New Documentary Film, After Happily Ever After, Asks Whether Marriage Is Becoming Obsolete
November 1, 2011 - SAN FRANCISCO, CA - A day after Kim Kardashian ended her 72 day long union, Luna Park Productions releases AFTER HAPPILY EVER AFTER a humorous yet thought-provoking documentary film about modern marriage. The film asks why people marry despite a 50% failure rate, whether they should and, along the way, searches for the elusive secrets behind truly successful unions.
Emmy-winning director Kate Schermerhorn started filming ‘After Happily Ever After’ together with her second husband while on their honeymoon. The newlyweds interviewed long married couples and experts, hoping the advice would also help their own marriage to last and thrive. But, instead, their relationship quickly became rocky, and Schermerhorn decided to turn the camera on the joys and heartbreaks of her own marriage, too. What began as the filmmaker’s quest for the secret to marital bliss evolved unexpectedly to include a review of her own relationship as well as a more in-depth examination of the institution of marriage itself.
‘After Happily Ever After’ seeks advice from an eclectic and quirky mix of happily married couples - from a couple who dresses alike every day, to a pair of nudists and a newlywed pair of California mothers, to a feisty English widow. A world-renowned group of marriage experts ground the film in fact as they piece together the history and possible future and motivations for marriage. Experts include world renowned psychologist John Gottman (who can predict divorce with 90% accuracy), marriage historian Stephanie Coontz, and a Beverly Hills divorce attorney.
Early reviews are impressed by the film’s humor, charms and insights. Scientific American Mind editor Ingrid Wickelgren called the film ‘delightfully quirky’ and San Francisco Magazine referred to it as an ‘entertaining escapade.’ Best-selling author Simon Winchester says After Happily Ever After is ‘intelligent, sensitive, funny and tender.’
Schermerhorn explains, “Most Americans will marry at some point in their lifetimes but half of their marriages will fail. Despite this, questioning the viability or usefulness of marriage as we know it is totally taboo. My hope for the film is that it will spark some much needed discussion about an institution which most of us seem to take for granted.” The filmmaker has reason to be optimistic, as early screenings have already been provoking just the kind of heated debates that she feels should be taking place. Schermerhorn, also an acclaimed still photographer whose work often contains humor, jokes, “too bad for Kim Kardashian that she didn't spend twenty bucks for our DVD before spending $10 million on her wedding. Maybe things would have gone differently for her if she had.”
‘After Happily Ever After’ is available on DVD, plus Video on Demand through major cable and online providers nationwide starting November 1, 2011.
Visit www.afterhappilyeverafter.net for details and to purchase DVDs.
afterhappilyeverafter.net is an interactive website where people can share their own ideas about marriage.
DVDs ($19.99) includes a relationship compatibility quiz by world renowned psychologist John Gottman
twitter: @marriage_doc
Media Contact:
Luna Park Productions
afterhappilyeverafter@gmail.com
415-578-2141
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