In the 2016 documentary The Happy Film, designer Stefan Sagmeister started the film's creative process with one set of expectations and ultimately became a co-director who took multiple risks, and suffered a tremendous loss. During the filmmaking, co-director Hillman Curtis passed away. Stefan's movie about happiness not only forces us to look at his life but also our own lives with a fresh perspective, and it teaches us the importance of coping with harsh, tragic, and unforeseen realities.

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Stefan Sagmeister is an Austrian designer living and working in New York. He received his MFA from the University of Applied Arts in Vienna, and as a Fulbright Scholar he earned his MFA in communication design from The Pratt Institute. In 2025 he received an honorary degree from Pratt, the Doctor of Fine Arts, for being a creative and innovative leader in the field. He's also been honored by the AIGA, received a National Design Award from the the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum, and exhibited his solo and collaborative designs internationally. Early in his career, Stefan brought new life to music packaging with his memorable, interactive designs for albums by the Talking Heads, Brian Eno, and David Byrne, among others, winning two Grammy Awards. His work is in multiple permanent collections, including the Museum of Modern Art, and he is the author of "Things I Have Learned in My Life So Far" a blend of visual whimsy, serious plan, and sound advice.

https://sagmeister.com/‍ ‍

https://www.grammy.com/artists/stefan-sagmeister/9972‍ ‍

https://www.moma.org/artists/30682-stefan-sagmeister‍ ‍

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The Happy Film (2016)

rent/buy @ Amazon

https://amzn.to/3WIdnb6‍ ‍

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5134870/‍ ‍

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Sagmeister's "Now Is Better"

https://amzn.to/4hP4J49‍ ‍

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Sagmeister's "Things I Have Learned in My Life So Far"

https://amzn.to/49UmPzD‍ ‍

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Other movies and shows discussed:

Comedian (2002)