A five-year quest for happiness
申し訳ありません、このコンテンツはただいま英語のみです。
Eiji Han Shimizu and Roko Belic spent five years traversing the planet looking for something that we’re all seeking: happiness. They searched from the bayous of Louisiana to the Namibian desert, and the beaches of Brazil to Okinawan villages. But the young Japanese filmmaker and the Academy Award nominee director didn’t stop there–they produced HAPPY, a feature documentary describing what they found out.
What did they discover? For one thing, people who carried out five acts of kindness a day over six weeks experienced an impressive 40 percent increase in positive well-being. Also that in a social network, happiness spreads among people up to three degrees removed from one another. That means when you feel happy, a friend of a friend of a friend has a slightly higher likelihood of feeling happy, too. Nice, eh?
“Beyond the messages we put in the film for the world, I am practicing what I’ve learned to increase my own happiness,” Eiji says. “I’ve gotten actively involved in volunteerism, community building, meditation, exercise, and finding more meaning in my work, which are scientifically proven as happiness enhancers.”
Since its release, HAPPY has received the Audience Award for favorite feature at the 2011 Arizona international Film Festival and the Director’s Choice Best Documentary prize in the Feature Film Category at the Rincon International Film Festival. Want to see what HAPPY is all about? Here’s where to look: