We Are All Going To Die - A Night At The YouTube Space

We Are All Going To Die - A Night At The YouTube Space

Friday, 27 February 2015

After a complete and utter fail on my behalf regarding the BFI I found myself at the YouTube space in London on Monday. Not only to see the two short films being showcased but also to have a mini happy 21st celebration with a best friend... and get confused by the lifts at Google. The two films mentioned were Rocks That Bleed by Bertie Gilbert and The Fleeting Little Life of Peter Wright by Tim H and Sammy Paul.

The event appropriately titled 'We Are All Going To Die' explored the themes of well, death. Both tackled and explored the issues perfectly with the right amount of maturity and sensitivity.

Film for me is something that I hold dear. Not only can it form the basis for friendships and provide some bonding time it sparks debate and conversations. Say you're having a shitty or stressful day, you can come home and immerse yourself into a story perhaps for a little bit of escapism or comfort. Film can teach you things, open your mind to new ideas and ultimately inspire. I've also noticed as you get older you see films differently and begin to question why certain characters do and say the things they do. Like those Buzzfeed childhood ruiner posts on Disney classics.

SPOILER KLAXON

If you haven't watched anything go watch them and come back.

Rocks That Bleed

Rocks That Bleed follows the story of two brothers. Sidney the younger of the two, an artist who has presumably expressed himself through his art in the silent period between the brothers, played by Bertie Gilbert and Joe the more Jack-the-lad type, with many a witty line played by Jack Howard (no pun intended, okay maybe a little)

The brothers are opposites therefore creating hindrances in their relationship which is only strengthened by their lack of communication spanning over a year and a half. As the world seemingly comes to an end the two reunite to spend their final hours together with a series of flashbacks that provide enough back story but also leave some elements open to interpretation. What I took away from it was the importance of relationships and that's something I definitely have personal ties to. That when it comes down to those final moments, what matters? We get blinded by many things through our lives and can begin to forget the important factors and those we love, even if the relationship isn't perfect to begin with. The story definitely provokes an emotional response as we see the exteriors break down nearing the end. The characters (the rocks) have built this front to each other that "everything's fine." As the story develops and we learn more about the characters and those pent up emotions start to bleed out.

The cinematography is absolutely stunning, the constant red tones only amplifying the tension as well as the captivating performances. I have to say I hadn't seen any of Bertie's films before seeing RTB, but I am more than impressed that something so complex has been created and executed so successfully.

The Fleeting Little Life of Peter Wright

The Fleeting Little Life of Peter Wright has a lot more of a lighter feel to it in comparison to RTB however still explores the theme of suicide delicately without making a joke out of suicide and mental health. A risk, but one for me that worked.

The film begins as we see Peter, played by Steven Dodds, about to attempt to kill himself just as his roomate Jenny played by Alice Ann Stacey comes home in which the scene hits the right amount of humor when discussing spaghetti hoops and the Monday morning commute delayed by bodies on tracks. One of the biggest questions I took from TFLLOPW was, is Jenny real? My personal opinion is that she was real and in fact committed suicide herself hence why she was mentioned in the suicide DVD and seems to be a big part of Peters life. Lauren viewed it as she was never real like for instance there is only one plate. Perhaps a figure of his imagination.

A favourite and thought provoking moment is from Jenny's monologue on the rooftop.

"I don't know what it is about being suicidal that makes people treat you like a fucking six year old. 'cos to be honest, it is a bit shit... is it really that surprising that the thought of suicide crosses our minds every now and then? That little voice that tells you to jump, those moments when you remind yourself how thin the line is... and it's easier to shut them down, to suppress them, slap a big suicidal label on anyone who dares to say them out loud... but are they not the most human thing?"

The shots are again beautifully done. Especially the scenes on the roof. Again I found this incredibly relate-able and was discussed after the screening. That in 2015, why is mental illness still seen as a taboo. In a room of about 100 people, a handful would have had some experience with mental illness be that personally or secondhand. It should be talked about. 

The whole evening for me was eye opening and inspiring. The discussions had were delivered in such a mature way without sugar coating anything. I've always wanted to let my creations be out there, writing wise yet never really felt like I could even dabble in film making or the writing process, but to be encouraged to keep on writing and try and express that creativity was some much needed advice to hear. So it could happen, it could not but there's no harm in trying. 

Thank you for a wonderful evening to all involved and I strongly suggest you watch these films. They show the real talent that's there on YouTube behind a lot of the facades. (oh the controversy) 

x

ps if you want to see a tiny snippet of the night, it's in my Feburary Vlog which can be found here because that's a thing I'm doing now #shamelessplug