''Project Happiness'' is a 2011 documentary film created, narrated, and produced by Randy Taran and directed by John Sorenson. The documentary follows students on three continents as they search for the meaning of "lasting happiness".
Background
''Project Happiness'' started as personal story. The film came into being after creator Randy Taran discovered that her daughter was stressed, saying "I want to be happy, I just don't know how". Randy, after speaking with experts, discovered that this situation was more widespread than she had known.
Determined to find a way for her and other parents to speak to their children about happiness, she decided to make a film to educate and initiate the conversation for youth, families and the communities to which they belong.
Film context
The film connects students from three continents – North America, Africa and Asia – and throughout their senior year, they students discuss amongst themselves with several notable individuals one central question: "What brings lasting happiness?" During the filming, the students involved conducted interviews with scientists, celebrities, and world political and spiritual leaders including
Richard Gere
Richard Tiffany Gere ( ; born August 31, 1949) is an American actor. He began in films in the 1970s, playing a supporting role in '' Looking for Mr. Goodbar'' (1977) and a starring role in ''Days of Heaven'' (1978). He came to prominence with ...
, Dr.
Richard Davidson
Richard J. Davidson (born December 12, 1951) is professor of psychology and psychiatry at the University of Wisconsin–Madison as well as founder and chair of the Center for Healthy Minds and the affiliated non-profit Healthy Minds Innovations. ...
,
Adam Yauch
Adam Nathaniel Yauch ( ; August 5, 1964 – May 4, 2012), better known under the stage name MCA, was an American rapper, bass player, filmmaker and a founding member of the hip hop group Beastie Boys. Besides his musical work, he also directed ...
, the late
Nirmala Deshpande
Nirmala Deshpande (17 October 1929 – 1 May 2008) was a noted Indian social activist who had embraced Gandhi and philosophy. She devoted her adult life to the promotion of communal harmony and service to women, tribal people, and the disposses ...
, Dr.
A.P.J Abdul Kalam
Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam (; 15 October 193127 July 2015) was an Indian aerospace scientist and statesman who served as the 11th President of India from 2002 to 2007. He was born and raised in Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu and studied phy ...
,
George Lucas
George Walton Lucas Jr. (born May 14, 1944) is an American filmmaker. Lucas is best known for creating the ''Star Wars'' and ''Indiana Jones'' franchises and founding Lucasfilm, LucasArts, Industrial Light & Magic and THX. He served as chairm ...
, and Tenzin Gyatso, the
14th Dalai Lama
The 14th Dalai Lama (spiritual name Jetsun Jamphel Ngawang Lobsang Yeshe Tenzin Gyatso, known as Tenzin Gyatso (Tibetan: བསྟན་འཛིན་རྒྱ་མཚོ་, Wylie: ''bsTan-'dzin rgya-mtsho''); né Lhamo Thondup), known as ...
.
Reception
This film had a sneak preview at the University of Southern California
and the Daily Trojan said of the film "Project Happiness is a journey applicable not only to graduating high school students, but people of all ages."
The film has been chosen as an Official Selection at the
Seoul International Youth Film Festival
The Seoul International Youth Film Festival (SIYFF) is the biggest youth film festival in Korea and has provided a venue for youths to share their culture via films and media education since 1999. It aims to promote broader international exchang ...
in
Seoul
Seoul (; ; ), officially known as the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea.Before 1972, Seoul was the ''de jure'' capital of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) as stated iArticle 103 ...
,
South Korea
South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and sharing a Korean Demilitarized Zone, land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed ...
as well as the WorldKids International Film Festival in
Mumbai
Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' financial centre of India. According to the United Nations, as of 2018, Mumbai is the second- ...
,
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
.
["World Kids International Film Festival, festival website"] Proceeds from the film go to the Project Happiness nonprofit organization.
See also
*''
Race to Nowhere
''Race to Nowhere'' is a 2009 documentary film written by Maimone Attia and directed by Vicki Abeles and Jessica Congdon.
Background
Director Vicki Abeles made this movie after the pressures of school, homework, tutoring and extracurricular act ...
''
*''
Academically Adrift
''Academically Adrift: Limited Learning on College Campuses'' is a book written by Richard Arum and Josipa Roksa, published by the University of Chicago Press in January 2011.
The book examines the current state of higher education in the Unite ...
''
*''
Waiting for "Superman"
''Waiting for "Superman"'' is a 2010 American documentary film written and directed by Davis Guggenheim and produced by Lesley Chilcott. The film criticizes the American public education system by following several students as they strive to be ...
''
References
External links
*
*{{IMDb title, 1505387, Project Happiness
2011 films
2011 documentary films
Documentary films about mental health
Positive psychology
Documentary films about education
Happiness
2010s English-language films