Review of The H-Factor, a Documentary by Lisa Cypers Kamen

Click here to see the trailer

On April 4th, 2010, I had the pleasure of screening Lisa Cypers Kamen‘s documentary, The H-Factor at the Happiness Social. Though Kafeneio Coffeehouse is a big place, few seats were empty when the lights went down. There were 52 people there, hungry to learn even more about Happiness. They were well fed.

By Lisa’s account, The H-Factor is still a rough cut, the documentary packs a wallop. Weighing in just over 30 minutes in length Lisa interviews the homeless, celebrities, prisoners and Happiness experts covering what Happiness is and is not, why we are not as happy as we think we should be and most importantly, specific ways one can be Happier. I enjoyed the perspective from which she shot the film – that of her 9 year old daughter, Kayla. Together they traveled the world in search of the elusive, rare creature known as Happiness, only to find, like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz, that it was with them the whole time.

Lisa did a splendid job of encapsulating the basic concepts taught in my class, Happiness 101. I look forward to the day that the other 119 hours can be edited and woven together. It would make a great film for Sundance.

I would like to thank Lisa Cypers Kamen for her willingness to personally screen The H-Factor for us. She fielded questions for nearly 45 minutes, making the evening not only educational but entertaining. I also want to thank Dr. Lynn Johnson for attending the Happiness Social. Lynn is a local and an expert on Happiness. He teaches professionals how to incorporate concepts from Positive Psychology to be more effective. I attended such a training on February 25th and came away a better teacher (of Happiness 101), a better therapist and a better human being. I also want to thank Kafeneio Coffeehouse for hosting the screening and Brent Dunn from Ace Test Prep for lending us the projector. It was an amazing, unforgettable evening and we hope to do it again in June when Lisa returns to Utah.

To watch the trailer for The H-Factor, find out more about Lisa, get the connection to her radio show and/or find out how you can participate in her cause to help our soldiers (Harvesting Happiness for Heroes) check out her website, www.HarvestingHappiness.com

~Frank Clayton, Licensed Professional Counselor

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