The Happy City (1959)

“The Happy City” is a 1959 documentary film directed by William F. Deneen, focusing on the Keng Tung Leprosy Colony in Burma, known today as Naung Kan. The film showcases the efforts of Father Cesare Colombo, who managed the colony as a priest, doctor, and bricklayer. It highlights the dire circumstances of the colony and the compassionate work of Father Colombo, who was later deported by the Burmese government.

The documentary, intended for fundraising, illustrates the challenging conditions under which the patients lived and the critical support provided by the Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions. A later visit in 2003 by Geoff Alexander, the director of the Academic Film Archive of North America, revealed that the hospital still operates, serving mostly older patients affected by Hansen’s Disease (leprosy). The visit underscored the ongoing struggle against the disease and the lasting impact of Father Colombo’s work, with some of his original buildings and operating room preserved as a testimony to his efforts. The film captures both the harsh realities of the disease and the human spirit’s resilience in the face of such adversity.

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