CHINA Edition
Hungarian Edition
Dorottya Zurbó and Arun Bhattarai’s Agent of Happiness has been selected by the International Documentary Association (IDA) as one of 20 outstanding documentaries eligible for the IDA Documentary Award. Created with support from the National Film Institute of Hungary, this Hungarian-Bhutanese co-production had its world premiere at Sundance and enjoyed notable success in Hungarian theaters through distributor Mozinet.
The IDA Documentary Awards honor the year’s best non-fiction films and have recognized Agent of Happiness from a record-breaking 700 submissions. The IDA shortlist is an essential step toward Oscar consideration, giving the film a significant boost on the international stage.
Set in Bhutan, the documentary follows happiness agent Amber Gurung as he travels to remote villages, administering surveys to gauge the happiness of Bhutan’s 700,000 citizens. Through Amber’s work, “Agent of Happiness” captures unique insights into Bhutanese culture and the country’s commitment to increasing its “happiness index.”
The film is a collaboration between Hungary’s Match Frame Productions and Bhutan’s Sound Pictures, supported by Sundance, Catapult Film Fund, deNovo Initiative, and DMZ Docs Fund. The production team includes editors Sass Péter and composers Balázs Ádám, showcasing international cooperation in bringing this story to life.
With “Agent of Happiness”, Zurbó and Bhattarai offer an intimate portrait of Bhutan and its people, as well as Amber’s personal dream of finding love, all framed within Bhutan’s distinctive approach to measuring well-being.
