Happiness

In 1999 King Jigme Singye Wangchuck made his landmark proclamation approving the use of television and the internet in the nation of Bhutan promising to usher in a new modern era. But in his speech, he cautioned the youth of the country: “The TV and the internet in its news and programs, has contents that are both harmful and useful to you and your country. For this reason, we must be careful and selective in using this new resource.” Over a decade later, the remote mountainside village of Laya is still without electricity. Peyangki, a dreamy and solitary nine-year-old monk living in a remote mountainside village yearns for the world to come to him in the form of a flickering television screen. Between studying and prayer, he watches as electrical cables and roads encroach upon his world. Finally, when he is taken to the capital city by his uncle, he discovers a world of cars, toilets and mannequins as they search for the perfect television to bring back to the village.