Happiness (2013)
Movie | |
---|---|
Original title | Happiness |
Country of production |
France , United States , Finland |
original language | Dzongkha |
Publishing year | 2013 |
length | 80 minutes |
Age rating | FSK 0 |
Rod | |
Director | Thomas Balmès |
script | Thomas Balmès |
production | Thomas Balmès, Kaarle Aho , Juliette Guigon , Patrick Winocour |
music | British Sea Power |
camera | Thomas Balmès, Nina Bernfeld |
cut |
Alex Cardon , Ronan Sinquin |
occupation | |
|
Happiness is a documentary by French filmmaker Thomas Balmès from the year 2013 . Using the example of 8-year-old Peyangki, Balmès explores the question of whether the people of Bhutan have become happier through access to television and the Internet . In 2019, Balmès made another film with Peyangki, Sing me a Song , in which he observed how his life changed a few years later due to the new media.
action
In 1999, Bhutan's King Jigme Singye Wangchuck granted his people access to television and the Internet in order to increase the country's gross national happiness . However, he also warns the Bhutanese population of harmful content in these media and that they must therefore be used carefully and selectively.
More than 10 years after this announcement, the remote village of Laya in northwestern Bhutan will be one of the last towns in the country to be connected to the electricity grid. The 8-year-old half-orphan Peyangki is supposed to become a monk in the temple according to his mother's wishes. However, he is more interested in television. In addition to his training as a monk, Peyangki observes the changes in the village. Together with his uncle Kinley Om he goes on a multi-day trip to the capital Thimphu . The family wants there a Yak sell the uncle to afford the proceeds her first television.
Eventually, Kinley Om and Peyangki bring a television to Laya. Other families in the village have also bought the devices and watch TV. The program mainly shows wrestling broadcasts. The Bhutanese view the program in silence.
reception
Stephen Farber praised the haunting images and soundtrack of British Sea Power in his Hollywood Reporter review , but criticized some obviously staged dialogues.
Awards (selection)
- Sundance Film Festival 2014 : Cinematography Award: World Cinema Documentary
- Sheffield Doc / Fest 2014: Sheffield Youth Jury Award - Honorary Mention.
Web links
- Happiness in the Internet Movie Database (English)
- Happiness at itvs.org
- Happiness at pbs.org
- Happiness at quarkprod.com
Individual evidence
- ↑ Stephen Farber: Happiness: Sundance Review . In: hollywoodreporter.com from June 2, 2014.
- ↑ 2014 Sundance Film Festival Announces Feature Film Awards . In: sundance.org of January 26, 2014.
- ↑ 2014 Award Winners . In: sheffdocfest.com (archive version).