mostly earnest

Tag: movies

  • Anybody

    Dance scenes are my new favourite thing in movies. Saw this one in Return to Seoul and I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it. There’s an intriguing quality to the way she dances, almost as if she’s preparing herself for a battle. But who or what is she fighting against? Is it herself? The world?

    I know the type. Like Freddie, they often come across as distant, impulsive yet desperately yearning for love, acceptance, and connection. Although when offered, it is often times rejected. In the film, Freddie repeatedly flees whenever someone tries to get close, instead choosing to pursue those who won’t reciprocate or may even be harmful to her well-being. It’s a defence mechanism many of us are familiar with—a belief that we can shield ourselves from pain by building walls or hurting others before they have a chance to hurt us. As the story unfolds, we witness these behavioural patterns playing out and it never ends well.

    What struck me about this scene was how the dance reflected the character’s true essence, motivations, and the emotional turmoil within. From the mechanical movements to the lyrics, “I never needed anybody,” echoing the conflicting voices in her head. She knows on one hand, her yearning for connection, yet it is also difficult to shake off the belief that it’s better to be alone.

    The scene was so entrancing that I didn’t even notice the cuts on the first watch, assuming it was all shot in one take. Also unrelated but worth mentioning, the track used was an original film soundtrack and it is electric.

  • Making Art

    I saw a film recently that I haven’t been able to stop thinking about.

    It’s called Paterson and it’s about a bus driver who shares the same name as the town he lives in and who devotes most of his time to writing poetry.

    What struck me about this film is how much value is placed in the quiet pursuit of creativity and art. It is an ode to making art for art sake even if it never sees the light of day.

    For someone who shares a lot of what I make, I think about the motivations behind the impulse to create. On one level, it is the rush of exhilaration from using my voice and wanting to be seen. But on another, it is about finding connection and seeing ourselves in others. It is about pointing at things and inviting others to wonder with you.

    Perhaps my motivation is closer to that of Kurt Vonnegut’s when he said:

    Practicing an art, no matter how well or badly, is a way to make your soul grow, for heaven’s sake. Sing in the shower. Dance to the radio. Tell stories. Write a poem to a friend, even a lousy poem. Do it as well as you possibly can. You will get an enormous reward. You will have created something.

    Writing, making photos, cutting hair, doing the things that I’m doing is not to show what I can do but to share what is here.