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The Way to Happiness

Name: The Way to Happiness
Director: Nicolas Steil
Released: 2022
Duration: 115 min

Representation Score

5.4/10

Fair

2022

Director

Nicolas Steil

Runtime

115 minutes

Average Rating

No ratings yet

New Showbiz Analysis

The Way to Happiness thoughtfully explores identity and historical displacement. By focusing on a Kindertransport survivor, the film moves beyond rigid historical clichés to highlight psychological resilience and the burden of memory. The inclusion of a Chilean director fosters a cross-cultural dialogue that disrupts the typical homogeneity of European historical dramas. This creative partnership adds a globalized perspective to the narrative structure. While the film excels in exploring cultural and ethnic diversity, it remains centered on male protagonists and lacks explicit representation of LGBTQ+ or disability issues.

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Category Breakdown

Does The Way to Happiness have LGBTQ+ representation?

Fair

The film focuses on Saul's romantic and emotional life but does not explicitly address LGBTQ+ identities or character arcs.

How does The Way to Happiness portray gender?

Fair

The story centers on Saul, a male protagonist, but highlights his emotional intelligence and vulnerability, moving away from traditional masculine stereotypes.

How racially and ethnically diverse is The Way to Happiness?

Good

The film introduces a non-Western perspective through Joakin, a Chilean director, showcasing a nuanced view of globalized artistic collaboration.

How does The Way to Happiness represent religion and culture?

Good

The narrative deals with the Holocaust through personal memories and artistic reconstruction, emphasizing individual experiences over institutional history.

Does The Way to Happiness include disability representation?

Minimal

There is no specific portrayal of physical, sensory, or neurodivergent disabilities in the film.

Present on Screen

Meaningful cross-cultural dialogue through the partnership between European and Chilean characters.
A nuanced exploration of historical trauma through personal memory and art.
Challenging traditional masculine stoicism by highlighting emotional vulnerability.

Limited or Absent

Lack of explicit representation for LGBTQ+ identities or non-assuming gender matches what was assigned at birth character arcs.
Absence of visible representation regarding physical, sensory, or neurodivergent disabilities.
Primary narrative ability to act remains heavily centered on male leads.

Official Synopsis

Saul escaped the coming Shoah as a child by being sent from Vienna to Brussels by a Kindertransport. Now in 1986, he is on the road to resilience and owner of a Delicatessen dedicated to the "Septième Art" - the movies. With Joakin, his protégé, a young Chilean director, they decide to write the story of Saul's childhood and make it into a film. But love comes knocking at his door and confronts him with his past as a hidden child...

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