Extra Credit Closing Remarks Film Festival/Film Lit Class

Although I only attended two blocks over the three-day weekend, due to volunteering for the Film Festival; I had an amazing experience. I learned that film comes in all different clips, countries, and genres. There is no limit it comes to film, a film doesn’t have to be hours long and it doesn’t have to be seconds short. The director in charge of the message that he wants to audience to convey; there are different ways to go about this goal overall. I now view films differently from watching Hugo to Tree of Life to attending the film festival. Film is like art; film is like a puzzle. Film helps you understand the world around you the things that you may have trouble with understanding. Film is like a puzzle because through the different scenes (pieces to the puzzle) the director put together a message to the audience (the completed puzzle). I learned that expanding your horizons on different genres helps understanding film as a whole. Expecting the unexpected is the essence to understanding film, stepping outside of the box; outside of your comfort zone; outside of what one is used to. The Film Festival and Film Lit class combined allowed me to think critically, don’t always depend on your Professor for the answer or the director for that matter. As a film critic it is the audience job to interpret the film in a personal aspect, through your own eyes. There is no right on wrong answer in the world of film; everyone’s interpretation is different.  I can’t thank Professor Devine enough for encouraging me to use my brain, expand, go back to the drawing board to figure out the essence of the films we watched. The Film Festival put the essence of film as a whole in perspective for me, film is a puzzle waiting to get the pieces put together.

Prison Block

On Sunday I attend the Prison Block panel at the Strand theatre. The panel was very interesting, inspiring, and intriguing. I was only able to catch the last half of the panel because I was volunteering. When I entered the panel discussion the topic being spoken about was the heartless emotions of the officers in the prison, officers treat incarcerated men inhuman like, they verbally and physically abuse them constantly; officers always have the upper hand when it comes to inmates. This is the inmate’s life and there is nothing they can do about it, their inmates and no one believes what happens to them behind closed doors, which makes it easy for officers to get away with it. I learned, the reason why prisons are located so far in the North Country is for the inmate’s family to not be able to visit them. I learned that families don’t visit inmates because its too far and this is done purposely. Not only does the government want inmates to be depressed they also want to suppress them as well as their families; I learned more jails are being built every time an African American male is born. Listening to all these harsh activities that happens in jails I began to tear because I do have friends from high school that are in jail and I can only image what they are going through. The government locks inmates in their sell and basically “throw away the key” forgetting about their health, feelings, and families. I learned that jails are designed to brutally manipulate the mind of a person, make someone feel like their less than human. At the end of the panel a women expressed to the crowd that she has a petition, the petition will be sent to the government officials so they can spend less money on jails on more money for the school system. As soon as the panel discussion was over I ran to sign the petition. It makes me sick to my stomach that because of the skin of your color your hated by another human being, as if you were born with a choice. My advise to the men incarcerated is only the strong survive, mentally and physically.

Film Festival Homework

Professor Devine introduced me to the Film Festival; he made in announcement in the beginning of the semester. He stated that attending the Film Festival would be a requirement for his class and to make sure we each attend at least one day. I was very excited because usually I attend the Tribeca Film Festival every year. I enjoy watching new films, learning about different cultures, meeting new people (film directors), and learning about the technology of films. I actually volunteered Saturday and Sunday for the Film Festival in Plattsburgh and it was amazing. I enjoyed meeting new people from Plattsburgh that was responsible for creating Plattsburgh Film Festival. I was unable to see all of the films because I was working those days. However, I was able to see the panel discussion for prison block, Autumn Leaves, and Selections from Arts in the Exile: Tibetan Treasures in Small Town America. After watching these films I was inspired I felt like I can create a film about my life or my experiences. I look forward to creating a film of my very own thanks to the inspiration of the films that I watched. Attending this Film Festival was more than what I expected; the Strand Theatre itself was beautiful, it reminded me a lot of the Apollo in Harlem NYC. Overall, this was an amazing event that I appreciated being apart of thanks to the referral of my Professor Michael Devine. Thanks to Professor Devine I was introduced to film directors, Plattsburgh town people, and Professors of SUNY Plattsburgh (I even reunited with a few of my Professors). This experience expanded my horizons on the world of film that I never knew existed.    

Reflection

Our first class discussion on “Tree of Life” started with an introduction of the Book of Job, I’ve never heard of this before but I was interested to learn more about it. Clearly I didn’t pay attention in Sunday school, but I digress. Professor Devine explained to the class the biblical story of the Book of Job, I figured the reason why we were discussing this story was because it had something to do with the next movie, Tree of Life that we were going to watch. Movie night came, I watched the film “Tree of Life” and it was like I blinked and the entire movie was over, I had no idea what I just watched. The characters in the movie barely spoke and when they did speak they spoke soft and it was just very weird and a different experience. Every time I blinked my eyes it was another scene that connected or disconnected with the pervious one. Before I knew it the film was over and Professor Devine was turning the lights back on, as I walked out of the classroom I asked my peers what in the world did we just watch? They could barely explain a thing as well but, we all came to an agreement that we would make sure Professor Devine explained to us the essence of this film (he has a way of combining the entire class thoughts together to make us think that all of our thoughts are correct) but we wasn’t going to stand for it this time. The next day in class the entire had a million questions, what about the dinosaurs? How many kids were there? Did someone die? Did one of the brothers disappear? How come one of the brothers didn’t speak? What is this film really about is all I wanted to know. But of course Professor Devine wasn’t done expanding our mind by any means necessary so we can figure out the pieces to the puzzle ourselves. But, that was fine with me I like challenges. Next class we went over the tale of Peter Rabbit, Peter was a Rabbit that was told by his father to never enter the neighbors garden but, he did and when he did he got scared and had a hard time escaping from the garden. At this point, I must admit I did give up because, I didn’t understand exactly how they were related. Yea I know I noticed that in one scene that Professor Devine showed the class the father was telling the boys not to go into the neighbors garden; but what exactly does that have to do with anything? Why is that so important to understanding the film? I had no idea and I began to get frustrated, therefore I asked my peers to help me understand the connection. One of my peers explained perhaps Peter Rabbit connected to the Garden of Eden (now we’re getting somewhere I thought) but I’m unaware of all these biblical stories once again. Therefore I went back to the drawing bored, did a little research on what exactly the Garden of Eden was and I couldn’t understand what I was reading (I didn’t pay attention during Sunday school). Then, Professor Devine asked the class to research rotten tomatoes and try to make sense of what some of the critics were saying. I reviewed two different rotten tomatoes and FINALLY a positive outcome I made connections to the aspects, details, and theme of the film the critics explained. I learned how to connect the beginning of the film with the essence of the entire film through one little piece of light. Light who knew one scene of a film can mean so much? Who knew that the reason behind Jacks flashbacks as a child would be because he was scared by his father tough love actions? Who knew? I didn’t that’s who? Next we were assigned to read “Our Town” this was the deal breaker for me, Our Town finally put everything into perspective, at least I think. “Our Town” connected to “Tree of Life” because the girl Emily was living a dream the entire time, she died as a child and the entire play surrounded her living her life and appreciating the precious life of a human being; which is the same thing Jack tried to do as a child. Overall, this was one hell of an experience with this film “Tree of Life” it killed me not understanding the film for so long, I almost lost my mind. I was so desperate I asked Professor Devine’s wife to give me an insight; I as a human being few what I don’t understand. But what I gathered from “Our Town” and “Tree of Life” is there is more to life, life is precious because it’s a real human experience once your gone there is no way to get back the full effect of your child hood or life all you have to hold onto is memories and the what will always be their since the dinosaurs has been alive, nature.

Our Town

I was first introduced to the play “Our Town” in class; Professor Devine showed the class the beginning of “Our Town” and this play was nothing like any play I’ve ever seen before. I’m from New York City so, of course I’ve been to Broadway plays before I’ve seen the Lion King, Matilda, Annie, you name it but nothing ever before like “Our Town”. I was opened to expanding my horizons to a different kind of play but no props? What is a play without props? If that was the case then I’ll just a read a book I thought to myself. The opening of “Our Town” started with a man standing in the middle of a stage telling the audience what was about to take place and all the imaginary props throughout the stage. My initial thought was perhaps he wants the audience to focus on the plot of the play or something that’s more important to the play, the props, glitz and glam would distract the audience from actually focusing on the message the director was trying to convey. I then went on to read “Our Town” that night after class and I figured it would connect to “Tree of Life” some way or some how. I read Act 1 I understood the play there were two families and a boy and girl that liked each other that were neighbors. Then, in Act 11 it was three years later and the boy and girl was about to get married. Lastly, in Act 111 it was nine years later and the girl died, I was a bit confused how she died in childbirth. She comes back into her life in order to reflect, she reenters her “life” basically as a ghost and she at her tweleth birthday party. At that moment she realizes that she didn’t appreciate all aspects of her life she sees how happy her and her family were; now that she is dead she sees the true beauty of life. The overall essence of “Our Town” was humans do not appreciate their human experiences and how brief and precious life actually is, just as in “Tree of Life”. Jack wasn’t the brother that died but throughout the film there are many important scenes and memories of Jack with his brother before he died. Which leads me to infer that he appreciated the precious moments he did share with his brother before he died even though, he did have a personal disconnection with his father. The scenes in “Tree of Life are memories of how quick life flashes before you; you only remember certain things in life, then it flashes right before your eyes and want to relive the memories again therefore you constantly think about it over and over again. “Tree of Life” express that there are two ways of life through grace and nature; however being that “Our Town” is one in the same with “Tree of Life” I now have a better understanding of “Tree of Life”, minus the biblical aspects.