Happy People: A Year in the Taiga (2013)

87% of critics liked it
(45 reviews)
73% of users liked it
(955 ratings)

With HAPPY PEOPLE: A YEAR IN THE TAIGA, Werner Herzog and Russian co-director Dmitry Vasyukov takes viewers on yet another unforgettable journey into remote and extreme natural landscapes. The acclaimed filmmaker presents this visually stunning documentary about indigenous people living in the heart… More With HAPPY PEOPLE: A YEAR IN THE TAIGA, Werner Herzog and Russian co-director Dmitry Vasyukov takes viewers on yet another unforgettable journey into remote and extreme natural landscapes. The acclaimed filmmaker presents this visually stunning documentary about indigenous people living in the heart of the Siberian Taiga. Deep in the wilderness, far away from civilization, 300 people inhabit the small village of Bakhtia at the river Yenisei. There are only two ways to reach this outpost: by helicopter or boat. There's no telephone, running water or medical aid, The locals, whose daily routines have barely changed over the last centuries, live according to their own values and cultural traditions. With insightful commentary written and narrated by Herzog, HAPPY PEOPLE: A YEAR IN THE TAIGA follows one of the Siberian trappers through all four seasons of the year to tell the story of a culture virtually untouched by modernity. Werner Herzog's distinguished filmography includes documentaries (Grizzly Man, Encounters at the End of the World, Cave of Forgotten Dreams), narratives (Fitzcarraldo, Rescue Dawn), and many shorts. (C) Music Box

Play Trailer

Directed By: Werner Herzog, Dmitry Vasyukov
Written By: Rudolph Herzog, Werner Herzog
Genres: Documentary, Art House & International, Special Interest

In Theaters: Jan 25, 2013 Limited
On DVD: Apr 23, 2013
Studio: Music Box Films

Critic Reviews

Tom Long, Detroit News
"Happy People" seems to strain toward the notion that harsh nature makes for a pure heart. And perhaps it does for some. But all?
Joe Williams, St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Titling a documentary about snowbound Siberian fur trappers "Happy People" is not as ironic as it seems.
Barbara VanDenburgh, Arizona Republic
Herzog's longing for the ideological purity in which these lives are lived, free of paperwork and bureaucracy, taxes and technology, drives the film, which lacks an overall story arc.
Walter V. Addiego, San Francisco Chronicle
It's a do-it-yourself world that Herzog clearly admires - much of what we see is the men performing the tasks that enable them to survive.
Michael O'Sullivan, Washington Post
They decidedly don't seem happy. And "Happy People's" decision to skate down the frozen Yenisei without examining their unhappiness more closely leaves a slight chill.
Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star Tribune
If you want a taste of life as it must have been for the Voyageurs of old, this documentary is a good place to start.
Brandon Judell, CultureCatch
Cut down from a four-hour documentary by Vasyukov, the result is a film lacking in catastrophic tragedies of any sort that holds you nonetheless with its raw view of lives spurning quotidian modern comforts with a vengeance.
Rob Thomas, Capital Times (Madison, WI)
In a very real sense, we are watching Herzog watch this film, his rapturous reaction illuminating as much about himself as his subjects.
Kelly Vance, East Bay Express
Quirky and a little scary and rapturous all at the same time.
Marjorie Baumgarten, Austin Chronicle
It's not that Happy People is uninteresting... It's just that the one sensibility of which we were previously aware -- that of Herzog's -- is indiscernible, as if frozen beneath all this movie's ice.
Brent Simon, Shared Darkness
A stirring meditation on the human spirit in extreme conditions, Happy People also reflects Herzog's passion and fascination for the often unforgiving nature of the wild.
Robert Denerstein, Movie Habit
From Siberia, with Happiness
Brian Tallerico, HollywoodChicago.com
It's a minor film from a major director but it's still a strong one for those interested in its subject matter - how people can still co-exist with and live off the land instead of ignoring or abusing it.
Chris Hewitt (St. Paul), St. Paul Pioneer Press
Herzog ... continues his streak of well-crafted documentaries with surprising subjects.
Marc Mohan, Oregonian
Primarily following one veteran sable trapper through his primitive but fascinating annual routine, the movie also features clouds of mosquitoes thick enough to inspire phantom itching in viewers.
Robin Clifford, Reeling Reviews
The quality of the video, solid behind the camera work and the dedication of all involved (and the wonderful subjects) make this an uplifting happy story about "Happy People."

Read all 16 critic reviews

See more critic ratings and reviews on Rotten Tomatoes

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Featured Audience Ratings

Sam B

I never thought I'd say this, but while watching this film I actually missed Werner Herzog's usual grand pretentiousness. "Happy People" is a very interesting look at a culture so distant from (but in some ways shockingly similar to) our own, but a lot of life in… More
I never thought I'd say this, but while watching this film I actually missed Werner Herzog's usual grand pretentiousness. "Happy People" is a very interesting look at a culture so distant from (but in some ways shockingly similar to) our own, but a lot of life in the Taiga is slow, uneventful business, and that is definitely reflected in the film. It may be worth seeing if you want a peek into a different way of life, but unlike Herzog's previous films, it doesn't explore the underlying human themes nearly as much as it could have(or in my opinion should have).
Anthony L

Simple, informative, fascinating and quite wonderful. Watching the 'Happy people' of Taiga training their dogs, building their boats and setting their traps is both hypnotic and humbling. For people who appreciate the simple things in life and seek a little more warmth than… More
Simple, informative, fascinating and quite wonderful. Watching the 'Happy people' of Taiga training their dogs, building their boats and setting their traps is both hypnotic and humbling. For people who appreciate the simple things in life and seek a little more warmth than you get with your typical National Geographic produced program - this is the feel good documentary for you. For Werner Herzog fans it's also a must.
Walter M

"Happy People: A Year in the Taiga" is a fairly routine ethnographic documentary about fur trappers living in a remote part of Siberia that is improved by Werner Herzog's spirited narration.(Seriously, could he just narrate every documentary, plus become the official… More
"Happy People: A Year in the Taiga" is a fairly routine ethnographic documentary about fur trappers living in a remote part of Siberia that is improved by Werner Herzog's spirited narration.(Seriously, could he just narrate every documentary, plus become the official voice of Roger Ebert and do Monday Night Football?) He even sounds a little envious of their lives while the rest of us get to complain when the temperatures fall into the teens. The trappers do get their say as they perform tasks that have been handed down from generation to generation with occasional technological improvements like snowmobiles and chainsaws. (Sadly, the indigenous population do not have the same option as their traditions are dying off with their elders.) Basically, if you want to learn to how to make an efficient, if not stylish, pair of skis, you've come to the right place. And man is that a big hammer! So while the trappers depend on the outside world for supplies to arrive via helicopter and boat, weather permitting, and to sell their furs, they pay little attention to what goes on elsewhere, especially the singing politician, and just go about their lives.

Currently unavailable on Flixster

Also available on

Other Retailers

Buy $14.99, Rent $3.99

Not Available

Buy $14.99, Rent $3.99

Subscription Services

Not Available

Cast

Werner Herzog
as Narrator

Happy People: A Year in the Taiga (2013)

Critic Reviews

Featured Audience Ratings

Sam B

Anthony L

Walter M

Also available on

Other Retailers

Subscription Services

Cast

Trailers & Clips

Watch offline from your computer

Flixster Desktop

Watch on your TV

Google TV

Microsoft XBOX 360

Sony Playstation 3

Watch on your tablet

iPad

Kindle Fire, Kindle Nook

Android tablets

Watch on your phone

iPhone, iPod Touch

Android phones

Are you sure?

Google TV Get the Flixster app , then sign in	Microsoft XBOX 360 Get the Vudu app, connect to UltraViolet. Rentals currently not available. Flixster app coming soon!
Sony Playstation 3 Get the Vudu app, connect to UltraViolet. Rentals currently not available. Flixster app coming soon!

iPad Get the Flixster app , then sign in	Kindle Fire, Kindle Nook Get the Flixster app , then sign in
Android tablets Get the Flixster app , then sign in