Urban Ripples / Documentary
The Definition of Happiness
What if everything we've been told about happiness is wrong?
A Documentary on Mental Health, Resilience & the Pursuit of Wellbeing.
The Definition of Happiness turns the lens onto things that are often right in front of us but easy to miss. It doesn't claim to solve anything, it shows how small shifts can sometimes make a bigger difference than we expect.
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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?
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.
The film asks why chasing happiness leaves so many people depressed. Instead of adding to the noise, the film strips happiness back to what the research and lived experience actually agree on. It feels like sitting in on a conversation between friends, except these friends are leading happiness researchers and people who have come through real adversity, talking openly with Tim.
What they land on is simple and attainable for all.
Featuring insights from
This film invites viewers to reflect, reconnect, and maybe even redefine happiness altogether.
"A triumphant and exemplary exploration of the world's most important topic…"
Tom Nash
"Viewers should walk away from this with something to hang on to that will make life better."
FilmInk [Annette Basile]
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