I like making videos to talk about what matters to me. This video What is ecstatic dance? is four and a half minutes long, my attempt at a short overview, as opposed to a longer, in depth video I made about ecstatic dance last year. Please view and share with friends.
I also like making videos as a way of creating a little art. It’s fun to have multiple ways of documenting what’s important about my life. My mix of values and experiences is cool! I’m happy to share, if only with myself.
It’s been more than a year now, since I gave myself permission to make art videos. A result I didn’t predict is that I can revisit my own videos to give myself a dose of nourishment and meaning.
tamales eating
An example is a video I took of Ming eating tamales at the tamale fest in Las Vegas.
I love seeing Ming enjoy food or any pleasure. That fest was emotional because it was one of the first events we attended in Las Vegas once we knew we were going to move. We knew, but not everyone else did. It was that awkward time of deciding when to tell people, and what would happen to our roles once we announced it.
That’s why it was bittersweet, to love the tamale fest. Usually if we love an event, we say, “Wow, this is fun! Let’s come back next year!” But we knew we would probably never attend again, because we were leaving the valley.
There was an ache behind the fun we had there. Or something like the shadow of death–it had a tinge of loss and sadness.
ofrenda
Speaking of the shadow of death! I’m thinking about the solar return of my video making because I can see these Day of the Dead videos and view the ofrenda I made last year. Can’t believe it’s been a year.
Even though I don’t think I’ll visit any Day of the Dead celebrations this year, I can revisit in a way with my own videos. It’s better than watching the videos others took because I can use the videos to remember my own experiences.
I don’t watch movies, so it’s funny to be a filmmaker. It’s funny to do something many people do, these days.
Home videos used to be the realm of tech-obsessed dads and grandpas, in my experience. My mini-movies are cool, and I’m happy I finally let myself do that. Freedom is relaxing.
