The Making of the Film

The idea to produce Room for Happiness began when a medical orgone therapist was introduced to Dick Young, the internationally acclaimed, three-time Oscar nominee and Emmy Award winning filmmaker. The therapist’s description of the treatment approach and the discoveries that Reich made intrigued Young. Would it be possible to portray the experience of real patients in a documentary film? Could the camera capture something so private and so deep while still respecting the dignity and humanity of the individuals involved?

A dedicated team of medical orgonomists, researchers and a wide variety of other individuals donated their services to the venture. As word spread many patients volunteered to participate, motivated only by their desire to make the world aware of what Reich’s work has to offer. Medical orgonomists chose those who would best show the full breadth of the therapy experience, taking into careful consideration which individuals would be able to tolerate the experience of having their emotions and private lives made public. Dick Young interviewed the patients chosen and selected out those he thought presented themselves best. Then he filmed them in the private sanctum of their therapist’s office. Both the patients and their therapists were interviewed after the treatment sessions. The interviews with the treating psychiatrists provided an opportunity for them to discuss their patients and the course of their treatment.

Months of filming on both sides of the Atlantic produced a final product that stands as proof that Dick Young well deserves the many awards that have made him famous. The goal of achieving accuracy and maintaining patient dignity was combined with the highest artistic standards. When the medical orgonomists were satisfied that scientific and professional standards had been achieved, and when trial audiences said, again and again, that they couldn't take their eyes off the screen, we knew the film was ready for the world. Room for Happiness premiered to a black tie audience in Manhattan, and in 2003 it won the prestigious Houston International Film Festival Gold Award.

The Filmmaker

Dick Young has been nominated for three Academy Awards for documentary short subjects. Two of his other films were selected by the Academy as outstanding documentaries of the year. He also directed and did camera work for many of the foreign segments of the children's television series "Big Blue Marble." Mr. Young has received a national Emmy award, two Grand Prix awards at the U.S. Industrial Film Festival, a Grand Prize and 12 Gold Medals at the International Film and TV Festival of New York, 4 Gold Hugos, 14 Chris Statues, 14 Gold Cindy Awards, 12 Gold Chicago Intercom Festival Awards, and 70 Gold Eagle Cine Awards. Mr. Young was recognized as one of the finest young filmmakers in the U.S. and put under contract with Life Magazine. He has worked worldwide on his film and won virtually every major film award in his field. His films have appeared in theaters and on network television here and abroad. Mr. Young also lectures at colleges and universities on filmmaking.