Project’s goal
Our ambition is to make a full-length documentary «Happy People» about happy people from all over the world, translate it into the most popular languages of the world and bring it within reach of people from different countries. Happy people are those who feel and consider themselves happy. We believe that there can be no other criteria of happiness.
Project’s idea
The project «Searching for happy people» is our way to bring more joy into this world and make it happier. We like dreaming, traveling, making pictures and videos, create texts, move people – pulling them out of the everyday routine. Life is too short to be lived «on autopilot».
It’s so great to show so many happy people at once to the world. Who are they? How do they live? Have they always considered themselves happy? What’s their happiness like? Why do they believe that they are happy and have the courage to say so even when other people disagree? Is happiness the same for everyone or is it different?
Television and movies show plenty of pain, suffering and destruction. It «touches» people. At the same time, happiness is often equated to immaturity, infantilism or certain freakishness. We would like to show the happiness in so many ways and varieties as issue of personality destruction is usually depicted. It’s interesting. For certain people it will be exactly what they need now. A best award for the authors will be if the viewers will be pensive and a bit quiet after the movie.
Project’s description
At the initial stage the project’s team consisting of two people organize expeditions to different continents searching for happy people. We are publishing stories, video features, project news, photos and interviews with happy people in our personal blogs and on the web site of the project. Between the expeditions we organize public events (lectures about different countries and regions, video screenings, photo exhibitions) promoting the project.
At the preparatory stage we are selecting the main characters of the future film, developing the script, forming the camera crew and getting the necessary equipment, thinking through the logistics and the filming schedule, as well as negotiating with potential sponsors.
The main aim of the shooting stage is to provide the project with high quality video- and audio materials to be used for making of a full-length documentary «Happy People». At this stage we hope for volunteers’ help to translate the film into several languages and prepare for publishing a book «how it was».
The documentary will be entered for participation in appropriate Russian and international film festivals. An over the world tour will organized with open screenings on the way.
Project’s results
Diary notes and short features
During the expedition we are creating a ‘gallery of happy people’ based on a Livejournal blog, where we are publishing stories and video features about happy people whom we meet during our travel. The gallery can become a positive place where people get to know each other, communicate and start joint projects.
Authors’ blogs
The project’s authors will regularly write about their personal impressions, observations and thoughts in their diaries published in their own blogs and on the project’s and partners’ web sites.
Photo exhibitions and presentations
Between the expeditions the project’s authors organize photo exhibitions and lectures where they talk about the visited countries, their adventures and show video reports.
Travelogue «How it was»
A travelogue-style book will be created and published based on the blogs of the project’s authors.
Documentary
The final stage of the project is making of a full-length documentary «Happy People». Its main goal is to unravel the puzzle of happiness showing its various forms – that’s why it’s so important that the heroes of our stories are of different ethnicities, occupations, social status, age, gender, etc. The movie will have its own plot developed by the director based on the patchwork of the stories. Its art documentary. The film will be entered into several Russian and international festivals.
