by Lydia Tan
Films: They can make you feel all kinds of emotions – they can keep you at the edge of your seats, make you shed tears or even scare you out of your wits. So what if we told you there’s a chance for you to watch films that are all about happiness?
As the world’s first film festival that promotes happiness, the Happiness Film Festival in Singapore is organised by Happiness Initiative and it hopes to raise greater awareness on happiness and well-being. Did you know that the opening date of the festival, 20 March, is also UN’s International Day of Happiness?
Each film screening will have a post-dialogue session, where speakers will be brought in to talk about issues or ideas explored in that film. The festival aims to use to that emotional influence films have on us to engage audiences and start meaningful conversations.
Here are some of the films screening during the festival that you might want to check out, all screening at The Projector:
A Brave Heart: The Lizzie Velasquez Story
2015 / Documentary / USA / 78 mins / English
20 March, 6.30pm
(Includes Opening Reception)
Born with a rare syndrome that prevents her from gaining weight, Elizabeth “Lizzie” Velasquez experienced bullying all throughout her childhood and teenage years for her looks, even being labelled as “The World’s Ugliest Woman” in a 2006 YouTube video. Now she is an anti-bullying advocate, motivational speaker, author, YouTuber and TEDx speaker.
As the opening film for the festival, this documentary film chronicles unheard stories and details of Lizzie’s physical and emotional journey with her condition, and follows her pursuit in speaking up against bullying and promoting optimism.
Finding Hygge
2018 / Documentary / Denmark / 90 mins / English / PG13 (Some coarse language)
22 March, 7.30pm
Hygge (pronounced hue-guh) is a Danish word that describes a mood of coziness, wellness and contentment. It’s a lifestyle trend that has gained international popularity lately, but there’s more to the exact definition of this term. This exploratory documentary aims to discover the true meaning of hygge and how to find it in different parts of the world.
On Happiness Road (幸福路上)
2017 / Animation / Taiwan / 109 mins / Mandarin, Hokkien with English and Chinese Subtitles / PG
23 March, 7.30pm
If you’re a fan of animation, you might like this film. This Taiwanese animated film is about a girl called Chi, who grew up on Happiness Road in Taiwan but has always dreamed of living in the US. When she eventually does get the chance to move to the US, she realises that it’s not all that she expected.
On a trip back home, she encounters old friends and starts to reminisce about her childhood. She starts to question if she’s really happy with her life now and what exactly defines “home” to her.
Besides the film screenings, the festival will also have two “experience” sessions over the weekend at the Aliwal Arts Centre, which will cover the science and research surrounding happiness. Both sessions will be facilitated by Simon Leow, co-founder of Happiness Initiative.
For the full details on the films being screened, the programme schedule and the list of speakers, check out Happiness Initiative’s site here.
The Happiness Film Festival will run from 20-24 March 2019.
Ticket prices (film screenings):
General Public: $15
Singapore Film Society Members: $12
Experiences: Free admission
