Price of Knowledge (2000): cast, story & where to watch

Released in 2000, Price of Knowledge is a documentary film directed by Ugyen Wangdi, running about 36 minutes.

What it’s about. Made by Bhutan's first filmmaker (Ugyen Wangdi), Price of Knowledge (1999) is also Bhutan's first documentary. Day by day, 11 year old Sherab Dorji walks three hours to school. In the early morning he meets the other children of his village at a chorten, a Buddhist shrine. From there, they walk to school together singing. The road leads across a mountain and through the woods. The parents are constantly afraid of their children meeting up with wild animals along the path. When Sherab walks the last part by himself in the evening, he prays aloud to fight his fear. They walk so much, his father says, that their socks tear within a week. Sherab’s family depends on subsistence farming. Sherab and his family’s life are presented in a touching realistic portrait of rural Bhutan in 1999.

How it landed. With an audience score of 7.0/10, Price of Knowledge has been warmly received by audiences.

Where to watch. Streaming options change often. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch Price of Knowledge page.

If you liked it. Fans of Price of Knowledge tend to enjoy One Direction: This Is Us, Burn the Stage: The Movie, BTS World Tour: Love Yourself - Japan Edition and Senna.