Agent of Happiness (2024) opens today

Amber Gurung is a Happiness agent in Bhutan. He is tasked with quizzing people about their happiness in an effort to make the kingdom a better place to live. As he ponders the happiness of the nation he also takes stock of his own life and happiness.

Small quiet gem of a film is filled with small delights as the people Amber meets open up about their lives and make us smile and feel kinship.  Less a film of highs and lows then of mediation the film shines in making us think about our own lives and experiences.

This film is a joy and is recommended.

Sing Me A Song (2019) hits digital platforms New Years Day

Ten years on Peyangki, the subject Thomas Balmès’ earlier film Happiness, the once wide eyed child monk is now an internet addicted young adult. While he still studies the scriptures, he is also trying to make time with a young woman in a city far away. He is hoping to make enough money to travel there to meet her. He is unaware that she is a young single mom looking to escape the country.

Stunningly beautiful film is going to thrill many and bore others. Don't get me wrong, I love this films slow mediation on the internet and it how it is altering the world, however I know some people are going to want to jump ship figuring there is nothing here other than pretty pictures. Yes this film is largely amazing images but there is more going on than meets the eye. By the time we get to a late in the game shot of four people sitting on a couch not talking but staring at their phones we've had a lot of time to truly process how evil that image is.

The power here is in what is not being said. Sure people talk and interact but as time goes on we realize how little of it actually means anything. The silences are truly deafening. I was moved.

If you want an off the beaten trail contemplation of our world SING ME A SONG is recommended.

NYAFF 2020 Capsule Reviews LUNANA A YAK IN THE CLASSROOM and FAMILY BOND

LUNANA A YAK IN THE CLASSROOM
NYAFF annual film from an under represented country is LUNANA A YAK IN THE CLASSROOM. This year the film is from Bhutan. The film tells the story of a wanna be singer who takes a job as teacher in the most remote classroom anywhere in the world.

Part travelogue, part feel good film LUNANA is a film that hits every ticky box you'd expect. Extremely well done and entertaining this is a film you will most assuredly enjoy, despite the fact that it doesn't do anything special. If that's good with you then by all means give it ago.

FAMILY BOND
Womanizing house builder takes a shine to a young boy and agrees to build his mom a new house- much to the annoyance of his family.

Wonderful family drama is a must see thanks to a killer cast headed by Nagabuchi Tsuyoshi as the craftsman with a mind of his own. Nagabuchi Tsuyoshi performance is the foundation that supports the entire film and it is his charming turn that makes us want to stay even when the plot occasionally takes an odd turn. Lest you think Tsuyoshi does all the heavy lifting, the rest of the cast shines as well and we completely believe everything that happens as a result.

A small confection that’s worth a look.

Brief thoughts on KINGDOM OF ARCHERS (2020) Brooklyn 2020

Wonderful portrait of the love of archery in the Kingdom of Bhutan. While archery was always part of the culture, the mad love for the sport exploded when after joining the UN in 1971, it was listed as the national sport and everyone took it to heart.

While the film can be a slightly travelogueish PR shill at times,this is largely a great exploration of one countries love of a sort and how that love has changed over the years. The result is a marvelously satisfying portrait of a country, its people and its culture.

You will forgive me if I don't say a great deal about this film because there really isn't a great deal to say. This is 90 minutes with good people. It is a trip to somewhere we have never been and the result is a marvelous viewing experience that will not only entertain but inform.

Highly recommended.