Essay based film
documentary, something of an exploration of thought rather than a
statement, or investigation. Perhaps see, Chris Markers “Sans
Solie” or “London” and “Robinson in Space”, by Patrick
Keiler. in order to get an idea of the field.
Yet also since I trained in
fine art, and enjoy open creative processes, I like the idea of
starting a project off, with a push, and a direction, and then being
open as to where it goes and ends up. In this way the film will form
itself from the interactions of the practitioners and the environment
in which it takes it birth. The film therefore becomes a living
thing, given life by its process and the by the minds of those who
engage in its' construction. The film becomes a truly democratic
film, in that all the practitioners are equal in ownership of the
process and the ideas of the film.
The importance of process is
that, it is only through the action of doing something within a
creative setting that an underlying process of journeying through the
field of the subject/idea takes place. So rather than trying to plan
out in totally a film idea, storyboard etc, as in the case of
traditional film methodologies, the process is to agree on a creative
strategy, and see what comes of that. In a single film project,
several creative strategies may be used, which also may include the
“storyboard” if it be so desired. The importance is the focusing
upon the collective creative collaboration around the agreed “point
of the film”, the starting point.
The rest of this document
will detail, my proposition for the starting point. The suggested
title is already at the head. So what are the 4 meanings.
The
4 meanings:
This
refers to the meaning of 4 words. I propose that the film addresses
these four words in sequence. The four words are:
STILLNESS
EMPTYNESS
COMPASSION
SACRIFICE
The
initial vision, is that the film will present a poetic sequence of
words, images and sounds, ending with the word, as a still frame like
a title card. Then a new sequence will commence ending with a title
card of the next word, and so on.
One
planet:
This
refers to the main subtext of the film, which is environmental. The
subtext may become the focus of the film within the 4th
meaning which is sacrifice. Since it is clear that it is the earth
that is being sacrificed for and by mankind's greed and lack of
awareness.
More
exploration of context:
Essentially the four
meanings point to a film which seems to address spiritual issues, yet
this need not be so evident within the actual body of the film. Yet
on the spiritual dimension I do wish to say that I feel that from
stillness one can realise emptiness, and from the realisation of
emptiness arises great compassion. From the arising of great
compassion comes action, which can be seen as sacrifice, in that the
action is totally selfless, and a sacrificial action is one in which
the whole of the self is given unto the action, for the action which
is for the benefit of the whole.
For anyone with a Buddhist
perspective, one can see stillness for the basis of calm abiding, and
then the wisdom of emptiness and great compassion become the two
wings which lead to enlightenment. The sacrifice is then the
enlightened action of the bodhisattva, like the one who would dive
into the deepest hell to liberate one sentient being. And in the
Christian perspective it is the track of Jesus. And it is from the
Christian perspective I feel that leads to the ecological
perspective, since one takes Jesus as standing for the planet as a
whole, like Ghia for instance, then, we can see ourselves as the
Romans crucifying the planet. Far fetched? Well in the sense of the
destruction we are causing the planet, we are crucifying life on
earth, and in the sense that it is the totality of life on earth that
has given rise to humankind in the first instance, it is not so far
fetched to think that we are actually crucifying the basis of our
existence or creation.
Perhaps collaborators would
like to suggest another word? For me to, the word sacrifice has
caught me in the past, it is filled with bad connotations, yet
perhaps my interest here is also to rescue the word from those wrong
minded meanings, perhaps we can find a meaning which is true. And
this is why the film has a suggested title of 4 meanings, one planet.
Because it suggests to that there are other meanings, yet the meaning
of the film as a whole relates to the planet.
4 meanings – one planet
Essay based film documentary, something of an exploration of thought rather than a statement, or investigation. Perhaps see, Chris Markers “Sans Solie” or “London” and “Robinson in Space”, by Patrick Keiler. in order to get an idea of the field.
Yet also since I trained in fine art, and enjoy open creative processes, I like the idea of starting a project off, with a push, and a direction, and then being open as to where it goes and ends up. In this way the film will form itself from the interactions of the practitioners and the environment in which it takes it birth. The film therefore becomes a living thing, given life by its process and the by the minds of those who engage in its' construction. The film becomes a truly democratic film, in that all the practitioners are equal in ownership of the process and the ideas of the film.
The importance of process is that, it is only through the action of doing something within a creative setting that an underlying process of journeying through the field of the subject/idea takes place. So rather than trying to plan out in totally a film idea, storyboard etc, as in the case of traditional film methodologies, the process is to agree on a creative strategy, and see what comes of that. In a single film project, several creative strategies may be used, which also may include the “storyboard” if it be so desired. The importance is the focusing upon the collective creative collaboration around the agreed “point of the film”, the starting point.
The rest of this document will detail, my proposition for the starting point. The suggested title is already at the head. So what are the 4 meanings.
The 4 meanings:
This refers to the meaning of 4 words. I propose that the film addresses these four words in sequence. The four words are:
STILLNESS
EMPTYNESS
COMPASSION
SACRIFICE
The initial vision, is that the film will present a poetic sequence of words, images and sounds, ending with the word, as a still frame like a title card. Then a new sequence will commence ending with a title card of the next word, and so on.
One planet:
This refers to the main subtext of the film, which is environmental. The subtext may become the focus of the film within the 4th meaning which is sacrifice. Since it is clear that it is the earth that is being sacrificed for and by mankind's greed and lack of awareness.
More exploration of context:
Essentially the four meanings point to a film which seems to address spiritual issues, yet this need not be so evident within the actual body of the film. Yet on the spiritual dimension I do wish to say that I feel that from stillness one can realise emptiness, and from the realisation of emptiness arises great compassion. From the arising of great compassion comes action, which can be seen as sacrifice, in that the action is totally selfless, and a sacrificial action is one in which the whole of the self is given unto the action, for the action which is for the benefit of the whole.
For anyone with a Buddhist perspective, one can see stillness for the basis of calm abiding, and then the wisdom of emptiness and great compassion become the two wings which lead to enlightenment. The sacrifice is then the enlightened action of the bodhisattva, like the one who would dive into the deepest hell to liberate one sentient being. And in the Christian perspective it is the track of Jesus. And it is from the Christian perspective I feel that leads to the ecological perspective, since one takes Jesus as standing for the planet as a whole, like Ghia for instance, then, we can see ourselves as the Romans crucifying the planet. Far fetched? Well in the sense of the destruction we are causing the planet, we are crucifying life on earth, and in the sense that it is the totality of life on earth that has given rise to humankind in the first instance, it is not so far fetched to think that we are actually crucifying the basis of our existence or creation.
Perhaps collaborators would like to suggest another word? For me to, the word sacrifice has caught me in the past, it is filled with bad connotations, yet perhaps my interest here is also to rescue the word from those wrong minded meanings, perhaps we can find a meaning which is true. And this is why the film has a suggested title of 4 meanings, one planet. Because it suggests to that there are other meanings, yet the meaning of the film as a whole relates to the planet.