Happy

Happy, released in 2011, is an engaging feature documentary film helmed by director, writer, and co-producer Roko Belic. This enlightening film delves into the complex nature of human happiness through a series of interviews with individuals from diverse backgrounds across 14 different countries. The narrative is further bolstered by the incorporation of recent findings in positive psychology, offering a comprehensive understanding of happiness as it relates to modern society.The film's genesis can be traced back to an interaction between Belic and producer/director Tom Shadyac, who showed him a New York Times article titled "A New Measure of Well Being From a Happy Little Kingdom." The article revealed that the United States ranked 23rd in happiness among nations worldwide. This revelation sparked Shadyac's suggestion for Belic to create a documentary centered around happiness.Over several years, Belic conducted interviews with more than 20 people from all walks of life, including leading researchers on happiness, a rickshaw driver in Kolkata, a Danish family living in a co-housing community, a woman who miraculously survived being run over by a truck, a Cajun fisherman, and many others. Through these interviews and the incorporation of psychological research, Happy provides a thought-provoking examination of what constitutes happiness, ultimately inviting viewers to reflect upon their own understanding of this fundamental human emotion.