Music Box Films has acquired North American home entertainment rights to “Wisdom of Happiness,” the Richard Gere-produced documentary in which the Dalai Lama reflects on compassion, inner peace and facing the challenges of the modern world.

The documentary will debut on premium digital video-on-demand platforms across North America on September 15, and pre-orders are now open. Music Box Films will also release the film on DVD and Blu-ray at a later date.

Directed by Barbara Miller and Philip Delaquis, “Wisdom of Happiness” offers an intimate portrait of the Dalai Lama who speaks directly to viewers in a candid conversation about achieving lasting happiness, balancing Tibetan Buddhist traditions with contemporary values ​​and responding to the challenges of the 21st century.

Produced by Gere and Oren Moverman, “Wisdom of Happiness” premiered at the Zurich Film Festival in 2024 before becoming an international box office hit, particularly in Switzerland, where it remained in the top 10 for seven consecutive weeks. Abramorama subsequently released the film theatrically in over 175 locations in North America in 2025.

“‘Wisdom of Happiness’ is an extraordinary heart-to-heart conversation with the Dalai Lama,” Music Box Films said in a statement. “We are honored to bring this visually stunning and spiritually enlightening guide to achieving lasting happiness to a broader audience.”

Gere said the documentary offers more than a portrait of the Tibetan spiritual leader. “‘Wisdom of Happiness’ is not just a film about the Dalai Lama; it is an invitation to reconnect with our shared humanity,” Gere said. “My dedication and participation in this project has reaffirmed my belief that its message of compassion, empathy and shared responsibility has never been more urgent.”

Gere added that his “hope is that this film will give people the rare feeling of sitting face to face with the Dalai Lama and leave them empowered to make a difference in their own lives and communities.”

Miller is an award-winning Swiss documentary filmmaker whose work has explored topics including the anti-globalization movement, domestic violence, online sexuality, women’s rights and freedom of expression through films such as “Forbidden Voices” and “#Female Pleasure.” Since 2017 she has been president of the Directors’ Union and the Swiss Screenwriters’ Association.

Delaquis previously worked as a journalist and producer for Swiss television before founding the Zurich-based production companies Das Kollektiv and Mons Veneris Films. His producing credits include “Bruno Manser,” “#Female Pleasure,” “Guru,” “Yalom’s Cure,” “Dürrenmatt” and “Wisdom of Happiness.” He is a member of both the Swiss Film Academy and the European Film Academy.

The home entertainment deal was negotiated by Brian Andreotti on behalf of Music Box Films and Jason Resnick of Autlook on behalf of the filmmakers. Autolook is handling global sales of the documentary.