1. Craigslist Joe
Throughout the many wondrous experiences and awe-inspiring adventures in life are challenging obstacles which lead one off life’s set path. Craigslist Joe is a film that examines the kindness of others as Joe lives off the generosity of strangers for one month. His adventures begin in his hometown of Los Angeles where is has nothing but the clothes on his back, laptop, and phone. He begins his journey feeling as though there is no hope, sleeping on a park bench without having eaten in many hours (Craigslist Joe). However, through this adventure he finds the goodness in others and himself. Although he feels completely lost, especially in the beginning of his exciting journey, through this experience he finds himself and who he wants to be. Often times unknown adventures, such as the one Joe embarks upon, are terrifying yet thrilling. As he travels across the United States, he faces many challenges, such as not having a place to sleep and nothing to eat, and he continually pushes on, despite many times wanting to give up (Craigslist Joe). In the central image, the hand is reaching for the unknown, not knowing what it will reach. This symbolizes Joe taking his adventure day by day, concerned yet excited to see what is in store for him next. He is impacted by each of his encounters, the people he meets, and their stories. As an example, Joe meets a Pakistani family, all of who welcome him into their home without any hesitation whatsoever (Craigslist Joe). Through this family Joe sees hope for humanity. He is able to find himself in a moment of difficulty, at a time when he thought about giving up. He is able to realize that he has grown immensely from his journey; through the people he meets, the experiences, and the lessons learned. After coming back from his incredible journey, he is welcomed home with a surprise from his family and while explaining his story, he is overcome with emotion (Craigslist Joe). As Joe reflects on his journey, he realizes the immense impact that it had on him and how much was able to grow from it. Through it all; struggles, triumphs, laughter, tears, joy, and sadness, Joe was able to grown through each experience into a stronger, more self-aware, self-confident individual.
2. Seven Pounds
Life is unpredictable, unknown, and fragile. In just an instant, a world
can be shattered into a million pieces, just like that of Ben Thomas. Ben is a
man who makes the biggest mistake of his life, texting while driving, and in
the midst of his terrible mistake kills seven people (Seven Pounds). It was a brief moment in which it seems nothing
could go wrong, yet all that could go wrong did. In the blink of an eye Ben’s
world turns upside down, changing his future forever. Ben is constantly wishing
to turn back time to undo what has been done and return to his prior life, yet the struggle becomes a part of Ben's story. To make up for the precious lives lost, Ben
Thomas is on a mission to save seven lives by taking his own (Seven Pounds). The central image
portrays what Ben wishes he could take back. It shows a hand reaching out into
a blurry swirl of dots, seemingly similar to that of the glass flying of the
broken windshield of the car during the horrific accident. He is reaching for
what is, and what once was. Despite the tragedy, Ben realizes the importance of
moving forward with his life and learning from the past. He decides to save seven lives by donating his organs after taking his own life. As Ben is committing
suicide, the scenes flash back and forth between what is and what once was,
showing his journey (Seven Pounds).
Although Ben causes pain to multiple people, he chooses to move on with life in
a way unlike many would, and that enables him to save the same number of lives
he lost. Ben has a journey unlike any other, full of darkness, yet through the
darkness, Ben is able to find glimpses of light and hope to continue on with
his journey. It is short and fragile, yet life is made up of small moments,
each fragile, and each counting more than the next.
3. Ceremony
Life
is full of obstacles, some easy, some difficult, some overwhelming, but all
part of the story of life. Struggles exist in each and every life story,
especially for a veteran soldier by the name of Tayo. After the war, Tayo suffers from post traumatic
stress, which often occurs after an extreme emotional trauma (Ceremony). Tayo has a difficult time
accepting and moving on from his past. Through storytelling, Tayo is able to accept his past, learn from it, and movie past his struggles. Tayo is
a half-breed and is left with is Aunt from a very young age. Throughout the
book, Tayo is often made fun of because of his background (Ceremony). The central image represents Tayo reaching for the
light. Tayo is constantly surrounded by darkness, trying to escape from his
past. He reaches for the light, and
slowly but surely finds peace with his past and hope for the future. It is easy
to give up and quit, yet it takes a strong person to continue through constant
struggles. As a child, Tayo was neglected and constantly told he is not good
enough (Ceremony). Tayo uses his post traumatic stress, surviving a difficult
childhood, and constantly being made fun of, as tools to learn and grow as a
person. As difficult as it may be, one must find a way around the obstacles of
life, whether it be over, under, around, or even through. These obstacles and
struggles are part of the story that gives one strength and makes one who they
are and it is through these struggles that lead to interpersonal growth.
4. PressPausePlay
As
technology continues to develop and grow so does the opportunities for people
across the world. PressPausePlay is a film that explores the advances of modern day
technology and the effects of technology around the world. Olafur Arnalds is a
classical musician who uses his power of music to seek out someone across the
world to assist him in creating a music video (PressPausePlay). After a huge response, Olafur Arnaldas was able to
find a man from Argentina who created the perfect music video. Without the use
of technology, the connection between these individuals would have been highly
improbable, if not impossible. Along with the concept of advances in
technology, Olafur Arnaldas also impacts the lives of others through his music.
As he directs the orchestra in the intimidating, large, and famous music halls,
he hopes that even if it does not sound good to the audience, he is doing
sometime good (PressPausePlay). Life
is not only about the journey of one’s self, but also about the journey of
others. The central image shows how, although from completely different
cultures, the world has found a way to communicate with technology. The light
represents the hope for a continued advancement, while the hands show the
connection between two different people, far away, yet so close. It is crazy to
think how much technology has vastly improved in the recent years. It has
become not only a want, but a necessity. Olafur Arnaldas says that the journey
is the most important part, not the destination (PressPausePlay). The journey of the creation of new technology has
come an incredibly long way, and continues to grow. As Olafur Arnaldas journeys
through his life, he has made it a goal to impact the lives of others through
his music, adding to the journeys of others he meets. Although many times a
struggle, life is a winding road full of ups and downs, yet the bumps in the
road are as big as one makes them.
5. Media
Media
has become one of the most essential pieces of society today in which a vast
majority of people rely on. Although it may seem as though a film is simply
made for entertainment, there is so much more. Mise-en-scene is described as
the visual aspects that help in telling the story (http://classes.yale.edu/film-analysis/htmfiles/mise-en-scene.htm). As people journey
through life, mise-en-scene gives the audience a view into the character’s
world and journey. Along with the mise-en-scene of an image, the lighting also
helps establish the story of a character.
Lighting has a profound effect on the way an image is viewed and helps
create an image where the subject either stands out or blends in (http://classes.yale.edu/film-analysis/htmfiles/mise-en-scene.htm). In
this image, the lighting is used to make the subject stand out. The lighting of
the sky makes the audience feel as though the subject is reflecting on a
journey. Another aspect of media is visual literacy and the pose of the
character within an image. For example, in this image, the subject is standing
in the Christ pose (Media). This often symbolizes sacrifice; sacrifice of a
journey and sacrifice of one’s self. Through media, the audience is able to
infer many different aspects from something as simple as the lighting used,
where the subject is and their pose, and the location of the image. The central
image is able to portray how close one can come to experiencing the character’s
journey through media. Through the many different aspects of media, the
audience is able to step into the world of a character and experience the
character’s journey.
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