Price of Knowledge (2000)

Ugyen Wangdi's *Price of Knowledge* (1999), Bhutan's first documentary, follows 11-year-old Sherab Dorji as he journeys three hours each day to school. He and his fellow villagers meet at a Buddhist shrine at dawn, singing as they walk together. Their path winds across mountains and through forests, causing parents constant worry about wild animals. Sherab often walks the final leg alone in the evening, praying to overcome his fear. His father notes their feet wear out quickly from the long walks. The film offers a realistic and moving look at the daily life of Sherab and his family, who rely on farming, in rural Bhutan in 1999.