Small utopias: film “Agent of Happiness” + meeting with Jolanta Sienkiewicz-Prochowicz

“Small Utopias” is a semi-annual film and social series that will be an excuse to talk about locality, care and agency. We will look at different micro-scale practices: grassroots initiatives, neighbourhood solidarity and everyday micro-revolutions. Meetings will be held once a month.

Before us is the inauguration of the series “The future starts locally. Small utopias.” We invite you to a film screening and an interview.

when: October 29, 2026 (Thursday), 6 p.m.

Where: Labirynt Gallery, 5 Ks J. Popiełuszki Street, Lublin

accessibility: film with subtitles in Polish, meeting translated into PJM, architecturally accessible space (no thresholds, accessible toilet); if you have specific accessibility needs, please let us know by writing to: wioletta.stepniak@labirynt.com

Admission: free

In the program:

screening of the film: “Agent of Happiness” (directed by Dorottya Zurbó, Arun Bhattarai, 2024, 94 min)

Can happiness be measured using an official form? In Bhutan — a Himalayan kingdom that studies Gross National Happiness instead of economic growth — pollsters knock on residents' doors to rate their level of life satisfaction on a scale of 0 to 10. The protagonist, 40-year-old Amber, roams picturesque mountain villages, asking farmers, monks and artisans about their daily joys, cares and dreams, looking for love and closeness alone. This warm, bittersweet comedy-drama is a moving, humorous portrait of the search for harmony, community and meaning in everyday life.

talk: guests Jolanta Sienkiewicz-Prochowicz

With a philosopher, anti-discrimination educator and right-wing activist, we will talk about the ethics of caring, local resilience and what “small utopias” can be in practice for Lublin residents.

joint tea and integrative action

We will close the meeting with a casual conversation over tea and a joint integration activity, opening the work on the entire six-month cycle.

The event is part of the project “The Future Starts Locally. Small utopias”, co-financed by the ORLEN Foundation in the program “ORLEN. The energy of the neighborhood.”

You can read more about the project at: link to information.