It was a hectic day. Barrages of emails, meetings, and had to deliver a product for review the next morning. And even with a packed work schedule, I went to Toronto's Startup Open House and met couple of start-ups and entrepreneurs. Then went to work, had an advil and off I went for Buffer Film Festival at the Elgin Theatre.
I wasn't really sure what I was expecting when it came to actually going there. I know I wanted to be with my friends, but it was a bit of a mystery as to what I would be watching.
Basically about 12 Youtubers - primarily into travel and adventure - showcased short films that they produced. It was vastly varied - from about 2 minutes of pure cinematic, breathtaking visuals, to 15 mins of dry, uninspired, apparent attempt of a mini-feature film. Weirdly enough, these two started and ended the festival respectively.
I really enjoyed a handful of them. And I guess I wanted to look back into what those films meant to me because at the end of the day, any such visual art, or art pieces in general, are subject to varied interpretations. The artist themselves have a vision but often times, you interpret it in your own way. And that's fine, I would hope. You can't possibly have the same vision as all, then things wouldn't be enticing or captivating.
So the first one that felt important to me is about how family and your friends change your perception, shape who you are in a world with so many personalities. This rather seems like a simple thing to grasp but how often do we take a step back and see who are the people that are driving our particular vision? I used to be fairly negative about where things are headed, but some took the chance to make me think otherwise. And sure, some of it was within me, this fire to prove something to myself, but I would imagine a lot of my immediate world is shaped by these familiar faces, personalities. When they are excited to hang out with you. When they are willing to come pick you up. When they would ask if you are free. And when you meet, there isn't a sky-high expectation as to how things will go, you are rather content as to whatever it is, in that simple moment. It might be a random conversation, it might be a meal somewhere, it might be rants while crossing roads - they aren't anymore, the larger than life moments. They are the simple moments, that linger with you, for days, months, years to come.
I really enjoyed facetime friends. Why? I guess personally I can connect. You often times communicate with people and have some expectations of what it would mean and be like when you meet face to face. Then you meet them, and the conversations run dry. You are surprised - how could it be like this? You search for answers in their face, their way of interactions, but nothing quite prepared you for this. How is it that in-person meeting can be so tremendously different? The protagonist meets a friend that he has kept in touch for 3 years, without ever meeting in-person, and yet while most would have at least expected things to be amicable, it quickly turned sour. The surprise, the shock, the lack of emotional sentiment reverberated between the two, to the point that, once the protagonist went back to Toronto, their friendship gradually came to an end. Sometimes you have more vested interest in another being, than the other being in you. And you might want to reconcile why that is the case but sometimes, it's just not something you can explore much into.
Overall, there was a great sentiment across the films. It touched on the scope of individuality, what is important to oneself - home, family, friends, a greater sense of purpose, love, connection, siblings, and truly the closed ones. It wasn't surprising that although the content vastly varied, what tied them all together was the fact that we are shaped by our surroundings, more specifically the humans around us. They consciously/sub-consciously alters where we are headed to next, or even in the present circumstances. And as simple as it may appear, honestly, why should it be any more complicated?
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