The Cinematheque

“Melodic and meaningful … The further the film goes on, the more it transitions from literal and observational, to poetic impressionistic … The result is both calming and humanizing, as though it were an artistic embodiment of the very contentment the Kingdom boasts.

Siddhant Adlakha, Variety

Agent of Happiness offers a first-person glimpse into the Kingdom of Bhutan’s Gross National Happiness index through the eyes of Amber, a government data collector. Dressed in a striking red gho, Amber, along with his colleague, administers a 148-question survey that guides national policymaking, asking everything from practical questions about livestock to more intimate probes into emotional states. Underneath the film’s gentle humanist (and at times humorous) lens, darker existential themes emerge. We meet an 84-year-old widow living in isolation, a trans singer grappling with depression, women road workers concerned about stagnant wages, and a man with three wives whose household reveals gendered dynamics of happiness and discontent. At the heart of the film is Amber’s own story—a man in his 40s whose quest for happiness is complicated by his citizenship and longing for marriage. His journey mirrors the macro questions the film poses about how best to balance the tensions between political, social, spiritual, and personal contentment.

In English, Nepali, and Dzongkha with English subtitles

Post-screening discussion with Dr. Rene Weideman, retired clinical psychologist.

Moderated by Dr. Harry Karlinsky, series director.

“Serene … A slow-burning portrait that’s infused with warmth.”

Wendy Ide, The Guardian