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The Next Guardian

Name: The Next Guardian
Director: Arun Bhattarai, Dorottya Zurbó
Released: 2018
Duration: 75 min

Representation Score

6.6/10

Good

2018

Director

Arun Bhattarai, Dorottya Zurbó

Runtime

75 minutes

Average Rating

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New Showbiz Analysis

The film stands out by offering an authentic, non-Western perspective that steers clear of Eurocentric storytelling norms. By highlighting a Bhutanese family, it provides a rich portrayal of racial and cultural identity that avoids common stereotypes. Though the film includes subtle hints about gender identity, it lacks explicit LGBTQ+ community stories. This limits the depth of its queer representation despite strong character development. Overall, the film effectively captures the tension between spiritual heritage and individual autonomy in a rapidly changing world.

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Category Breakdown

Does The Next Guardian have LGBTQ+ representation?

Fair

Tashi's gender identity deviates from traditional feminine expectations. The film avoids using modern Western labels but still offers meaningful hints about non-traditional gender identity.

How does The Next Guardian portray gender?

Good

By focusing on Tashi's ambition to become a professional soccer player, the film challenges traditional gender roles and expectations.

How racially and ethnically diverse is The Next Guardian?

Excellent

The story centers around a Bhutanese family and their unique Himalayan setting. It features a local cast with high ability to act, avoiding the outsider's perspective.

How does The Next Guardian represent religion and culture?

Good

The film explores the conflict between religious traditions and modern secular education. It presents a complex view of Buddhist practices through the lens of generational tension.

Does The Next Guardian include disability representation?

Minimal

There are no documented depictions of physical or neurodivergent disabilities in the film.

Present on Screen

Provides authentic Bhutanese storytelling that avoids the outsider's perspective.
Challenges traditional gender roles through Tashi's ambitions.
Explores the tension between tradition and modernity in a sophisticated manner.

Limited or Absent

Could benefit from more explicit LGBTQ+ narratives.
Currently lacks depictions of physical or neurodivergent disabilities.

Official Synopsis

Brother and sister Gyembo and Tashi are normal teenagers. They love soccer and their phones. In their Himalayan village, their father oversees a Buddhist temple that has been in the family for generations. He hopes his son will one day take over his duties. He would prefer that Gyembo leave his modern English-language school in favor of a monk school. In this thoughtful and tender portrait of a Bhutanese family, the generation gap is as large as their love for one another. Celibacy doesn't offer an enticing future to an adolescent boy, which Gyembo's father understands. Nonetheless, he still tries to convince his son that being a monk offers many advantages. Meanwhile, Tashi feels more like a boy than a girl, and dreams of a life as a pro soccer player. She wants to attend a soccer camp that would be the first step in being selected for the national team. Unfortunately, though happiness is high on the political agenda in Bhutan, not all wishes come true.

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