Best Feature Documentary 2018 Winner

Finding Hygge

Standing accused, though perhaps not literally the worst year ever, 2016 sparked a search for something happier in the world, and the Danish concept of hygge (hoo-ga) found its way onto bookshelves, Pinterest boards, and the Oxford Dictionaries shortlist for “Word of the Year” alongside Brexiteer and Alt-right. Consistently ranked among the happiest people on earth, have the Danes possessed the key to happiness all along? And, can we find it for ourselves? Finding Hygge begins with a look at the world’s sudden interest in hygge and attempts to define it. Google searches for Hygge were up 163 percent in the last quarter of 2016, while the number of cozy, #hygge Instagram posts recently surpassed two million. At first glance, hygge seems as simple as enjoying friendly conversation over a cup of cocoa by candlelight, but this depiction pales in comparison to a glimpse at the real lives of people who truly know hygge.