- Sleepless in America – Saturday, October 26, 2:00-4:00 pm.
This movie explores sleep loss in our modern society and reveals the compounding consequences of having a population that does not get enough sleep. Produced by a partnership of National Geographic and the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the program explores sleep science and describes the serious health consequences of insufficient sleep. Cutting-edge research examples and personal, cautionary accounts are used to provide evidence against sleep loss, and combine to frame our society’s sleeplessness as a disease that needs immediate attention.
- A Will to Survive – Wednesday, November 13, 6:30-8:00 pm
- Happy – Monday, December 2, 6:30-8:00 pm. What makes people happy?
The film was originally inspired by a 2005 New York Times article “A New Measure of Well-Being from a Happy Little Kingdom” by Andrew C. Revkin in which the United States was ranked 23rd on a list of the happiest nations in the world. With much poorer countries like Iceland and Puerto Rico easily surpassing the U.S., “Happy” makes a compelling argument that once basic necessities like food and shelter are provided for, economic factors have relatively little to do with overall satisfaction in life.
Using a balance of scientific research and fascinating human stories, the filmmakers explore some of the non-material roots of happiness, and in the process, show that while there isn’t a formula for it, everyone can become happier.
The film takes us on a journey from the swamps of Louisiana to the slums of Kolkata in search of what really makes people happy. It explores human happiness through interviews with people from all walks of life in 14 different countries, weaving in the newest findings of positive psychology. “Happy” is brimming with positive energy and a sense of joy regarding the shared human experience.