THE ART OF HAPPINESS

THE ART OF HAPPINESS (L’ARTE DELLA FELICITÀ), 2013

Italy|DCP, 84’, Color| Italian

Director:Alessandro Rak

The film is about two brothers, two continents, two lives…but one soul! The gifted musician Sergio has quit making music and he works as a taxi driver in Napoli. As the cab drives through rainy Napoli streets, the audience wanders in the 40-year-old driver’s life. Sergio receives a letter containing unexpected bad news and he needs to confront his past and change his life. Instead, he sits on his seat listening to radio, driving his eccentric clients… Regrets and buried memories surge forth from his taxi, but perhaps there is a glimmer of hope.

The Art of Happiness is a film which makes room for discussions on time, life and realism. The film finds its way between Eastern philosophies and Western individual contradictions. The film Rak and Stella made in Napoli is also where the story takes place. And it is a recent proof that animation is capable of dealing with serious adult troubles and individual’s search for meaning of life. The film surprisingly succeeds to be both emotional and dynamic. The remarkable soundtrack of the film is realized by new Napolitan musicians.

The first screening of The Art of Happiness was at the Critics Week of Venice Film Festival last year. It was also screened to public at Lucca Comics and Games. The film bears significant graphic novel aesthetics and uses a mix of 3D and 2D techniques.