MILWAUKEE — Michael McKinley received, what he refers to as, a “spiritual memo” while watching a Ted Talk of artist Leonard Zimmerman.
Leonard was a social media acquaintance who had lost his partner and used art to deal with his loss. Michael was so moved by Leonard’s story that he felt that someone should make a film about it, and he knew it should be him.
“His Ted Talk was about 12 minutes long, and by the time I was finished watching it, I was in tears. I knew that there was a reason our paths had crossed. So, I approached him about making the film, even though I’d never made a film before," said Michael.
The process was daunting as Leonard is a resident of Augusta, Georgia, and Michael, in addition to figuring out how to make a film, had to raise funds for filming. He raised $32,000 through social media and, with careful planning and scheduling, “HAPPY” was made.
“It was really extraordinary how, despite my lack of experience, everything I needed came my way," said Michael.
"HAPPY" is a film about grieving, but it’s also about making your way through the darkness and into the light.
“HAPPY” debuted in the Milwaukee Film Festival in 2016 and went on to be nominated for awards at nearly every festival it screened in. It won Best Documentary (both Jury and Audience) in Atlanta, Audience Choice in Fort Worth, and the Sydney K. Shapiro Humanitarian Award in Phoenix.
You can view “Happy” at happydocmovie.com.
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