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Amber, a happiness agent, travels the Bhutanese Himalayas, researching people’s happiness. On her remote mountain journey, she seeks fulfillment. I’m not sure if this should be called “Happiness Agent”? Not contentment in the sense of having little to nothing, but genuine contentment with one’s lot. That’s what Amber seeks to discover, traveling around this tiny Himalayan kingdom twice a year, trying to find out how its citizens feel about things. Using a combination of tools, she talks to residents old and new, urban and rural, traditional and more modern – all in an effort to determine how the population feels and to communicate that to a government that wants to listen and learn about these attitudes in order to help keep its people in a good place – mentally and physically. This documentary introduces us to a range of individuals whose aspirations vary widely – sometimes depending on age, skills, location, education/professional skills – but you’re mostly left with a sense of appreciation for their surroundings. Even though their livelihoods may be perceived by the West as more basic, agricultural, undeveloped; their own perception of their existence high in the mountains with beautiful scenery, fresh air and the blessings of their gods seems to offer that elusive sense of less is more and fulfillment. Of course not everyone is deliriously happy, but there is a distinct lack of “demanding” for change, as respect for the king and the status quo seems to permeate all demographics screaming that it ain’t broke, so don’t fix it. There are quite a few characters here, some more amusing and a few downright grumpy, and Amber sometimes has a lot of work to do trying to get sensible answers to her questions so she can usefully extrapolate data. In a society that hasn’t advanced technologically, it still seems like everyone has access to the internet and there is a proud tradition of educating everyone to empower them to make decisions – and yet they still, broadly, feel that magic word. Happy. Having cows also seems to help!
