The International Day of Happiness is celebrated every year on March 20. The United Nations General Assembly proclaimed this date to recognize “the relevance of happiness and well-being as universal goals and aspirations in the lives of human beings around the world”.
A good way to commemorate this occasion is with a marathon of positive and encouraging movies that remind us of the bright side of life. With this in mind, we have compiled a selection of delightful feature films that bring us beauty, emotion, and inspiration and invite us to reflect on joy, life satisfaction, and happiness.
Needless to say, these films will give you all the endorphins you need to celebrate the International Day of Happiness.
Hector and the Search for Happiness (2014)
Director: Peter Chelsom
Country: Reino Unido
Genre: Adventures, dramatic comedy
Streaming on: Prime Video
“A psychiatrist searches the world over for the secret of happiness.”
Let’s start our selection with the insightful and funny film Hector and the Search for Happiness (2014), based on the novel of the same name written by French psychiatrist François Lelord.
In this dramatic comedy, Hector, a renowned British psychiatrist with an affluent and prosperous life feels deeply dissatisfied in his own skin. Almost nothing stimulates him, or generates real joy for him.
According to the official description:
“A psychiatrist searches the globe to find the secret of happiness. Disillusioned psychiatrist Hector confesses to his girlfriend that he feels like a fraud for dispensing recommendations to patients who never seemed to improve or get happier. He considers breaking out of his lackluster routine. Summoning up some courage, Hector gives his starved curiosity free reign and embarks on an international quest to find the right formula to bring him joy and vitality”.
On his journey to distant lands, the psychiatrist discovers important lessons about the nuances of life, peace and fulfillment. His insightful observations on happiness offer us the opportunity to ponder the fulfillment we all seek in our own lives.
From Stress to Happiness (2020)
Original Title: Del estrés a la felicidad
Director: Alejandro De Grazia
Country: Argentina
Genre: Documentary
Streaming on: Netflix
“A documentary about letting go of fear, anxiety, and the illusion of control.”
Filmmaker Alejandro De Grazia embarks on a transformative journey through Argentine Patagonia to discover the secrets of a more joyful and balanced existence. Accompanied by: Matthieu Ricard, a Tibetan monk known as “the happiest man in the world”; “Brother David”, an experienced 92-year-old Buddhist monk; and leading neuroscientist, Tania Singer, the Argentine documentary filmmaker examines the path to wellbeing and inner contentment.
This 57-minute production follows filmmaker Alejandro De Grazia himself as he seeks advice and guidance from monks and experts, with the clear intention of relieving his emotional burdens, frustrations, and achieving a more serene life.
According to Netflix’s official synopsis:
“Alejandro is an ordinary man, as probably you and me. Like most of us he is in search of happiness, but he has reached that point where he understands that many of the decisions he made in his life, which seemed to bring him calm and satisfaction, only added stress and tiredness.” Alejandro’s problem is that he is unable to find a state of inner peace.
From Stress to Happiness shares the unfathomable wisdom of Mattieu Ricard and “Brother David” and asks us to step back from our stressful, busy lives to rethink beauty, happiness and purpose.
The documentary combines testimonials, scientific findings and accessible advice to give the audience an honest look at the subject. From Stress to Happiness places special emphasis on the practice of meditation and compassion to increase awareness and wellbeing.
Inside Out (2015)
Director: Pete Docter
Country: United States
Genre: Animation, Adventure, Comedy, Drama, Family, Fantasy, Coming-of-age film.
Streaming on: Disney Plus
“Do you ever look at someone and wonder what is going on inside their head?”
Our next recommendation for the International Day of Happiness is the animated production Inside Out. Since its release, the film directed by the talented Pete Docter has motivated young and not-so-young viewers to take a peek inside their own minds.
As you probably already know, the story follows the inner workings of the mind of 11-year-old Riley Andersen, as her family adjusts to a stressful move across the country and her father goes through a difficult period at work.
Here’s Pixar Animation’s description:
“Growing up can be a bumpy road, and it’s no exception for Riley, who is uprooted from her Midwest life when her father starts a new job in San Francisco. Like all of us, Riley is guided by her emotions – Joy, Fear, Anger, Disgust and Sadness. The emotions live in Headquarters, the control center inside Riley’s mind, where they help advise her through everyday life. As Riley and her emotions struggle to adjust to a new life in San Francisco, turmoil ensues in Headquarters. Although Joy, Riley’s main and most important emotion, tries to keep things positive, the emotions conflict on how best to navigate a new city, house and school.”
Once we venture into Riley’s mind, we get a surprisingly deep story about human emotions, mood, personality, growth, in short, the inner world that inhabits us. At its core, Inside Out examines the role sadness plays in mental health and well-being.
By the film’s third act, both Riley and the audience have learned an important lesson: being happy is much more than “being positive without limits.”
In fact, when “Joy” relinquishes control to some of her fellow emotions, particularly “Sadness”, Riley seems to reach a deeper form of happiness.
Happy (2011)
Director: Roko Belic
Country: United States
Genre: Documentary, Feel-good, Exciting
Streaming on: Prime Video
“Search the world for the secrets to life’s greatest emotion.”
Happy is a documentary written and directed by Roko Belic that explores the nature and value of happiness. It interweaves fragments of diverse human experiences with information from researchers and scientists studying the academic field of positive psychology.
Roko Belic takes us on a journey from the swamps of Louisiana to the slums of Calcutta in search of what really makes people feel happy; for 6 years, from 2005 onwards, the director traveled the world to identify ideas and strategies on how we can lead a more satisfying and joyful life.
The production argues that happiness depends largely on internal factors and the cultivation of the personal dimension. In this sense, the project shows examples of people who work hard under tough conditions and live simple lifestyles but experience happiness.
Ed Diener known as “Dr. Happiness”, Daniel Gilbert, Sonja Lyubomirsky, Mihaly Csiskzentmihalyi, Matthieu Ricard and Nic Marks are just some of the specialists who explain different perspectives and knowledge to live more consciously and cheerfully. To a greater or lesser extent, each and every expert urges the audience to learn to appreciate the simple satisfactions of everyday life.-
Although the pursuit of happiness is a different journey for each person, this feature film suggests (with a scientific basis) that everyone can be happier.
The Pursuit of Happyness (2006)
Director: Gabriele Muccino
Country: United States
Genre: Biography, Drama
Streaming on: Netflix, Prime Video
“Hey. Don’t ever let somebody tell you… You can’t do something. Not even me. Alright? You got a dream… You gotta protect it.”
Written by Steven Conrad and directed by Gabriele Muccino, The Pursuit of Happyness follows the ups and downs of a single father as he fervently struggles to build a better future for his five-year-old son. Notably, this drama is based on the true story of Chris Gardner, a San Francisco salesman who manages to conquer his share of the “American dream.”
According to the Sony Pictures synopsis:
“When his girlfriend Linda (Thandie Newton) walks out, Chris is left to raise Christopher (Jaden Smith) on his own. Chris’ determination finally pays off when he lands an unpaid internship in a brutally competitive stockbroker-training program, where only one in twenty interns will make the cut. But without a salary, Chris and his son are evicted from their apartment and are forced to sleep on the streets, in homeless shelters and even behind the locked doors of a metro station bathroom. With self-confidence and the love and trust of his son, Chris Gardner rises above his obstacles to become a Wall Street legend.”
As the story progresses, Chris loses everything: his wife leaves him, he becomes homeless, his bank savings are seized and he experiences extreme poverty. However, this is a man who does not give up in the face of hopelessness. As a parent, Chris refuses tragedy and is determined against all odds to cultivate a happy life.
This biographical drama makes the case throughout that happiness is an inalienable human right worth striving for.