Background

The project was begun in California and the initial three cornerstone schools were all involved within a month. A teacher was chosen as the Project Happiness “coach” for each school.

The documentary crew began shooting footage at that time. In early 2007, the students from California took a trip to India, to interview Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam (then President of India), Nirmala Deshpande, and His Holiness The XIVth Dalai Lama. Two students also flew to New York to interview Richard Gere and Adam Yauch. Later on, the class interviewed George Lucas at his Skywalker Ranch in Marin County. Their experiences, both with their study of happiness, and their travel and interviews, are documented in the film.

MUSIC: Bombay Dub Orchestra

The evocative original score by Bombay Dub Orchestra [BDO] combines a big cinematic sound with a 28 piece string section, ethereal Indian instrumentation, driving tabla drums, and western-style trip hop beats.

Founded by UK based composers and producers Andrew T. Mackay and Garry Hughes, the BDO released their acclaimed self-titled debut album in 2006. It reached the #1 spot on US station KCRW and #1 on iTunes World Music charts in the UK and around the world, and #2 in the US.

Since then they have performed and DJ’ed around the globe with gigs at the inaugural BBC Electric Proms at the world famous Roundhouse and a main stage show at the UK’s Big Chill Festival in the summer of 2007 featuring 23 musicians. They have remixed many artists, and have scored major movie soundtracks including the Indian feature Little Box Of Sweets, co-scored and arranged Clubbed a new British gangster movie, orchestrated and conducted the score for major Bollywood movie Tashan, and arranged, conducted string sessions in Mumbai (Bombay) for many artists.

Their second album 3 Cities, was recorded in the UK and India.