EXCLUSIVE: Since its world premiere at the Zurich Film Festival in October, Swiss documentary Wisdom of Happiness – A Heart-to-Heart with the Dalai Lama has found peace at the box office with strong performances in Switzerland, Germany and elsewhere as overseas rollout continues. Autlook Filmsales reps the movie and is headed to the EFM to expand the reach of the Richard Gere– and Oren Moverman-exec produced film. Negotiations are under way for Latin America and the U.S.
The doc, which features the Dalai Lama as he speaks directly to the audience, creating what is billed as “a meditative cinema experience that resonates long after,” has sold over 70,000 tickets in Switzerland where Ascot Elite released in December. Across the run, it remained in the Top 10 for seven consecutive weeks and was a Top 3 arthouse title.
Via X Filmverleih in Germany, Wisdom of Happiness was released on November 7 last year and has sold over 48,000 tickets, positioning it among the Top 5 documentaries of 2024 in the market. In Denmark, Øst For Paradis released the film in mid-January with over 5K admissions to date. Play continues.
Directed by Barbara Miller and Philip Delaquis, the documentary sees the Dalai Lama offering insights on humanity’s universal quest for inner peace and happiness. The film also highlights his vision for a peaceful and harmonious 21st century, delivering a message of hope and unity during uncertain times.
Said Ascot Elite’s Ralph Dietrich, “We are thrilled and proud of the strong box office performance of Wisdom of Happiness. In these challenging times for the industry, it’s deeply rewarding to see audiences embrace a film that speaks to our shared humanity and inspires optimism for the future. The film has been steadily playing in theaters for months and will certainly continue to be shown for a long time. Visitors are returning multiple times, which is a very rare phenomenon. Afternoon and early evening screenings, in particular, are extremely well-booked.”
Stephanie Fuchs, CEO of world sales at Autlook Filmsales, added, “This success reflects the universal appeal of Wisdom of Happiness, and we are certain that it will continue to thrive in cinemas and resonate with audiences worldwide.”
Gere and Moverman joined the project as executive producers, collaborating across all aspects of the project. Gere, a longtime friend and student of the Dalai Lama, commented, “Wisdom of Happiness is a very special film that we hope will profoundly influence how we think and feel about ourselves and the others with whom we share this beautiful planet. My friends tell me this is the most important film of my life.”
In April, Wisdom of Happiness will screen at the Barcelona Film Festival with Gere in attendance, then release on April 30 via A Contracorriente’s Selecta Vision. Further releases include Italy (via Wanted) in May, also with Gere in support.
Other overseas markets with deals already in place include Portugal (A Contracorriente), Australia/New Zealand (Madman), Taiwan (Swallow Wings), Greece (Filmtrade), Poland (Aurora), Israel (New Cinema), Baltics (Best Film), Former Yugoslavia (Demiurg), Slovakia & Czech Republic (Garfield Films) and Brazil (Aquarius).