11′09″01
It’s just fitting. I can forget it’s September 11 on a sunny warm day in Paris. Cars are moving, people are meeting, kisses float in the wind, and someone is taking a nap. I went to visit my friend who just had twins. I carried a baby in my arms for the first time and was horrified at his weight. Babies smell funny and their regard is direct but dazed.
Then I got home late, after gossiping, and turned on the television, to Arte, and caught the second half of 11"09"01, a film assembled from eleven short films by eleven directors. I don’t know really if this event can continue to be mediated with real effect but it just won’t stop. Still, there were moments, there were certain films, that were something, that meant something. I don’t know. I became very numb to the 9-11 images the day of, and it just won’t go away. Shohei Imamura’s film, which had no direct reference to 9-11, satisfied me to no end. Then I went to the imdb board and saw all the different write-ups, everyone picking their favourite film, dissing others, and it made me sad. Why compare? Why the war with armchair critics?
I’m telling you this because I think different people deal with major events in different ways. (more…)
