CinemaOSMovie · 2012 · 0h 52m

The Grammar of Happiness

80%(1)IMDbDocumentary

The Grammar Of Happiness follows the story of Daniel Everett among the extraordinary 'nonconvertible' Amazonian Pirah tribe, a group of indigenous hunter- gatherers whose culture and outlook on life has taken the world of linguistics by storm. As a young ambitious missionary three decades ago, Dan, a red-bearded towering American, decamped to the Amazon rain forest to save indigenous souls. His assignment was to translate the book of Mark into the tongue of the Pirah, a people whose puzzling speech seemed unrelated to any other on Earth. What he learned during his time with the Pirah led him to question the very foundations of his own deep beliefs. As a 'born again' atheist, Dan divorced his devout Christian wife and became estranged from his children. Having lost faith and family, his new life is dominated by the desire to leave behind his legacy. Everett's most controversial claim is that the Pirah language lacks 'recursion' - the ability to build an infinite number of sentences.

Directed byRandall Wood, Michael O'Neill

Play
Status
Released
Runtime
0h 52m
Language
EN
Released
January 25, 2012
Studios
Essential Media and Entertainment

Featuring

Cast & crew

1 credited
Starring

Daniel Everett

himself

Creative team
Directed by
Randall Wood
Michael O'Neill
Written by
Randall Wood
Michael O'Neill
Produced by
Chris Thorburn
Michael O'Neill

Keep watching

More like this

Yeah You Rite!8.0

Yeah You Rite!

1985 · Film

Do I Sound Gay?5.6

Do I Sound Gay?

2015 · Film

je suis folles

je suis folles

2026 · Film

The Unanswered Question I : Musical Phonology9.0

The Unanswered Question I : Musical Phonology

1976 · Film

The Unanswered Question V : The Twentieth Century Crisis8.5

The Unanswered Question V : The Twentieth Century Crisis

1976 · Film

The Unanswered Question VI : The Poetry of Earth9.0

The Unanswered Question VI : The Poetry of Earth

1976 · Film

The Unanswered Question II : Musical Syntax9.0

The Unanswered Question II : Musical Syntax

1976 · Film

The Unanswered Question III : Musical Semantics9.0

The Unanswered Question III : Musical Semantics

1976 · Film

The Unanswered Question IV : The Delights and Dangers of Ambiguity9.0

The Unanswered Question IV : The Delights and Dangers of Ambiguity

1976 · Film

At a Traffic Light

At a Traffic Light

2024 · Film

We Will Speak10.0

We Will Speak

2023 · Film

Project Nim6.9

Project Nim

2011 · Film

American Tongues8.0

American Tongues

1987 · Film

Is the Man Who Is Tall Happy?6.9

Is the Man Who Is Tall Happy?

2013 · Film

CodeSwitching

CodeSwitching

2019 · Film

Picked for you

Recommended movies

Come See Me in the Good Light7.2

Come See Me in the Good Light

2025 · Film

A Toxic Love Story6.4

A Toxic Love Story

2026 · Film

Marvel's Behind the Mask7.0

Marvel's Behind the Mask

2021 · Film

My Mom Jayne8.0

My Mom Jayne

2025 · Film

For the Love of Spock7.4

For the Love of Spock

2016 · Film

Ex Libris: The New York Public Library6.4

Ex Libris: The New York Public Library

2017 · Film

A Love Song for Latasha7.0

A Love Song for Latasha

2019 · Film

Struggle: The Life and Lost Art of Szukalski7.5

Struggle: The Life and Lost Art of Szukalski

2018 · Film

Harmontown6.6

Harmontown

2014 · Film

Fyre Fraud6.4

Fyre Fraud

2019 · Film

The September Issue6.6

The September Issue

2009 · Film

Capital in the Twenty-First Century6.5

Capital in the Twenty-First Century

2019 · Film

Looking for Richard6.8

Looking for Richard

1996 · Film

No Half Measures: Creating the Final Season of Breaking Bad8.5

No Half Measures: Creating the Final Season of Breaking Bad

2013 · Film

The Curse of the Dragon7.2

The Curse of the Dragon

1993 · Film

To Kill a Tiger7.6

To Kill a Tiger

2023 · Film

Beyond Infinity: Buzz and the Journey to Lightyear7.0

Beyond Infinity: Buzz and the Journey to Lightyear

2022 · Film

Chris Brown: Welcome to My Life6.4

Chris Brown: Welcome to My Life

2017 · Film

Charlie: The Life and Art of Charles Chaplin7.0

Charlie: The Life and Art of Charles Chaplin

2003 · Film

Seven Up!7.2

Seven Up!

1985 · Film