Life in a Day (2011)

Let me start by thanking my dear friend, Austin Elliott for recommending such an innovative film to me. For as long as I've known him he's mentioned a project he knew about a year ago where YouTube and The National Geographic asked people around the world to film themselves for a day. The same day, July 24th, 2010.

<<SPOILER ALERT>>

Now I will go ahead and spoil something very important that I wish I knew about. A cow is slaughtered about half way through the film. I had to pause it and regroup before continuing because I can only take so much. And even though I really appreciate what this film has accomplished, I would have been as affected is it were just insinuated. Maybe you disagree.
This film is a compilation of hundreds of people all over the world. Just a day in their life.
Starting with people getting into bed from partying the night before to hundreds of people waking up and waking their kids up. Having breakfast and starting their day. Have you ever wondered about the routines of other people on the other side of the world? This film puts on a chronological order of the different routines. There is a sequence of births that made me a little queasy but really touched me.
One of my favorite stories is that of Okhwan Yoon, a Korean man who bicycles around the world. I think I'd like to do that...I'll start small, maybe bike from Wilmington to SC this summer. Who's with me?
Then there was this lady with a chicken bag & a Canadian flag. (If you watch this film, tell me what you think of her..)
This film asks several questions, What do you love, what do you fear, what's in your pocket. I'm remembering a writing exercise I was given in the very first week of school for screenwriting. It was called Le Menu. (I can't remember why, but I do remember thinking that was a ridiculous name for the exercise.) This exercise asked 20 questions to help guide you in writing creatively. Basic "what do you treasure, love, fear, miss, regret" and so on. They are important questions that help you get to know someone. So you get to see the responses of many different cultures. A recurring fear was God. No matter the religion, their 'god' is what they feared most. Interesting.
Another very interesting thing to watch was the last Love Parade in Germany. 21 deaths and 500 injuries, there are clips of the crowds in the tunnel and the casualties of the loveparade. It was an electronic dance music festival in Berlin since the late 80s.
The film ends on a bit of a creepy 'darker side of humanity' note. With some girl I'd like to quote..."I want people to know I'm here, that I exist."Perfect explanation as to why people even own a camera. To make their mark in this world. The reason there were thousands of submissions for this project.
There are 6,982,109,471 people in this world right now. Or at least when I post this blog. And I wish I could meet most of them.