''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
North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere, Northern and Western Hemisphere, Western hemispheres. North America is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South Ameri ...
, Africa and
Asia
Asia ( , ) is the largest continent in the world by both land area and population. It covers an area of more than 44 million square kilometres, about 30% of Earth's total land area and 8% of Earth's total surface area. The continent, which ...
– 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 appearing in films in the 1970s, playing a supporting role in ''Looking for Mr. Goodbar (film), Looking for Mr. Goodbar'' (1977) and a starring role in ''Days of Hea ...
, Dr.
Richard Davidson
Richard J. Davidson (born December 12, 1951) is an American psychologist and 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-prof ...
,
Adam Yauch
Adam Nathaniel Yauch ( ; August 5, 1964 – May 4, 2012), also known by the stage name MCA, was an American rapper, bassist, filmmaker and a founding member of the Hip-hop, hip hop group Beastie Boys. Besides his musical work, he also directed m ...
, 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 disp ...
, Dr.
A.P.J Abdul Kalam
Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam ( ; 15 October 193127 July 2015) was an Indian Aerospace engineering, aerospace scientist and statesman who served as the president of India from 2002 to 2007.
Born and raised in a Muslim family in Ramesw ...
,
George Lucas
George Walton Lucas Jr. (born May 14, 1944) is an American filmmaker and philanthropist. He created the ''Star Wars'' and ''Indiana Jones'' franchises and founded Lucasfilm, LucasArts, Industrial Light & Magic and THX. He served as chairman ...
, and Tenzin Gyatso, the
14th Dalai Lama
The 14th Dalai Lama (born 6 July 1935; full spiritual name: Jetsun Jamphel Ngawang Lobsang Yeshe Tenzin Gyatso, shortened as Tenzin Gyatso; ) is the incumbent Dalai Lama, the highest spiritual leader and head of Tibetan Buddhism. He served a ...
.
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 in
Seoul
Seoul, officially Seoul Special Metropolitan City, is the capital city, capital and largest city of South Korea. The broader Seoul Metropolitan Area, encompassing Seoul, Gyeonggi Province and Incheon, emerged as the world's List of cities b ...
,
South Korea
South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the southern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and borders North Korea along the Korean Demilitarized Zone, with the Yellow Sea to the west and t ...
as well as the WorldKids International Film Festival in
Mumbai
Mumbai ( ; ), also known as Bombay ( ; its official name until 1995), is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra. Mumbai is the financial capital and the most populous city proper of India with an estimated population of 12 ...
,
India
India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...
.
["World Kids International Film Festival, festival website"] Proceeds from the film go to the Project Happiness nonprofit organization.
See also
*''
Race to Nowhere''
*''
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 Unit ...
''
*''
Waiting for "Superman"
''Waiting for "Superman"'' is a 2010 American documentary film written and directed by Davis Guggenheim and produced by Lesley Chilcott. ''
References
External links
*
Happiness Resources*{{IMDb title, 1505387, Project Happiness
Happiness
2011 films
Positive psychology
2011 documentary films
Documentary films about mental health
Documentary films about education
2010s English-language films