"Agent of Happiness" assesses Bhutanese residents' happiness

Ironically, some individuals who adamantly pursue "happiness" find it an elusive achievement. A more successful approach to this life-affirming state is illuminated in directors Arun Bhattarai and Dorottya Zurbó's documentary "Agent of Happiness." In it they profile the Bhutanese society in which Gross National Happiness, not Gross National Product, is measured.

The narrative follows two of the 75 government agents sent across Bhutan to measure citizens' Happiness Index using 148 questions in nine categories. Individuals report their number, if any, of a variety of animals (cows, chickens, pigs, horses, goats, sheep), televisions, cell phones, tillers, cars, or tractors, etc. More importantly, on a scale of one to ten, interviewees assess their sense of belonging or loneliness, connection to family, generosity, spiritual knowledge, satisfaction, and more. Those interviewed clearly have few of U.S. conveniences, and yet the farmer, the widow, the trans woman, the man with three wives, and more assert their own contentment, their conviction that happiness comes "when governance and individual well-being go hand in hand." One farmer amusingly states, "I'm as happy as the number of grains in my rice storage."

They love their King and the expansive country the two agents traverse. This includes beautiful prayer wheels and prayer flags, flown to smooth travel to the next life. Belief holds that the King of the Dead can hear the flags, ensuring letting souls pass without harm. Surprisingly, then, the protagonist Amber Kumar Gurung scores a five for his happiness. Over forty, unmarried, good humored, Amber feels time is running out for him. Of Nepalese ethnicity, he lacks official citizenship status, has petitioned several times for necessary documents, without which he can not obtain a passport. Moreover, most women do not consider him a desirable husband. Nevertheless, the Bhutanese over all achieved a 93.6 percent Gross National Happiness, a 3.3 percent increase from the previous year.   

I must add that in 2017 I spent two weeks in Bhutan, driving with an expert guide from the East to the West. We visited large and small towns, rural areas and roadside monuments. We hiked across fields, came upon residents building houses for friends, watched expert archers in cities and the countryside, and enjoyed healthy food. Everywhere, to a person, I observed and received kindness, generosity, and good humor. As everywhere, problems exist, but the level of happiness and contentment was unmatched in my world travels. Bhutan knows what matters most. In English, Nepali and Dzongkha with English subtitles, "Agent of Happiness" screens at Webster University’s Winifred Moore auditorium Friday, January 3, through Sunday, January 5, at 7:00 each of those evenings. For more information, you may visit the film series website.