Within the first five minutes of filmmaker Craig Dibiase’s loving examination of the polka genre, “It’s Happiness,” it’s clear his heart is in the right place

The film opens on a piece of footage from a polka dancing instructional video that should serve to quiet any lingering doubts whether the folks behind this film—while certainly still reverent of their subject matter—have their tongues placed firmly in cheek.

This is definitely a good thing; a polka documentary that took itself or the musical genre of its focus too seriously could easily find itself no more appealing than, well, polka. So there, I’ve admitted it—in the name of journalistic integrity I find it necessary at this point to say that though I consider myself to be a very open-minded music fan, I can’t stand polka (certainly not an unusual stance nowadays). This being said, I seriously dug “It’s Happiness” and I’d easily recommend it to fans of a good, quirky music doc regardless of whether the soothing sounds of a polka party are their scene.

With its focus on Milwaukee’s polka scene (two words that felt awfully strange to type just then) and a number of its central players, we see quickly that the film’s title was an apt choice. Take Polka Boosters Club president John Pinter, who believes with all his heart that one day, a group of youngsters will emerge as polka’s new lifeblood, foregoing trips to the shopping mall in favor of attending happening polka events. And while this may seem like an impossible dream to some, Pinter prides himself on keeping that hope alive.

Dibiase’s film, in some respects, is Pinter’s wish come true, with reportedly no member of the film’s crew over the age of 30. “It’s Happiness” offers a fresh perspective on a subject that isn’t exactly known for its appeal to youthful demographics. That’s not to say the slew of polka fans featured in the film seem like crusty old anachronisms. Many of them are as bright eyed and bushy tailed as any mid 20s club kid ever thought about being, brandishing bottles of Jagermeister (the shot ski sequence is a definite highlight) and telling debauched anecdotes at the drop of a hat (or the squeeze of a concertina if you prefer).

“It’s Happiness” is a unique experience, it manages to seem at turns both silly and sincere, and it’s hard not to be won over by the genuine love that the folks featured therein have for their musical genre of choice. Good honest fun-loving folks like Pinter, or Art Altenburg the proud owner of the world’s only concertina bar. These are folks not nearly ready to go quietly into that good night, and though certainly “Wow Polka Hits!” won’t be burning up the Billboard charts anytime soon, in the hearts and minds of just about everyone in “It’s Happiness” the music’s got a good beat. And even if the steps might be a little dorky, you can most certainly dance to it.

Chris Dortch II