose father hopes he will inherit the stewardship of the family's Buddhist temple and enter monastic life, and his sister Tashi, who has ambitions that pull in a very different direction. Neither child is played by an actor in any conventional sense; what you are watching is a family living out genuine tensions in front of the camera, with Tenzin and Phub Lamo also featuring among the family group. That directness gives the film a quality that sits somewhere between documentary and drama, which, as it happens, is not an accident, and is something the film itself seems comfortable leaving slightly open.

If you enjoy documentary filmmaking that gets close to its subjects without fuss, it is worth checking out Island Soldier, another documentary from 2017 that takes a similarly intimate approach to a community under pressure from forces larger than itself. And for a documentary that puts sport and identity front and centre in a way that rhymes a little with Tashi's footballing dreams here, the earlier Next Goal Wins makes for an interesting companion piece. There is also something in The Next Guardian's concern with young people caught between expectation and personal desire that connects to the broader texture of Tiger Stripes, another drama film reviewed here that puts a young girl's sense of self at the centre of a story about cultural and family pressure. For another documentary portrait of a community that doesn't often get screen time, Lost Boy in Juba from the same year offers a useful point of comparison.

A-Z World Movie Tour Bhutan The Next Guardian is a quiet, heartfelt story about a Bhutanese family navigating the messy, universal stuff of growing up. And honestly, I’m glad I watched it, even if it wasn’t what I expected. I actually wasn't sure if it was a documentary or a movie. The film follows Gyembo and Tashi, siblings stuck between tradition and modernity. Gyembo’s dad wants him to become a monk (a family legacy), but the kid just wants to finish school and keep his phone. Meanwhile, Tashi dreams of soccer stardom, but Bhutan’s cultural norms (and her dad’s worries) keep her grounded. It’s a tender slice-of-life tale that reminded me of my own kids arguing over Wi-Fi time while I nag them about “respecting their roots.” What works? The setting: Bhutan’s Himalayan villages are filmed with warmth and intimacy, you can almost smell the pine forests and monastery incense. The sibling dynamic: Gyembo and Tashi’s relationship feels authentic, from playful teasing to shared frustrations about their dad’s old-school expectations. Themes: It’s not preachy, but it quietly unpacks big ideas, tradition vs. progress, gender roles, and what it means to honor family while forging your own path. What didn’t? Pacing: The film meanders. If you’re after a plot-driven story, you’ll be checking your watch. This is more of a “hangout movie” where the drama is subtle (like a parent sighing at a messy room). Cultural context: As an outsider, I wanted a bit more depth on Bhutan’s unique approach to happiness as a national priority (hinted at, but never fully explored.) Would I recommend it? If you’re into slow-burn, character-driven films (like The Lunchbox or Yi Yi ), yes. It’s a gentle window into a culture that balances modernity with centuries-old traditions. A cozy, contemplative watch with moments of quiet beauty. 3 stars for sincerity and scenery

All of that chimes with how I found myself feeling when the credits rolled. The lack of a tidy resolution is, in a way, the point: these are real people, and real families rarely tie things up neatly. The Himalayan setting does a lot of heavy lifting, but it earns it, and there is something genuinely affecting about watching two teenagers wrestle with questions that would feel just as alive in a living room in Leeds or Cork as they do in a Bhutanese village. It is not a film that shouts for your attention, but if you give it the time, it offers something quieter and perhaps more lasting than a lot of louder films manage. Sometimes the most honest thing a documentary can do is simply step back and let a family be a family.

Rating: ★★★  | Year: 2017  | Watched: 2025-05-30

View on Letterboxd →

Where to watch

Watch in the UK
Stream: Netflix · Amazon Prime Video · Netflix Standard with Ads · Amazon Prime Video with Ads
Rent: Google Play Movies · YouTube
Buy: Google Play Movies · YouTube
Physical: Amazon UK · Zavvi

Watch in the US
Rent: Google Play Movies · YouTube
Buy: Google Play Movies · YouTube
Physical: Amazon US

Affiliate disclosure: Movies With Macca may earn a small commission on purchases or subscriptions started via these links. It costs you nothing extra.

Related on Movies With Macca

More from Hungary: Underground (1995) · The Tragedy of Man (2011)
More from the 2010s: Wonder (2017) · Beautiful Boy (2018) · The Witch (2015) · What We Do in the Shadows (2014)
More documentary: Letter from Siberia (1957) · Lessons of Darkness (1992) · Style Wars (1983) · Here and Elsewhere (1976)
More drama: Viy (1967) · Wonder (2017) · A Better Tomorrow (1986) · Beautiful Boy (2018)