And thank you to the young man working the ticket office who graciously gave it to me.
What a blessing!
Did I know either of them? Nope. But together, they saved me fifteen dollars. Again, thanks, y'all! And my thanks to The Universe for setting that up tonight.
After a day spent cooped up in the house, making two versions of two tests for two CHEM1211 classes, listening to rain most of the day, I was definitely ready for some relaxation!
I have been looking forward to the Telluride Mountainfilm on Tour Savannah for about two months...or is that three? I had missed the opening because of class on Wednesday night. And I will miss the closing because I have a months-in-the-making Soup Party to attend!
But Friday night, and Saturday afternoon, are mine, all mine!
The really interesting thing about this festival so far?
The majority of the films brought immediate thoughts of friends who would have enjoyed them.
Honestly, it isn't uncommon for some films to cause me to want to refer them to friends or family. But here, viewing this slate of films, almost everyone of them brought someone to mind.
It was actually a very nice feeling!
Perhaps it was because I have spent the week by myself. Teaching full-time again has not yet left much time for socializing. I definitely need to work on that!
The first film, "Leave It As It Is", was a love song to the Grand Canyon. The first panoramic views brought my cousin Bev to mind. She and her husband went there this past summer, celebrating 60th birthdays and their 40th anniversary. Beautiful!
The second one was also centered on the Grand Canyon, but was a story of a son trying to get to know the younger man his father once was. "The Important Places" had me misting up with thoughts of my own father in his younger days, grateful that I was able to spend so much time with him during his last year of life. I'm sure Forest Woodward is glad he has this film, too, documenting his nearly month-long trip to the Grand Canyon with his father - his dad died early last year.
"We Are Fire" followed a member of the Gulabi Gang. If you pictured young men in black leather coats, you're on the wrong track! Champa Pal, a young widow, wears flowing pink saris, as do the other women in this gang. Their mission? To be a voice for silenced women, to teach others how to earn their own money for their families. Hooray! You can watch the video here.
"The Reinvention of Normal" invited us all to view the world through a child's eyes - a world where anything is possible! You know, like door-books, which open up when you close a door. Or headphones which feed sounds on your right to your left ear and sounds on your left to your right ear. Or a sound-proof balloon-popping chamber. Fun stuff! See this new perspective for yourself!
My friend Jo sprang to mind while I watched "I Am Able". The story was narrated by Frederick Ndabaramiye, now in his early 30's. In 1998, the 15-year-old Rwandan's hands were chopped off by rebels. Today, he helps others who are differently abled to learn new skills at the Ubumwe Community Center, a place he co-founded.
Why did I think of Jo? She works with our young men and women who have returned from war, missing parts of their bodies and minds. I'll have to recommend the film to her. Maybe she will be able to show it to her clients for inspiration.
"Eddie Masters Gets Fat" was all about love for fat bikes and fat-bottomed girls! What a hoot! Here's a link so you can giggle, too!
What next?
An intermission, of course!
(smile!)
Then, a brief "commercial" about something which "has been shown to relieve the crippling symptoms of modern life". What magical elixir is this? "Nature Rx-1"! Brought to you by good ol' Terra Mater herself! Hahaha haha! When Henry Lystad introduced it, he made it seem like some corporate bigshot had demanded it be shown. Very funny! Watch it for a great laugh...then, at least look out your window!
Then came a "don't try this at home" piece about a guy on a skateboard traveling at a reckless speed on a mountain highway. And the final film of the festival screenings tonight was another "don't try this at home" piece about a guy on a bike traveling at a reckless speed through narrow lanes in a town in Mexico.
Seriously.
All it would have taken for those to end badly was a raccoon or a stray cat to wander into their path.
Totally insane and inane.
Fortunately, sandwiched between those bits of lunacy were three very worthwhile pieces!
"Vasu Sojitra: Out On A Limb" followed the young man down the slopes of snowy mountains. On one leg. Not as a reckless daredevil, as in the two films above, but because his left leg is all he has. The right one was amputated before he even learned to walk.
Somehow, he found he has a true love for snow skiing. How remarkable to watch him! And what a great sense of humor he has! His friends say they even forget sometimes that he is only one-legged because he is so talented on the slopes. Very nice.
Of course, I wondered about JinHi and skiing. I'll have to ask her about that the next time I see her!
The very next one brought Robb, one of my friends from my high school days, to mind. Titled "The Fisherman's Son", it was actually about surfing! Well, mostly. Again, we had the story of the love between a father and son, this time in Chile. But, we also had the story of an activist, Ramón Navarro, fighting to save the surf for future generations. Beautifully filmed, lovingly narrated - I'll watch it again!
How very nice that he has his dad and his grandmother in this film, so he can enjoy seeing them alive. Not only that, but the fisherman was also very proud of his son for his actions to save the coast - a pride forever captured in this film.
The San Franciscans, Paul and Cathy, came up in my mind next! Tyrone Hayes, a biologist at UC Berkeley (where Cathy is) was the focus in "What's Motivating Hayes?", a film about pesticides, people, and frogs. Yeah, you heard me: frogs. Like canaries in coal mines, the small amphibians serve as a living alarm system for us humans.
Tyrone is originally from Columbia, SC, and is a Southerner, like me. At one point in the film, he's tromping around barefoot on his home turf. Apparently, that really made an impact on folks in the audience, with one person asking why he was barefoot there! He has such a great sense of humor about that sort of silliness!
Okay, time for bed!
Tomorrow - um, later today! - I have the family matinee of shorts. And Carolyn will be joining me! Hooray!
3 comments:
After I sent Robb the link to the film "The Fisherman's Son", here is his reply.
January 23 at 2:33pm
While I did grow up shrimping and sailing with my father and later took up climbing largely because of stories he told of his days climbing, I can't claim to have had this rich a background. I am thankful that my father exposed me to such relations with the natural world and also to you for reminding me of that by referring me to this film.
After I sent JinHi the link to "Vasu Sojitra: Out On A Limb", here is her reply.
January 23 at 1:05pm
I did when I had two legs (and we lived in areas where folks ski), and I rollerblade and ice skate now, so I'm pretty sure I could. Wish I had gotten to see this. One of the first people I met with one leg was a ski instructor from Colorado. :)
After I sent cousin Bev the link to the film "The Important Places", here is her reply.
January 23 at 2:40pm
Beautiful! Thx for sharing this with me!
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