'Happy' Video Project Encourages Bethesda to 'Let Loose'

Get happy, Bethesda.

That’s the message one Philadelphia-based filmmaker and Bethesda native wanted to get out in his latest video project.

Inspired by pop/hip-hop artist Pharrell Williams’ “Happy” phenomenon, 23-year-old Jerry Liu wandered around town with his camera equipment and a smile on his face, asking people to dance to the hit song.

The result is a three-minute and 54-second video showcasing some of the town’s most notable landmarks, from areas near the Davis Library to Bethesda Row, and kids and adults of all ages.

"It was a big struggle,” Liu said in an interview. "People in Bethesda hide behind these masks.”

Next up is another set of “Happy” videos for Montgomery County communities, including Rockville, Takoma Park and Silver Spring.

Liu chose to jump-start the project in Bethesda to disprove the stereotype of small towns being uptight, he said.

Rattling off a quote by philosopher Confucius that he heard back as an 11th-grader at Walter Johnson High School, Liu ultimately wanted to prove Bethesda could “let loose."

"We're fools whether we dance or not, so we might as well dance,” he said.