ALEXANDRIA, VA – On Saturday, June 10, the feature documentary Happy screened at a special sold-out event hosted by the Alexandria Film Festival at The Lyceum in Old Town, Alexandria. Academy Award nominated director Roko Belic spoke on a panel following the film along with doctoral student Matthew Leitao from the Georgetown University Digital Health and Happiness Lab in Washington, DC.
During the panel discussion, Belic explained what led him to make the film: "Fellow filmmaker, friend and director Tom Shadyac of Patch Adams fame told me the U.S. ranks 23rd in the world for happiness. With all the prosperity and freedoms Americans enjoy, I wanted to find out why we rank so low and what other countries prioritize to cultivate national happiness."
According to the science highlighted in the film, intentional behavior, not genes, status, money or careers, disproportionately affects happiness. At the individual level, this means thinking of happiness as a skill you can develop and practice. Practicing what makes you happy, through play, surrounding yourself with positive social relationships and helping others will make you happier. At a collective level, productive dialogue that is respectful of differences, and policies that prioritize equity and opportunity are important contributing factors.
Leitao added that we should all be mindful of the “hedonic treadmill,” a term that describes how humans become insensitive to stimuli, and quickly readjust to an emotional baseline. "It’s important to vary your stimulus and engage in a variety of activities that create a greater level of happiness in your life," said Leitao. A practical example would be instead of walking the same 2-mile route on a daily basis, mix it up and take in new surroundings.
Belic also shared an exclusive sneak preview of his new film Lūn, now in production, about a man's quest to row a small boat across the Atlantic Ocean (based on a true story). Belic indicated that, when finished, he would present the film at a future Alexandria Film Festival.
The film screening of Happy is part of the Alexandria Film Festival’s commitment to year-round cinematic programming, anchored by its multi-day film festival November 9-12. Join the AFF’s email list to receive its monthly newsletter Montage and follow the festival on social media for its latest updates.
photo by Patty Kim
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About the Alexandria Film Festival
The Alexandria Film Festival brings high-quality short and feature-length films, documentaries, filmmaker panels, and arts presentations to the port city of Alexandria, Virginia and beyond. The festival held annually in November highlights the talents of local, national, and international filmmakers in an acclaimed travel destination within eyesight of the nation’s capital.