HAPPY, HAPPY: Anne Sewitsky (Director) Happy, Happy by Jeanette D. Moses [jeanette@slugmag.com] Happy, Happy Sundance Film Festival Director: Anne Sewitsky Kaja is an overly optimistic woman living in the middle of nowhere who is married to a man who hasn’t had sex with her for over a year. She claims that family is the most important thing—despite the fact that her husband and son don’t treat her particularly well. Although her life isn’t ideal by any means, she gets through it with a glowing smile. When the “perfect couple” moves in next door to Kaja it doesn’t take long for a light hearted couples game to blow massive holes in Kaja’s failing relationship with her husband, which ultimately leads to a full blown affair with the neighbors. The film explores the intricacies and resilience of adult relationships, but the mediocre development of the characters makes it hard to care about who they’re sleeping with. Ultimately "Happy, Happy" is a sad look into the lives of four insecure adults who are grappling with their identities and marriages that were probably never meant to be.
HAPPY, HAPPY (WORLD CINEMA JURY PRIZE: DRAMATIC) " HAPPY, HAPPY " Anne Sewitsky 2010 Categories: World Cinema Dramatic Competition The World Cinema Jury Prize: Dramatic was presented to Happy, Happy (Sykt Lykkelig), directed by Anne Sewitsky; written by Ragnhild Tronvoll. A perfect housewife, who just happens to be sex-starved, struggles to keep her emotions in check when an attractive family moves in next door. Norway Kaja is an optimistic and easygoing housewife—despite her loneliness and the fact that her husband won’t have sex with her. When Elisabeth and Sigve, who seem like the perfect husband and wife, move in next door, Kaja is thrilled by their sophistication. They’re beautiful, they have an adopted black son, and in their spare time, they sing in a choir. An indiscreet moment between Kaja and Sigve ignites a full-on affair, but just as her sexual liberation comes within reach, the inevitable truths and secrets tumble out—perhaps for the best. Set in the dead of winter in the middle of nowhere, the locale of Happy, Happy is crucial to balancing the film as both sex comedy and drama. Director Anne Sewitsky allows her skilled actors to shine while dark humor, some flat-out hilarity, and tight storytelling drive this delightful look at the malleability and resilience of adult relationships.