Agent of Happiness
A journey to distant scenarios that shows universal emotions.
Bhutan — Hungary · 2024 · documentary · 94 min. · Dzongkha and English with subtitles in Catalan or Spanish
SYNOPSIS
How can you measure happiness? Bhutan invented the concept of “gross national happiness” to do just that, and Amber is one of the agents who goes door to door to meet people and measure how happy they really are. At 40, he is still living with his elderly mother, but he is an inveterate romantic who dreams of finding love: an agent of happiness who seeks his own happiness. We embarked with Amber on a cross-country road trip to meet citizens from all walks of life, reminding us of the fragility and beauty of our own happiness. It doesn't matter where we live.
Details of the cinematographic work
A production that examines how genuine happiness emerges from conscious actions connected to collective well-being.
Film Direction
Documentary directed by Arun Bhattarai and Dorottya Zurbó. It premiered at the Sundance Film Festival 2024, where it was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize and has also been awarded 9 awards at different international festivals.
Dorottya Zurbó
His first feature-length documentary, “The Next Guardian” (2017) was also co-directed by Arun Bhattarai. His first solo debut was, “Easy Lessons” (2018). Dorottya has a master's degree in documentary direction (DocNomads), a master's degree in film studies and a doctorate in documentary and transmedia (University of Budapest).
Arun Battarai
His second film, “Mountain Man” won the award for best release at the 2019 IDFA. He has a master's degree in documentary direction. In 2015, he founded his own production company, Sound Pictures, dedicated to creative documentaries. He is one of the few independent documentary filmmakers in Bhutan.
Country
Agent of Happiness is filmed in Bhutan, a small Himalayan country between India and China, known for its culture and Gross National Happiness (GNH), which measures people's well-being beyond the economy, showing towns, cities and daily life.
Entities that make it possible
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after the screening
The film is just the beginning. Join in the talk and reflection following the film.