Nordic - Happiness is a theme based documentary directed by Dr Louis Lam, a medical expeditionist and cultural anthropologist who travels all over the world to tell inspirational stories about the local people and culture, their views about themselves versus the world, and current issues that reflect much wider influences. It explores the meaning and definition of happiness in two Nordic countries, Norway and Denmark, since they have been consistently rated the “happiest” places on earth. It interviews the local people of both countries to see what happiness means to them and whether they are truly happy as suggested by statistics. The films starts with the cold north in Tromsø, Norway and explores what happiness means in subzero temperature. It interviews a local restaurant hostess about her definition of happiness and explores some of the heart warming food as reindeer and whale steaks. It then takes the audience to one of the most expensive cities in the world, Oslo, “Paris of the North”. It interviews a scholar of Peace and Conflicts at the Munch Museum about economic definitions of happiness, but not necessarily emotional definition. It interviews a native Brazilian who immigrated to Oslo to compare her happiness from a warm tropical country to the Nordic cold. The film moves on to Copenhagen, Denmark. It interviews a Danish who had lived in New York for a number of years studying city planning and moved back to Denmark. He talks about the overrating of the happiness index and moves onto the topic of Christiania, a micro-community from the hippie era squatters and drug addicts who formed their own quasi self-controlled anti-government state. It visits one of the oldest amusement park with a teacher from Canada who settled in Denmark, and touches upon the subject of social safety and gun control compared to North American countries. The film finishes back at the museum looking at the painting by Munch, Self Portrait by the Window, with the painter himself aging and coming out from a shell of vanity as the true happiness. The ending music by Kyle Cox is called “Happy On My Own” reflecting the true happiness one can have without dependence on others. Filmed December 2022.

Portugal – Melancholy is a theme based documentary directed by Dr Louis Lam, a medical expeditionist and cultural anthropologist who travels all over the world to tell inspirational stories about the local people and culture, their views about themselves versus the world, and current issues that reflect much wider influences. It explores the meaning of melancholy and sadness through the Portuguese word “Saudade” stemming from a long history of its maritime supremacy and the resulting parting of people from their families. Ironically, sadness to the Portuguese can be a happy feeling of longing and remembering. The film follows two individuals, Pedro Nogueria from Porto, and Vanessa Campelos from Braga through their daily lives and families. It goes back in history in Porto to the Age of Discovery and its glorious era to an over-stretched nation that declared bankruptcy twice, gaining the name “Cidade Invicta”, the invincible city. Along the theme, it also takes us to a gastronomic journey that is so connected to our emotion, such as the famous tripe stew, Tripas a Moda do Porto at Pombeiro, cod fish, Cachorrinhos the tiny sandwiches, and Francesinha, a special sandwich with gravy and egg yolk. It takes the audience to the fishing village of Matosinhos, north of Porto about the symbol of “She Changes” as the giant fishing net and the seafood fresh from the ocean. To the east is the important Duoro Valley and its river through which the famous regional Portuguese wines have been transported for generations. It takes us to the suburban towns of Lamego with its spectacular staircase architecture and the suckling pigs of Baihadda region as well as Coimbra, with its oldest university founded in 1290 where an talk takes place at a local restaurant to taste the local Shafana, a lamb stew in red wine. Their philosophy of Saudade is also reflected in the musical art of Fado in which melancholic tones are sung longing for the loved ones at sea. Finally, the film ends in the Minho region in the north where a dinner is spent with a local Portuguese family with the grandmother expressing her feeling of Saudade for the upcoming Christmas holiday. Filmed November, 2023.

Panama – Freedom is a full feature documentary directed by Dr Louis Lam, a medical expeditionist and cultural anthropologist who travels all over the world to tell inspirational stories about the local people and culture, their views about themselves versus the world, and current issues that reflect much wider influences. The film starts with the yearly Black Christ repentance festival in Portabelo describing common citizens and freed criminals pleading for forgiveness from past sins and freedom of soul. It also talks about the previous dictatorship marked by the US invasion. This is also where the slaves were finally freed and formed their own culture of Congo. It takes us to an exciting journey into the heart of Panama City, El Chorillo, where it has not recovered fully from the invasion and its still existing poverty and gang problems. It interviews an ex- cop and his experience during the invasion and changes of the country as it steps into the next generations. It visits the Panama Canal and the little town of Gamboa for their cow feet soup as well as a sanctuary to preserve the wilderness affected by commercial shipping. It talks about challenges of the indigenous tribes as the Gunas in the north and the Embera of the west. It takes us to a tribal society to experience a typical day along the Chucunaque River and its jungle. It introduces an Afro-Panamanian chef who tries to preserve her ancestral recipe to her next generation. It visits a small fishing town of Puerto Caimito into the house of a local family for lunch. Along the story told, the films takes us to a culinary journey of Panama with iconic food as Sanchocho, Sao the vinegared pig feet, ceviche, pig head rice, Geisha coffee shop, and the only Coca Cola café in the world. Filmed Oct, 2022.

Cuba - Resiliance is a theme based documentary directed by Dr Louis Lam, a medical expeditionist and cultural anthropologist who travels all over the world to tell inspirational stories about the local people and culture, their views about themselves versus the world, and current issues that reflect much wider influences. The film takes the audience into the struggling post-COVID economy of Havana, the food rationing, poverty, and the surprising resilience and spirits of the Cubans who are going through tough periods of time under the communist regime. It follows a local Cuban family Asiledih and Frank with their talented daughter musician and singer, Glenda, through the many faces of culture, food, and music there despite the hardship. It visits the home of a local mother in poverty stricken area of Havana with her son. The film takes the audience back in time to the past glorious days with still vintage cars from the 50s roam on the streets of Cuba. It visits iconic places as the still bustling Floridita, Hotel Nationale, the original mojitos at La Bodeguita Del Medio, and into the modern arts of Fusterland and Afro-Cuban culture of Callejon de Hamel. It interviews a local artist Beatrice Santacana and her passion on award winning ceramic arts and takes us to the progressive Fabrica de Arte Cubano with the Sintesis Band. It visits the old Chinatown where only a few immigrants are left after the big exodus under the Fidel Castro rule. The film was also shot in the small suburban town of Cojimar where Ernest Hemingway began writing his book The Old Man and The Sea. There, it interviewed a local Edel with the iconic Arroz con Pollo, Cuban chicken rice. The journey continues southwest for two hours into the region of Vinales with an interview with a local cigar farmer and the giant line stone painting of the valley. Just outside Havana, it interviews an Cuban exchange student with China, Maria, who talks about her struggle to go abroad again. The film ends at a typical parador, a type of family owned eateries who are able to bypass the communist rule that restaurants should be state owned. There, famous local dishes such as ropa vieja, picadillo, masas de cerdo frita, and carne con papa are served. Filmed in July, 2022.

Egypt - Equality is a theme based documentary directed by Dr Louis Lam, a medical expeditionist and cultural anthropologist who travels all over the world to tell inspirational stories about the local people and culture, their views about themselves versus the world, and current issues that reflect much wider influences. The film follows a female marine archeologist, Marina Gurguis and a local guide Ahmed Yousef throughout Cairo and to the south along the Nile River to the Sudan border to explore many indigenous culture, food, dance, and music. It reflects the life of Marina as a woman in a male dominant culture as a successful professional, as well as her relationship with her country and friends. It also talks about the changes taking place for women in modern Egypt. The film starts in the busy street of Cairo, the biggest and most populated city in Africa, in a bustling morning and its incredibly congested streets. It visits the Giza in the west bank with a typical fava bean breakfast at a street corner. It takes the audience to the night scene of local food and street vendors as well as the greatest Muslim architecture of the Islamic world with mosques and mausoleums. It talks about the important culture of tea as compared to alcohol in the western world and takes us to the emblematic Sphinx as well as the oldest pyramid in Saqqara. The journey moves on to the southern city of the quiet fishing town of Luxor where interviews took place with Mena Melad from the Luxor Times about current efforts in Egyptian archeology. It talks about a special and oldest martial art Tahtib which evolved into a ceremonial dance, a symbol of masculinity and brotherhood. The crew was invited to a private home in Al Qurna to taste the iconic pigeon, Hamam Mahshi. The film then takes us to the southern city of Aswan and the colorful Nubian culture with its dance and music. It takes us to the Island of Philae to visit the private house of Tarek and Edrees for their typical welcoming dish of Fateer. Filmed September 2022.

Bavaria – Forgiveness is a theme based documentary directed by Dr Louis Lam, a medical expeditionist and cultural anthropologist who travels all over the world to tell inspirational stories about the local people and culture, their views about themselves versus the world, and current issues that reflect much wider influences. The film is about Germany’s turbulent past in wartime and the concept of forgiveness of its past into a modern caring society. It takes us through the Romantic Road through small fairytale towns from Frankfurt all the way south to Munich. The film starts with Charles Sorley’s WWI poem to Germany about laughing at the old pain with a bad cloud until it has peace. It visits the Berger family in Rothenburg ob der Tauber at their 700 year old historic inn in the center of town. The film follows the daughter Lissy through the history of Franconia, the northern part of Bavaria with their feeling as a separate culture from the rest as well as the local cuisine and beers. Together with her father as a hotelier, she also takes us to a pleasant donkey ride through the beautiful hills of the region. The inn introduces a typical family made dinner with the iconic Sauerbraten and Schnitzel. She also takes us to the neighboring small town of Dinkelsbuhl with its heart warming garlic soup and a history of the bi-confessional peace treaty. As a gastro journey into their Franconian cuisine, Lissy introduces dishes like the Schaufele, the shovel shaped pork shoulder, Blaue Zipfl the blue sausage, and Kohlrouladen the local stuffed cabbage. In viticulture, wine making has become more popular in recent years, and the film visits the Kreglinger vineyard for their Riesling. Going further south, the film takes us to Augsburg, where a journalist from the local newspaper, Augsburger Allegmeine, was interviewed for his view on American politics. In the medieval walled town of Nordlingen, the City of Diamonds, Rosemarie Hoedke recounts her experience of the expulsion of German nationals from Transylvania, Romania during WWII. Into the town of Landsberg Am Lech, the film interviews Manfred Deiler, a holocaust historian, about the Hitler Youth that took place there, the Kaufering camp, and the prison where Hitler wrote his manisfesto, the Mein Kampf. The trip ends at Munich and talks about the younger youth nowadays and the food culture. The film ends with a note that the country has become a kinder nation. Filmed May, 2022.

Andalusia & Mardrid – Solidarity is a theme based documentary directed by Dr Louis Lam, a medical expeditionist and cultural anthropologist who travels all over the world to tell inspirational stories about the local people and culture, their views about themselves versus the world, and current issues that reflect much wider influences. The film is about the Andalusian culture of art, music, food and wine through the beauty of Andalusia and its people on their sense of solidarity. It takes the audience through several towns in the south with the ending in Madrid. It follows the local footsteps of Macarena Cisneros and her family in the city of Seville. It takes us to the grandiosity of the Islamic influenced mudejar mosaic architecture as in the Hotel Alfonso XIII and the Plaza Espana. In the streets, the film shows tremendous solidarity among people in frequent protests and demonstrations, even among school children as they were filmed protesting against the Putin war on Ukraine. A religious solidarity is reflected in the possession of Via Crucis, the Way of the Cross, through the actual path of Seville during the Holy Week. It visits the oldest restaurant there, El Rinconcillo, who serves typical tapas of small clams, baby soles, and Iberian pig cheeks. It talks about the big pork tradition in Spain in general and the artisan skill of curing ham and the street food of Freiduria specializing in fried seafood. The film then follows another Andalusian local, Juan Diaz, who takes us through the small medieval town of Carmona where they serve their own version of paella and oxtail stew. It takes us to the grand tradition of Flamenco dance and music at a private studio and the bullfighter’s tavern, Sol y Sombra, with their fried nettles and pork loins. Further afield, Juan takes the trip to the orange farms and the old town of Cordova, passing the stunning hilltop castle of Almodovar del Rio. It shows a special dinner at Casa Pepe de la Juderia with its famous deboned pig’s trotter. The film finally takes us back to Madrid as the final destination to show the ham museum and the oldest restaurant of the world, Casa Botin, who serves their irresistible roasted suckling pig. It talks about the nonstop festivals in Spain, like the Burial of the Sardine. Filmed March, 2022.