Agent of Happiness
In the late 1970s, the 4th King of Bhutan, King Jigme Singye Wangchuck, announced that “gross national happiness is more important than gross domestic product”. This idea, which sadly seems even more radical now, proposed that a state should take a more holistic view of its citizens’ wellbeing and the betterment of society rather than defining all such matters in financial terms. A cohort of surveyors now travels the country of Bhutan, posing their extensive and detailed list of questions in an attempt to assess the mood of the country and its people. ‘Happiness agent’ Amber, a 40-year-old single man, is one such civil servant, who, ironically, seeks greater happiness in his own life. As the film follows him on his rounds, it becomes a shrewd and sympathetic examination of the nature of happiness and its meaning from one person to the next.
Director
Director
Languages
Nepali, Dzongkha
Countries
Bhutan, Hungary, Czech Republic, USA