She Sings

Caroline Sascha Cogez & Dechen Roder : 2012

19-year-old Dechen lives with her mother and little brother in Thimphu. She dreams of becoming a successful singer and is selected to be a contestant in the Bhutan TV singing contest Druk Super Star. As the competition progresses, Dechen explores the story of her beloved late grandmother who was a great singer. But in the search for her own identity, Dechen uncovers the dark history of her family in which blessings and curses stand side by side. The film challenges the limits of documentary language, using a poetic visual approach that leads us into the inner life of a young girl, alienated by her own mythical culture. It is the first experimental documentary ever made in the formerly secluded country in the midst of the Himalaya. Bhutan was the last country in the world to allow television in 1999 and has only in the past decade established its own film industry. Young Dechen's journey from childhood to adulthood reflects the transition of the old world into a new and modern world.