Having purposefully avoided Terry George's film "Hotel Rwanda" upon its original theatrical release a few years back, I finally rented it this week. The time had come for me to experience it and face a filmmaker's vision of some of the events of 1994. But, after a scene in which a red cross worker comes back to the hotel from an orphanage in tears because all the Tutsi children had be dragged away before she could get to them...i turned it off. Then of course, there was the pain of watching a loving couple, where the man was Hutu and the wife, Tutsi, look into one another's faces with absolute raw fear of being ripped from one anothers arms. An orphanage cleansed. People dragged out of their front doors...I could not bear it. I have to complete the viewing of that at some point. It's important. Chris has to watch it with me. I can't do it alone.
in one of my earlier blogs, i wrongfully described the film business as a place of "individually-focused" needs. My statement didn't feel accurate, although i have witnessed a host of ego-centric personalities on many a big-budgeted, badly-written studio film. Yes, that exists, but quality filmmaking (like Hotel Rwanda) is the kind of work that I originally developed a deep passion and love for. the art of telling rich stories through moving pictures.
In the film, some of the Hutu-controlled radio broadcasts can be overheard. I've read often of the Tutsis being referred to as "cockroaches". But there were also commands being issued saying "we must cut the tall trees. Cut the tall trees!!" One of the few physical differences between a hutu human and a tutsi human is simply that, the tutsi is a little bit taller.
Earlier in the week, I sat with Edison parent/friend/artist Nery again. Another quality conversation spanning many topics. Over coffee, we spoke of the significance of using wood. the symbol of the tree. Trees represent life. They give life to we humans--clean our air, absorb our pollutants, shade us, shelter us. So, using recycled lumber in the sculpture is a way for some aspect of some trees to live on and breathe life into spirits no longer here.
Eleanor P is a designer/decorator/pal who is the epitome of aesthetics. She had suggested using cut up tree rings to enhance the visual design, instead of just scrap boards of lumber. I tucked that idea in my mental back pocket. And a few days ago, friend deniz emailed me to say that she has a beautiful, large ash tree at their home. it's roots are extremely invasive. she wondered if they eventually had to cut it down, could i use the wood for part of the piece? herein lies an example of 3 more people adding to the concept and meaning of the sculpture.
I've enjoyed sharing this blog with many familiar faces. However, there are some dominant spanish speaking acquaintances at edison who i have yet to share this with, due to my 2nd language inadequacies. I'd like to find a high school or college student who could get some sort of extra credit for translating this blog into spanish.
I feel like i'm presently living my days in a way that genuinely serves my body, mind and spirit quite harmoniously. in the past, some aspect of that triangle has always been out of whack. Too much of one thing, not enough of the other. Absolute deprivation of another. This project is really expanding and challenging my MIND. My family, friends, yoga and reading on meditation and mindfulness richly serve my SPIRIT. And kickboxing strengthens the BODY. It will keep my arms strong for hammering. And last night, we had to do a long series of high, straight kicks on the big bag. So fun. I noticed that when i trained my mind on something, my kicks were 3 times as powerful. I'd kick a machete out of the hand of hatred. Then kick a machete out of the hand of intolerance. Kick a machete out of the hand of discrimination. Kick a machete out of the hand of a shriveled, blackened heart devoid of its last ounce of love. Kick, kick, kick. It was a really satisfying class. Fallen machetes everywhere.
