{The pursuit of happiness}

Anne Frank once said, “Look at all the beauty still left around you and be happy.”  While quotes such as these can be momentarily inspirational, the sustained state of happiness continues to elude people despite the fact that the majority’s primary goal in life is “just to be happy.”  This then begs a few questions: Is happiness merely a genetic predisposition? Is it based soley on one’s circumstances? Or, do we all really have a say in our own happiness despite biology and circumstance? Positive psychology is a recent branch of psychology whose purpose was summed up in 1998 by Martin Seligman and Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi: “We believe that a psychology of positive human functioning will arise, which achieves a scientific understanding and effective interventions to build thriving individuals, families, and communities.” The documentary, HAPPY, seeks to share the wisdom of traditional cultures and the cutting edge science that is now, for the first time, exploring human happiness.  Through powerful interviews, the film explores what makes people happy across the world. Click here to watch the trailer. Directed by – Roko Belic Executive Producer – Tom Shadyac Produced by – Eiji Shimizu, Frances Reid, Roko Belic