June 22, 1999

My Friend's Movie

To me, the most unexpected happenstance of college was having friends who made movies. These are real movies, not some drunken mistakes recorded on whims with camcorders. These have scripts, casting, lighting, and even post-production. I've learned a lot about what goes into movie-making the past two years.

What has been really interesting are my friends who make a film as their senior theses. The stories they write are very interesting, probing deep into the human condition as some stodgy film critic would say. They talk about people and relationships and friends and trust and destiny and... the usual woes and whees of life. I don't think the films answer anything though. They just capture the moment and let the audience play the game of twenty million billion questions.

All I can say is that it has been a learning time with these friends of mine. Their movies have become ingrained in my mind. I even somewhat consult the films as guidance in life. Sometimes, it's best to pick it all up and drive away, and other times it's good for a friend to point out to two people that they are retards about life.

I've learned from my friends' movies.
I've learned from life.
What's the diff?