Mission: Joy – Finding Happiness in Troubled Times

Mission: Joy – Finding Happiness in Troubled Times

24th TDF: European Premiere

Deeply moving and laugh-out-loud funny, Mission: Joy is a documentary with unprecedented access to the unlikely friendship of two international icons who transcend religion: His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Tutu. In their final joint mission, these self-described mischievous brothers give a masterclass in how to create joy in a world that was never easy for them. They offer neuroscience-backed wisdom to help each of us live with more joy, despite circumstances. Inspired by New York Times bestseller The Book of Joy: Lasting Happiness in a Changing World, the film showcases the exchange between these two Nobel Peace Prize winners that led to that book. Consisting largely of never-before-seen footage shot over five days at the Dalai Lama's residence in Dharamsala, the film invites viewers to join these luminaries behind the scenes as they recount stories from their lives, each having lived through periods of incredible difficulty and strife. With genuine affection, mutual respect and a healthy dose of teasing, these unlikely friends impart lessons gleaned from lived experience, ancient traditions, and the latest cutting-edge science regarding how to live with joy in the face of all of life's challenges. Mission: Joy is an antidote for the times.

Screening Schedule

No physical screenings scheduled.


Direction: Louie Psihoyos, Peggy Callahan
Editing: Andrew Buckland, Joshua Altman, Barry O Donnell, Matt Stamm
Music: Dominic Messinger
Production: OPS
Producers: Peggy Callahan, Mark Monroe
Co-producers: John Negrepontes
Executive producer: Geralyn Dreyfous, Regina K. Scully, Orly Ravid, Susan Bauer-Wu, Rip Gellein, Paulo Lima, Connie Kemmerer, The Gael Foundation, Joni Winston, Tommee May, Jessie Creel, Louie Psihoyos, Darla Anderson, Damien De Froberville, Peggy Callahan, Mari Snyder Johnson, Shannon O’Leary Joy, Jane Kachmer, Jamie Drummond, Bridgit Lombard, Ryan Gall, Pam Omidyar, Shannon Sedgwick Davis, Michael Sugar, Mpho Tutu Van Furth Thupten, Jinpa Langri, Doug Abrams
Format: DCP
Color: Color
Production Country: USA
Production Year: 2021
Duration: 88΄
Contact: The Film Collaborative

Louie Psihoyos

Filmography

2009 The Cove
2015 Racing Extinction
2018 The Game Changers
2021 Mission: Joy – Finding Happiness in Troubled Times (co-direction)

Peggy Callahan

Filmography

2006 Freedom and Beyond (short)
2018 The Unit: Lessons on Living & Dying (short)
2021 Mission: Joy – Finding Happiness in Troubled Times (co-direction)