Event
Science on Screen: Agent of Happiness (2024)
Real Art Ways’ new season of Science on Screen® invites you to experience the creative pairing of a feature film and a thought-provoking talk from a notable area scientist. This year, we will be presenting this series at the Connecticut Science Center.
Film Synopsis:
How is happiness measured? Can satisfaction with one’s life be rated on a scale from one to ten? The Kingdom of Bhutan’s famous and highly exoticized government policy measuring its nation’s Gross National Happiness operates on the idea that the basic tenets of fulfillment can and should be quantified when calculating its nation’s development.
Happiness Agent Amber Gurung embarks on a journey through the Himalayan mountains to survey the contentment of citizens from different households and lifestyles. While Amber dutifully administers this census, he, too is forced to confront his own struggles with fulfillment, and question what makes him happy. A “quiet, gently absorbing documentary” (The Guardian), AGENT OF HAPPINESS is a holistic exploration of Bhutan’s Gross National Happiness index, using “meaningful visual contrast to scrutinize Bhutan’s narrative about itself” (Variety).
Filmmakers Arun Bhattarai and Dorottya Zurbó carefully craft a visually stunning, tender narrative around the age-old quest to find the purpose of life.
3:00 pm: Dr. Paola Sachetti will lead a talk that delves into the role dopamine plays in our mental health and the ever-elusive search for happiness.
3:30 pm: Screening of Agent of Happiness
About Dr. Paola Sachetti
Dr. Sachetti is an Associate Professor in the Department of Biology at the University of Hartford. Her research focuses on neuroscience and molecular biology. She studies how transcription factors control the expression of genes important for the development of brain cells. Her work focuses on dopamine neurons, the cells that die in patients affected by Parkinson’s disease.
Science on Screen is an initiative of the COOLIDGE CORNER THEATRE, with major support from the ALFRED P. SLOAN FOUNDATION.
