Two men and one boy in traditional robes sitting and talking by a building.

Agent of Happiness

(Agent of Happiness)

Bhutan has long boasted a high Gross National Happiness index. The film follows two government workers who travel through the glorious Himalayan landscape and find that GNH is not only a number, but also a mixture of many sad and happy stories.

How happy were you yesterday? Do you own a fridge? How many goats do you have? The form for calculating happiness consists of 148 similar questions. Bachelor Amber is one of several dozen officials who ask Bhutan’s residents to answer them. He and his colleague visit quaint mountain villages to discuss the locals’ happiness with them. The government hopes that this research will confirm Bhutan’s position as one of the world’s happiest countries. Glimpses into the private life of individual respondents, and also of Amber, who longs for a family and cares for his sick mother, show that life is not a fairy tale for everyone in this Himalayan kingdom.

Atlas – large hall, Ke Štvanici 371/4, Praha 8

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Evald, Národní 28, Praha 1

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Bio Oko, Františka Křížka 460/15, Praha 7

Discussion
Petr Jandáček, Expert on Tibetian politics
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TitleAgent of Happiness
Original TitleAgent of Happiness
Original LanguageDzongkha
Subtitles Czech, English
PremiéraCzech premiere
Film typeFull-length documentary
Year of Production2024
Country of OriginBhutan, Hungary
Length94 min.
Tags Lifestyle, Feel Good, Asia
Director Dorottya Zurbó, Arun Bhattarai

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Agent of Happiness