Agent of Happiness

Distributed by Film MovementProduced by Noémi Veronika Szakonyi, Máté Artur Vincze, and Arun BhattaraiDirected by Arun Bhattarai and Dorottya Zurbó2024, Streaming, 94 mins The Agent of Happiness, directed and written by Arun Bhattarai and Dorottya Zurbó, engages viewers with the story arc of a protagonist, Amber Kumar Gurung, a survey agent who measures happiness for the government of Bhutan. Amber is a young man in his forties who is on his own pursuit of happiness just as, every day, he interviews the citizens of Bhutan for the Gross National Happiness (GNH) survey. We empathize with the various personal sentiments expressed as those interviewed discuss their emotional and economic wellbeing with him. Amber is not alone in his work; he travels with his colleague, Guna Raj Kuikel. In the opening scenes we see Amber and Guna being trained in how to administer the survey -- in other words, trained to be agents of happiness. Guna listens to Amber reflect on life while they drive in a little orange car across the stunning landscape. While Amber scrolls through pictures of his girlfriend, Sarita Chettri, on his phone, Guna is tabulating the reports. Before watching the film, I supposed that the GNH index of Bhutan might be related to the World Happiness Report. Bhutan’s GNH Index was developed by Jigme Singye Wangchuck (4th King of Bhutan) who argued in the 1970s that non-economic factors such as happiness are “more important than Gross Domestic Product.” The first official GNH report appeared in 2008. Bhutan sponsored Resolution 65/309 to the United Nations General Assembly (2011) that urged members to adopt the Bhutanese philosophy. The World Happiness Report began to be published in 2012 by the Wellbeing Research Centre at Oxford in partnership with Gallup and the UN Sustainable Development Solutions. Amber’s pursuit is to be married and have a family; he feels the pressure of time as he is in his 40s. Much of his life was spent caring for his mother; he lost his father, and consequently his citizenship to Bhutan, when he was just two. In the 90s, ethnic Nepalis were being violently removed from Bhutan, creating a lot of refugees in Nepal. Although born in Bhutan, Amber could not obtain a passport to travel and could only work seasonally. Whenever he dated a woman and told her about his predicament, she would leave him. We see this dilemma unfold in his relationship with his girlfriend Sarita. They talk in coffee shops, take photos, and have frank discussions about their relationship. Although valuing her relationship with Amber, Sarita wanted to study in Australia and see the world. She was not ready for a commitment. You find yourself rooting for Amber’s happiness. Frustrated with his dilemma, Amber consults with a lama to forecast his future. The viewer is invested in what astrology reveals. As it was positive, it may have motivated Amber to write, again, to the King requesting citizenship. A scene of Guna editing and reading Amber’s letter is particularly memorable; his colleague is also a good friend. We follow Amber and Guna as they meet a variety of characters from across the country. No title cards were given to identify the speakers in the documentary, although names were sometimes heard in conversation. The lack of them played to the emotional strength of the presentation, allowing it to flow cinematically. After each visit, the filmmakers did a shot of the survey participants in front of their abodes with a sample of the questions they answered. There is a bit of a comic aspect in their being asked, besides their emotional well-being, how many cows, donkeys, chickens, etc. they have (economic well-being); the tally excerpt includes a bit of both and typically reflects the conversations we overhear in the interview. The documentary supplements the quantitative tally with qualitative aspects through the interviews. The characters included are diverse in their outlooks and provide a sample of their happiness and its foes: anxiety, depression, and substance abuse. Characters utter their philosophy such as: “it doesn’t matter if you’re happy or sad, you have to work to live” (day laborers); “We have to create our own happiness” (polygamist); “I’m as happy as the number of grains in my rice storage” (widower); “Our culture is the key to our happiness” (speech on tv); “I wonder why such a sad soul like myself was born in this happy land” (teenage girl whose single mother suffered abuse and alcoholism); “Happiness comes from the heart” (Amber). Around the 60-minute mark, and at the end of the film, there are montages of the various people surveyed. Surveys can be problematic. For example, the man with three wives did not let them speak for themselves and provided a score that may not have been representative. The director manages to film the wives disparaging their husband while he is not present. It turns out, their happiness comes from their sisterhood and the friendship they find in one another. The film demonstrates the sensuousness and spirituality of the Bhutanese people. Scenes of Amber clipping his mother’s nails and washing her hair and Dechen, an entertainer, and his mother, who is fighting cancer, cleaning one another in a healing spa are tender. At the spa, they pray to the Three Jewels (Buddhism). Dechen’s mother advises, “If you desire the past, look at the present; if you desire the future, look into your heart.” The teenage girl with an alcoholic mother appreciates her mother so much, despite her worry for her health, that she prays she will become her mother again in the next life. The widower’s prayer flags are a testament to his love for his wife; they help her travel to the next life. He says, “The sound of these flags can be heard in the realm of the dead” and “ensures the King of the Dead lets her soul pass without harm.” Characters share dreams which may define unconscious factors that indicate or inspire the pursuit of happiness. The final scene shows Amber dancing after parting with his Sarita at the airport; she is heading to Australia without him; his own happiness score is tallied and shown to the viewer. I was left wondering if the lama’s fortune for him comes true. The camera work, music, and editing are superlative. Viewers will be mesmerized by the gorgeous Bhutanese landscape. Many of us may never get to tour Bhutan, and this travelogue provides a taste of the landscape, people, and culture. Shots of characters on hillsides with donkeys and cows walking by are endearing. The filmmakers managed to capture depth of emotion in moments of everyday life. I recommend this film to all students reflecting on what happiness is and what role the government plays in fostering it in its citizens. Courses in politics, philosophy, religion, and psychology are likely to address these topics. Students might be asked if they agree with the Bhutanese code that states, “if the government cannot create happiness for its people, then there is no purpose for government to exist.” They might also consider why Amber, born in Bhutan, had his citizenship revoked, thereby limiting his pursuit of happiness. Does what the government advertise as happiness correspond to what individuals feel in the cities and villages? Is Bhutan living up to its philosophy? How could it ensure Dechen has a sense of belonging and his mother has medical care? How can it address domestic violence and alcoholism? How many countries proactively consider the balance between the nation’s economy and its social and emotional wellbeing? In contrast, students can reflect upon the American “pursuit of happiness” described in the Declaration of Independence and how the “American Dream” is helped or hampered by U.S. governmental policies. This documentary is one of the most provocative, aesthetically pleasing, humanly charming, and philosophically probing films I’ve reviewed, and it is highly recommended to anyone surveying their own sense of happiness. Awards:Winner, Best Feature Documentary Award, South Asian Film Festival of Montreal; Winner, Audience Award, San Francisco Int'l Film Festival; Winner, Jury Award and Audience Choice Award, Indie Meme Film Festival

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