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Happy (2011 film)
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Wikipedia article
'Happy' is a 2011 feature documentary film directed, written, and co-produced by Roko Belic.[https://www.deseret.com/2012/2/14/20498585/happy-documentary-argues-that-everyone-can-become-happier 'Happy' documentary argues that everyone can become happier - Deseret News] It explores human happiness through interviews with people from all walks of life in 14 different countries, weaving in the newest findings of positive psychology.[https://www.worldcat.org/title/happy/oclc/878466341 WorldCat.org]
Synopsis
Roko Belic was inspired to create the film after producer/director Tom Shadyac showed him an article in 'The New York Times' titled "A New Measure of Well Being from a Happy Little Kingdom".[https://www.nytimes.com/2005/10/04/science/a-new-measure-of-wellbeingfrom-a-happy-little-kingdom.html Said article at The New York Times] The article ranks the United States as the 23rd-happiest country in the world. Shadyac then suggested that Belic make a documentary about happiness. Belic spent several years interviewing hundreds of people, from leading happiness researchers to a rickshaw driver in Kolkatta, a family living in a cohousing community in Denmark, a woman who was run over by a truck, a Cajun fisherman, and more.
Production
Roko and his brother Adrian Belic shot the film on three Sony Z1U HDV video cameras. They interviewed a number of psychologists around the world, including Ed Diener, a professor of psychology at the University of Illinois; Richard Davidson, a professor at the University of Wisconsin's Lab of Affective Neuroscience; and Sonja Lyubomirsky, professor at the University of California, Riverside and author of 'The How of Happiness'.
Post-production
Vivien Hillgrove edited the film. Belic received the majority of the budget from Tom Shadyac to complete principal photography and post-production. The filmmakers then turned to crowdsource fundraising website Kickstarter to raise the finishing funds for the film. The Kickstarter campaign raised $36,000 in July 2010.See also
* 'Project Happiness'
* 'Genghis Blues'
References
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