Bhutan: The Dictatorship of Happiness

A journey through six different countries and characters into a world where chemistry is the ultimate response to human pursuits of well-being.

During the summer of 2023, my father decided to hang up the boots and walk away from the family business of 25 years. This is my love letter to the cafe in which my family and I have worked, encapsulating the good vibes and cheery nature the business held for a quarter of a century.

The Dragon House portrays the confrontation between tradition and modernity which the Kingdom of Bhutan is currently experiencing. This is done by means of two Bhutanese characters: a young Buddhist monk, heir to the local tradition, and the first disc jockey to dare to play House and Techno music in the small Himalayan kingdom.

An innovative and charismatic influencer is suddenly exiled from her community of creative partners and colleagues when she states an opinion that she did not know was “unacceptable” in their eyes.

It was only in the 2000s that the population of Bhutan discovered television and the Internet, as well as the first democratic elections. Near the capital Thimphou, one of the fastest-developing cities in Southeast Asia, live some 20,000 nomadic yak herders.

HAPPINESS. We know it immediately when we see it in others. We spend our time, money and even our lives searching for it. So how do we achieve one of life's most coveted offerings? Renowned author, speaker and spiritual teacher Deepak Chopra offers us a powerful approach to possessing happiness in his groundbreaking work, The Happiness Prescription. Deepak Chopra discusses the Ten Keys to a Happy Life. Discover a contemporary life-changing prescription for how to live life joyfully and with greater awareness of all things.

Documentary film about Martin Park, a homeless man living in Dublin, and his friendship with photographer and filmmaker Donal Moloney.

Imagine a country where happiness is the guiding principle of government. Imagine a people who see all life as sacred and the source of their happiness, a place with an abundance of clean and renewable energy, a nation committed to preserving its culture and whose progress is measured by obtaining Gross National Happiness for its people. Where is this Shangri-La? Bhutan. But can a place like Bhutan really exist? Can such ideals be realized? Can this small, geographically isolated country tucked away in the Himalayans truly protect its environment and culture as they open their doors to the West? The answer is rooted in the Bhutanese view of the world, anchored in Buddhism, with the simple message that happiness can only be found by taking the middle path the path that balances the needs of man with the powerful spirits of nature.

The Frisian singer Linde Nijland was always fond of the combination of traveling and singing. An invitation to listen to a concert in honor of the coronation of the fifth king of Bhutan was the ideal occasion in 2008 to make a months-long journey through South East together with multi-instrumentalist Bert Ridderbos.