Quite Possibly an Answer

No pictures today, but a friend pointed out that this film could quite possibly provide an answer that I am looking for. I haven't seen it yet, so it's on the list, but I do manage to see quite a few foreign films. Mostly, I just enjoy them. There's something nice about the perspectives they have on life. I think the closest United Statesian (there are two other countries on this continent and I really just wanted to use United Statesian in a sentence. It doesn't quite roll off the tongue. I may or may not use it again.) films are the indie films that do the rounds at film festivals but never see a wide release. So just to make this relate to the little statement in the about me section of this blog, the following films may or may not influence my shooting. In the least, pretty amazing films. You should check them out.

Take Care of My Cat directed by Jae-eun Jeong
Grave of the Fireflies directed by Isao Takahata (You NEED to see this one!)
He Was A Quiet Man directed by Frank A. Cappello (yep, that one's indie)
Russian Ark directed by Aleksandr Sokurov (I honestly still don't understand this one, but am amazed by it nonetheless.)
The Spanish Apartment directed by Cedric Klapisch
Amelie directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet (this one is actually pretty big and I bet you've heard of it.)
Blue Submarine No. 6 directed by Mahiro Maeda (yes, you need to watch all four episodes in order.)
And before this list gets out of hand,
Voices of a Distant Star directed by Makoto Shinkai. Speaking of this one, I am looking forward to his next film (which is probably already out) 5 Centimeters Per Second. Looks amazing, and quite honestly, maybe one day American Films will recognize that animation is simply the form, not the art. Anywho, go watch, write, paint, create, sing, or what ever brings you joy. I think a sandwich will bring me joy at this particular moment.

A Question of Memory

This isn’t a new question. It’s something I’ve considered and pondered for quite some time and for some reason it’s come to the forefront of thought lately. The question remains primarily for those of us left behind. What memories do we take with us? What do we leave by the wayside as we move forward? And at what point do we simply no longer hold onto all that was?

It seems we are led to believe that “out of sight, out of mind” no longer applies, what with a globally connected world, where you can connect to someone on the other side of the world without so much as a thought. Never has it been more important that “it’s the thought that counts.” I know for myself, it is an effort to step outside of the “here” and reach out and say a hello to all of those that are “there.” Most of the time, I get a machine, unfortunately not one of the chatty ones. And we are once again brought to the question of memory. Wow. Heavy.

Also, if you plan on photographing graveyards, I highly recommend sunrise. Now this isn't to escape the inevitable onslaught of all manner of undead, but to say hello to the cheery security guard who happily informs you to not trespass on the property next to said graveyard, as well as ask you kindly not to spray paint anything. Sunset might work too, but I don't know if the security guard is quite as cheery. Happy Hauntings!