Staff Pick Award for Palm Springs ShortFest 2022: "Meantime" by Michael T Workman |
I'm so sick of waiting.
Aren't you,
For the world to improve
Also beautiful and nice?
Let us take an axe
And cut the world into two pieces.
Check out what worms are eating
In the rind.
Langston Hughes Good Morning, Revolution: Uncollected Social Protest Writings
Winner of the Staff Pick Award at Palm Springs Shortfest 2022 will be "Meantime" by Michael T Workman. Michael planted a camera in his dad's home for the film a "deeply personal examination of memories as well as guilt, labour, and the attempt to preserve the fleeting." That's at least that's what its logline says. The beauty of this documentary is that it's not really about those vague descriptions of human sentiment. "Meantime" focuses a magnifying glass on the root of the evils that plague in the United States: capitalism, inhumane labor practices, inadequate care for people suffering from mental illness, as well as the reality that the American principle that says "pull yourself up by your bootstraps" is a physically impossible task. The documentary lays out the many methods by which the United States fails to fully ensure the wellbeing of its people all the way from birth until death. In the words of Michael eloquently states in our Q&A "
"It isn't obvious, but I believe that the topic of the film is the cruelty of capitalism. ...My dad is a product of a system which views people as "human resources," a system that treats people as "human resources" and dehumanizes them when they do not fit into a strict regime of labor exploitation. "
Filmmaking as stark like the harsh Montana winter its set in, "Meantime" is a movie about souls that were wounded but yet grew into caring and caring individuals.
We asked Michael some questions concerning the creation of this personal family photo and were awed by his kind and caring responses. Read on for excerpts from our discussion with Michael.
On inspiration:
"The idea for this film came to me after helping my dad digitize his videos from home. As I watched them I was struck by these deeply moving moment in the tiny and seemingly insignificant moments that my father captured. It was not the celebrations for birthdays, Christmas parties, or weddings that were the most touching. They were the times when my family members were in the middle and waiting for something significant to occur and then having a conversation, laughing or even arguing. In those moments I saw those I had known at different phases of their lives, and my perception of their lives became more granular. I'd always been opposed to creating personal film, however reviewing that footage and returning to Montana made me want to create this film ."
His tips on filming family:
"Working with your loved ones is so hard. Deciding when to stop the camera and just exist was the greatest challenge. In the middle of the session, my dad and I had stopped filming. I think I'm good with simply hiding behind my camera now. The best advice for filmmakers who work with families is to plan the times and events where you're planning to record and then use it as a limitation. Don't shoot everything all of the time and do not chase what's happening. You should think about what you'd like to film and then let the camera roll. When you are done it's finished. There will be things you miss but that's okay. The most important thing is to create a scenario in which the images you capture increase the likelihood of being deep and compelling. Then turn off the camera and go back to enjoying your everyday life ."
The reaction of his family to the movie:
"My family members have seen the movie. I gave it to my mother when I finished that; it was one of one of the most intense experiences I've had. Because this film is personal to me, I went through moments of being completely indifferent to it, and moments of profound emotion. While watching it with my mom, small details in the movie caused me to cry uncontrollably. This just shows how much the context of the people you're watching a movie with could profoundly alter the way you experience the film. It was a healing experience for both of us , and she learned more about the perspective of my father that she was unable to see at the time.
I was most nervous about showing the film to my father. We were going to watch it together but it wasn't the right time, so he decided to go watch the movie on his own. The moment he called me back to tell me that he had watched it at home, my heart broke. He said something along the like "Mike I saw your film, it's excellent, and I'll never go back to it." The primary source of stress for him was not the vulnerability of what was said, but rather it was watching himself on screen as well as hearing his own voice. It was the voice that made him feel uncomfortable (for myself too). )."
On challenges faced:
"The toughest part of making this film was creating distance between me and the movie. It's my belief that this is the main issue with personal projects and is where it fails most often. The personal films are often emotionally charged to the filmmaker but not the audience. I wanted to avoid the situation at all cost and try to separate myself from the film and think of it as something that does not know myself. Because I was the editor it was an ongoing problem. I was able to overcome this issue with the help of many trustworthy people near me who offered me truthful and constructive criticism ."
The things he'd like us to take into consideration when viewing the film:
"It might not seem evident, but I am convinced that the topic of this film is the inhumanity of capitalism. Ultimately, this is the root of my dad's inability to lead the life he wants to live in peace and comfort. Although abuse could be the cause of my father's struggles, the inability to recover of that experience is a social ill-effect, not an individual failure. My dad's story is the product of a society that treats the human being as "human resources" a system that dehumanizes people who cannot conform to a rigid system of exploitation and labor.
Capitalism gives working class people the choice of working or begging on the streets. While this is never explicitly stated in the film, it is the subterranean foundation of the plot. If people in my dad's situation had access to quality physical and mental health in the form of housing, food, and shelter and did not have to prove their humanity through working in terrible conditions They could lead happy and safe lives where they could focus on healing their trauma.
The key point of the title card that opens for the documentary is dad's stroke was brought on due to a panic attack during work because the company tried to make the most profit by not having enough staff in the nursing facility where he was working. I realized this was a recurring situation for him when I was making the film when I discovered that work stress rather than stress from having an unborn child was what contributed to my father's mental health crisis when I was a child.
I also hope that this film encourages viewers to treasure the time they get with their beloved ones and discuss trauma and hardship in a compassionate and open environment. The emotional heart of the film revolves around caring for our parents through being able to understand them as human beings and respecting the precious moments you spend with them ."
Michael's advice to aspiring film makers:
"I often inform my students that they should fight tooth and nail in order to retain their youthful enthusiasm to make movies. At every step the industry will attempt to force you into the middle of the road and make you who's tools. They will try to take the enjoyment out and make artificially high stakes for making some of the most sloppy media. Anyone who's been in a big advertising team knows this. The best advice I can give is to do things that make you feel excited regardless of whether your wage labour job doesn't. Continue to work on the films you make yourself or on pursuits that help you feel like an artist. If you're interested in Sundance, but you've lost the joy of filmmaking Why are you doing this ?"
What's next?
"I'm developing a feature documentary idea that will be an observational film with a character driven woven narrative set in a town that is mining in Montana. The project is in the beginning stages of its development and I'm not able to say about it currently.
I'm involved in a project about people who have work that they realize is entirely unproductive. If you're in a position similar to this, please reach out by email. The company is currently recruiting ."