Project Brief 1- The past and present..variations in tone.

I viewed an exhibition of photographs today that took archival photographs of Melbourne and duplicated the shots in the current day. The photographer matched the position and perspective of the camera in the original shot and exhibited the photos alongside each other. I found the results quite startling. The tone of the old photographs reminded me of the tone of ‘The Dressmaker’ and how a quieter tone seemed authentic to an earlier time.
The exhibition brought to mind, for me, thoughts about the accuracy of memory and the altered pace of everyday life. The more faded and less frenzied ambience of the archival photo’s contrasted dramatically with the contemporary frames full of new buildings, plants, modern vehicles, and reflected the plethora of new thinking and issues that flood contemporary life with a frenetic and tumultuous energy. It highlighted the turbulent and confusing atmosphere of our times. I contemplated the difficulty for us to untangle the skeins of our hectic activities to discover a balance and peace from which we may make more judicious and insightful choices, pursue activities and relationships that may resonate more closely with our highest aspirations for ourselves and for those around us.
In reflecting on my beliefs of reincarnation and the journey of our souls or higher selves, the importance of finding a contemplative peace and harmony in life seemed ever more critical and difficult in a world full of distractions and the imperatives of others. Overwhelmed by our hectic and tempestuous lives we rarely allocate any time in a day to seek the peaceful solace of communing with our inner being, our souls or the opportunity to connect with the great love and encouragement of our friends and ancestors. We struggle with loneliness and depression and mental illness, unable to find a sometimes simple solution to our problems. We find it difficult to simply sit and and seek our inner peace and discover another world, all around us, full of love and peace and good advice.
I consider these themes important for the direction of my screenwriting and the development of characters. We all share an essentially simple fundamental desire..the wish to be happy. I would add to that the desire not to harm others, and not to create karma which ties us, though hate, love and desire, to an eternity of repetition, entanglement and regret.