Over a span of a few days, I have been watching a couple of interesting films and videos on the net and I never tire to be amazed by the richness of imagination and creativity human beings have across the world. Yet at the same time, they have also served as our saviours from depression and loneliness.
I thought of these three films for each one is different and gives us a reason to smile and the resolve to follow our dreams…
Film- Frank Gehry- Sketches of Frank Gehry (2006)
Director: Sydney Pollack
This documentary film emerges out of various interviews and chats with the architect Frank Gehry and his urge to build unconventional architectural structures, going against the grain of the accepted norms . Some may disagree with his ideas and feel that his works are outrageous and unnecessary. Others see them as marvelous and absolutely, f-a-n-t-a-s-t-i-c! I confess I belong to the second group for I see a man who believes in his visions, finds joy in creating things and then experiences the process of seeing his works being translated into reality. And he has been fortunate to have people who believed in them and help him to realize it as well.Film- The Cats of Mirikitani (2006)
Director : Linda Hattendorf
A documentary on the homeless Japanese artist, “Jimmy” Mirikitani and his life. What intrigued me was how the 80-year-old man believed in himself and his art during the 20 years when he found himself homeless after his employer had died. He made sketches and drawings, which he could sell. He survived by creating art even during the most trying circumstances. Yet he was embittered by the WW II and the tragic Hiroshima war where most of his family were wiped out. The film sees him changing over time and eventually coming to terms with his past and most importantly, teaching art and having his work reach a wider audience. The credit goes to the director, Linda, for helping him by contacting his remaining relatives, the social security office and the retirement centre to rehabilitate him in the New York environment.I searched the net to find out more about him and whether the happy story continues. Mirikitani is still alive and he is 92 years old today, living in his retirement apartment since 2002 and continues to paint.
Arvind Gupta: Turning trash
into toys for learning( 2011)
Ted channel : http://www.ted.com/talks/arvind_gupta_turning_trash_into_toys_for_learning.html
I am glad that I stumbled
upon this gem for it is refreshing and heartening to see that we do not always
have to resort to expensive or ugly toys to learn something. Arvind Gupta’s
toys are made from trash-be it a straw, a button or a plastic cup and yet how
he combines them together to create new toys or even for our educational
learning. The principle is simple and yet so compact. His childlike enthusiasm
and joy in his creations was infectious and worth being infected!
Mr Gupta also has a website arvindguptatoys.com
which contains the books and photographs of how to create these toys. I checked
out one post on the rainbow colours and marveled at the simplicity of the whole
experiment. Thank god, we have a man who left Telco to teach us the thrill of
creating our own inventions in this hi-tech and digital era.
At the end of the day,
technology can never replicate the experience of working and creating with our
hands and we must never forgo these pleasures during our lifetime. Promise and
stand by it.
