Suraj Bhattarai is a graduate of DocNomads, a joint Master’s program in Documentary Film Directing offered by three universities in Lisbon, Budapest, and Brussels. His graduation project, “Boy from the Dreams”, won the Best Documentary Award at Beskop Tshechu. His fiction work “Silent Walls” was awarded Best Film at the Kingdom of Bhutan International Film Festival in 2024 and served as the closing screening at Beskop Tshechu that same year. Bhattarai is also an editing alumnus of the prestigious BAFA Film Academy in Busan, South Korea.
Paro FC: A Shared Dream is screening at Beskop Tshechu Film Festival
He has directed, shot, and edited several short documentaries, which have screened at major international festivals such as Kassel Dokfest, Busan International Film Festival, and Dharamshala International Film Festival. He also served as associate producer for the critically acclaimed feature-length documentary “Agent of Happiness”, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival.
His latest documentary short focuses on Paro FC, a Bhutanese professional football club based in Paro that competes in the Bhutan Premier League, the top tier of Bhutanese football.
Bhattarai follows the team’s journey from its founding just a few years ago to its current dominance, having won the local title every year since 2021. During the 2024–25 season, Paro FC defeated Church Boys United of Nepal in the preliminary round and qualified for the AFC Challenge League, an annual third-tier continental club competition organized by the Asian Football Confederation, the biggest success in the history of the club so far. Through interviews with the owner, coach, and players, Bhattarai presents a thorough portrait of the team, both on and off the pitch.
The documentary clearly illustrates the challenges faced in creating and sustaining the club. Many of the local players struggle financially, one runs a small restaurant on the side, for example, highlighting the economic realities of professional sports in Bhutan. The presence of a Japanese captain and several African players also points to the club’s limited but purposeful investment, which underscores the ambition behind the project.
The second half of the documentary follows the team’s participation in the AFC Challenge League. The camera moves fluidly between the action on the field and the stands, capturing the region’s fan culture with nuance and energy. The story of an underdog fighting for international recognition gives the narrative a naturally engaging rhythm and charm, in a story that could easily be made into a feature..
Editing plays a crucial role in the storytelling, maintaining a brisk but unhurried pace across the documentary’s 30-minute runtime. Scene transitions are well handled, building toward a satisfying conclusion.
“Paro FC: A Shared Dream” is a rewarding viewing experience, particularly for its focus on a success story in a setting that rarely receives attention. It celebrates determination, community, and the universal language of sport with sincerity and insight.
