Books, apps, coaching sessions: Today, happiness is everywhere. We might think that there is nothing wrong with this common-sense concern. But it’s actually the opposite of social reality. So what lies behind this contemporary obsession with happiness and the billions of euros generated by its industry? Philosophers, sociologists, economists and psychiatrists including Christophe André, Éva Illouz, Martin Seligman and Julia De Funès, confront their point of view and decipher one of the most captivating and worrying phenomena of this early century.
Direction
Ribot lets thinkers clash without easy resolution—messy, human, alive.
Writing
Tight interrogation of 'wellness' as control mechanism disguised as freedom.
Editing
Cuts between corporate promo footage and critical analysis hit like a gut punch.
Director
Jean-Christophe Ribot
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Éva Illouz's concept of 'emotional capitalism'—treating feelings as economic resources—has shaped sociology since her 2007 book Cold Intimacies.
Martin Seligman initially resisted participating; the film's final cut includes his most critical self-reflection on positive psychology's corporate capture.
FR
