We Were, for a Time, in the Sun

In the lead-up to the 2024 U.S. presidential election, Jan Grue travels to Berkeley, California, with his wife and son for a research stay. In a neighbourhood shaded by towering redwoods, they rent a small house with an overgrown backyard and settle into the quiet rhythms of everyday life under the Northern California sun.

Life in Berkeley stands in stark contrast to the increasingly reactionary America that emerges when Donald Trump is elected president for a second time. Northern California is the land of optimism and innovation. It was here that the disability rights movement gained momentum in the 1960s, and where diversity, inclusion, and equality remain defining ideals. Yet it is also home to Silicon Valley, where visions of the future are shaped by dreams of human perfection, driven by advances in genetic engineering and artificial intelligence.