Review of the film Agent of Happiness For the first time in Bhutan’s cinematic history a film is not afraid to look back at us, at our own gaze, albeit in a gentle embrace of empathy and compassion. A rejoinder, perhaps, that art completes our imagination. Through little moments of joy and sorrow, at times funny and other times satirical, but through sincere reflection and most importantly through the lens of hope, the characters reveal themselves frame-by-frame in intimate confessions and in their genuine aspirations.
However, the film also reminds us that there is always a time for a song, for a dance, if not in celebration, at least in a self-deprecating humor of Amber Kumar Gurung, the 41-year-old agent of happiness whose job is to collect data for the happiness survey. Amber, who holds the film together, crisscrosses the painterly landscape and introduces us to the other characters. The documentary, Agent of Happiness, by Arun Bhattarai and Dorottya Zurbo, which held its world premiere at the distinguished Sundance Film Festival in January 2024, one of the biggest film festivals in the world, is a deep and profound sigh of joy in the world of relentless pursuit of happiness.
Why joy? Not because the film talks about happiness in a grandiose and academic way and how it will change the world. But, because, a teenage schoolgirl Yangka Lhamo dreams of becoming a police officer and look after her alcoholic mother, because a courageous transgender performer opens up to her s.