The music video was directed by Jean-Baptiste Mondino . To shoot it , Björk flew to Los Angeles in January 1994 and she found herself involved in the 1994 Northridge earthquake , and as such the shooting was postponed until the next day . Nettie Walker , Björk co-manager , recalled the event and described Björk 's peculiar behavior : " When she did the video for " Violently Happy " in LA , she was there in the middle of the earthquake . She described it like , a huge rumbling , deep in your stomach , which is exactly Björk , that she found it a brilliant rather than frightening experience . Everyone was trying to get hold of her to see if she was OK , but she had gone to the video shoot , dead on time , ready to start . That ’s how Björk is , committed to doing something ... She ’s into this magpie mentality . " and this was further confirmed by Mondino , who added : " She said she was so happy to have experienced the earthquake , and on top of that she did n’t have her son with her so she was freer to experience it without fear ... For me she is an iceberg , we only see a little tip of it "
1994 Northridge earthquake
1994 Northridge earthquake
Violently Happy