The Definition of Happiness

A New Documentary on Mental Health, Resilience & the Pursuit of Wellbeing

What if everything we’ve been told about happiness… is wrong?

The Definition of Happiness is a new documentary by Australian filmmaker Tim Elwin. Filmed across Australia, the US, New Zealand, and Fiji, this personal and global journey explores what it really means to be happy—from the people living it, the scientists studying it, and those still searching for it.

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From the director of Distressed, this 96-minute feature documentary blends lived experience, science, and global perspectives to explore the question: what does it really mean to be happy?

Filmed across Australia, the US, New Zealand, and Fiji, The Definition of Happiness follows Tim Elwin’s deeply personal journey—from a life-altering accident to reconnection through the ocean and the stories of others—asking whether the pursuit of happiness is helping us or holding us back.

Featuring insights from:

Dr. Wallace J. Nichols – Marine biologist & author of Blue Mind

Prof. Felice Jacka – Co-Director, Food & Mood Centre, Deakin University

Prof. Adrienne O’Neil – Professor of Nutritional Psychiatry, Deakin University

Prof. Sonja Lyubomirsky – Distinguished Professor, University of California

Prof. Gabriele Oettingen – Psychologist, NYU; creator of WOOP

Dr. Tim Sharp – Positive psychology expert, aka “Dr. Happy”

Tom Nash – International speaker, storyteller, quadruple amputee

Bryce Hastings – Head of Research, Les Mills

Dr. Samuel Mehr – Psychology of music, Harvard & Auckland Universities

Don Flanagan – 93-year-old ocean swimmer and local legend

This film invites viewers to reflect, reconnect, and maybe even redefine happiness altogether.

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What Makes You Happy?

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