
There’s been a lot of bad news, recently. Nothing affecting me directly, but it seems like people around me are caught in an endless wave of serious illness and the loss of parents and pets and other tragic events. Maybe that’s just life, and I’m only noticing because it’s midwinter, which always feels to me like a vast wasteland of suck anyway. But whatever the reason, it’s caused me to do a bit of reflecting about the preciousness of life. So when I saw this lovely short film, I knew I had to share.
This is “Backstory,” written and directed by German commercial director Joschka Laukeninks. He refers to the film as a “drama about humanity in live action.” In just seven minutes, the story takes us along the entire life of a man from birth to death, sharing with us all the significant moments in between. Laukeninks cleverly shot nearly all the scenes from behind the protagonist’s head, turning him into every man while using that vulnerable neck to somehow keep the viewer emotionally connected. And there’s a lot of surprises packed into those seven minutes.
I think the takeaway is to treasure the moments we have with the people we love. It’s easy to get distracted by things like career, status, and success. But in the end, no matter how much we acquire or achieve, nothing will matter as much as our relationships.
You can see more of Laukeninks’ beautiful work on his website.
January 14, 2018 at 7:27 am
Well that was unnverving. Will have to ponder that one …
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January 14, 2018 at 10:25 am
I know what you mean.
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January 14, 2018 at 9:20 am
Amazing. Beautiful. Disturbing.
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January 14, 2018 at 10:25 am
Yes. Definitely.
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January 14, 2018 at 9:23 am
Now I’m depressed. Not really. Well, maybe.
But…
I sat down this morning to work on my novel, Heather Girl, and, as is my habit, I scrolled through my WordPress feed, and, as is my habit, I checked out MyOBT for a bit of morning cheer. No, it’s not there this morning. Instead, the beautiful tragedy of life. Or is it the tragic beauty of life? My friend, my make-believe character, Heather, is coming to understand that tragic beauty and the value of relationships, as her health deteriorates and she sees ahead the inevitable. So no cheer from Donna, this morning. But thanks just the same for reminding me that poignant moments can be joyful, too.
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January 14, 2018 at 10:30 am
Sorry to deprive you of relief. Here’s something to cheer you up:
Now get back to work. That novel isn’t going to write itself!
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January 14, 2018 at 10:40 am
I’ll hold off on the puppies for a bit. I’m actually using the pathos of Backstory to drive my writing this morning. Writers need that mood, you know. Puppies this afternoon. Hope you have a great day!
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January 14, 2018 at 11:46 am
Excellent! I feel redeemed!
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January 14, 2018 at 9:40 am
Oh…very well put together and I can see why all of those awards are on his wall. Again…nothing new under the sun. life is a cycle.
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January 14, 2018 at 10:31 am
Certainly, but we can sometimes use a reminder…
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January 14, 2018 at 12:32 pm
Corgi’s???Oh how I miss my Tobie girl. She was so smart. One of the best friends ever.Maybe some day another one.
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January 14, 2018 at 11:10 am
Read the comments, watched the Corgis/kitten (so cute!), watched the main show. Exhaled. Whew, Donna. Talk about the quick and dirty…..
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January 14, 2018 at 11:47 am
True. But beautifully made, and I think quite good storytelling.
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January 14, 2018 at 12:29 pm
Carpe diem – no kidding!
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January 14, 2018 at 11:24 pm
Exactly!
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January 16, 2018 at 4:35 pm
Wow. That was staggering. It was beautifully filmed and incredibly evocative and hugely emotionally punchy. It was heart-breaking at points and definitely poignant. I really loved that it was all filmed from the back of his head so that we did not see his emotional responses to things expressed on his face until that one moment when we did and it was a memory. I thought that was a brilliant moment. I feel like I need a good cry now but I am glad I saw this film.
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January 16, 2018 at 5:29 pm
That’s just the roller coaster I was on watching it, too. Very moving and we’ll done.
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