I was happy then extends the possibilities for dissemination of written and visual material into the public sphere. It draws on the potential of uniting complementary qualities of book and film into a singular work.

I was happy then is both a book and film by Bureau for Open Culture that unites the filmic spaces of Michelangelo Antonioni’s L’eclisse (1962) and the present-day reality of Siena, Italy, an early Renaissance city beholden to a continual performance of its deeply influential history. Through the framework of a tourist guide that focuses on the topics of alienation, architecture, economy, love and urbanization, this work drawn from research and lived experience is a means to explore postwar and contemporary life in Siena. It diverts attention away from the usual historic center toward a suburban periphery beyond the city walls where architectural and urban-planning initiatives other than medieval brick and mortar exist.

Language: English