Pacifist Statement

In my original production schedule I had aimed to have all the dialogue finalised by the 17th March, which is tomorrow. Unfortunately I had seriously underestimated how hard I was going to find writing this. I have pages of notes (of which I will include some photographic evidence) and plenty of ideas and some drafts on the kind of things I would like to say but whenever I've gone to put these things together I have been really unhappy and  with how they've sounded. I spoke to my Mum about the problems I was having with this and it's only through speaking to her I realised the reason behind my struggle. I'm anxious about putting out there my true feelings. I think the reason for being so hesitant is because I am trying to outline some of the faults I believe there to be in today's modern living whilst still being a part of that way of life. I have really cherished my time at uni and I've enjoyed my course, but it is also during this time that I have grown up a huge amount and began to realise how different my opinions where when first entering into a fashion based hair and makeup degree.  I don't wish to attack the experience I've had over the last three years, but I am trying to make a stand against a lot of the things that have been brought to my attention during my studies.

Siegfried Sassoon

Mum recommended I look at a famous statement written by the pacifist Siegfried Sassoon. Sassoon was a British poet and writer who fought as a soldier during the First World War. After two years in the forces, a letter by Sassoon was published in The Times which caused a stir with it's claims that the war was beings purposefully prolonged by the government. I think this letter is still incredibly relevant today and when I read it I felt as though much of what Sassoon was saying could be related to a different kind of war: The war against self confidence, or as mentioned in a post below, the encouragement towards the "Cult of Self".

Below is Sassoon's statement.

 'I am making this statement as an act of wilful defiance of military authority, because I believe that the war is being deliberately prolonged by those who have the power to end it.

I am a soldier, convinced that I am acting on behalf of soldiers. I believe that this war, upon which I entered as a war of defence and liberation, has now become a war of aggression and conquest. I believe that the purposes for which I and my fellow-soldiers entered upon this war should have been so clearly stated as to have made it impossible to change them, and that, had this been done, the objects which actuated us would now be attainable by negotiation.

I have seen and endured the sufferings of the troops, and I can no longer be a party to prolong those sufferings for ends which I believe to be evil and unjust.

I am not protesting against the conduct of the war, but against the political errors and insincerities for which the fighting men are being sacrificed.

On behalf of those who are suffering now I make this protest against the deception which is being practised on them; also I believe that I may help to destroy the callous complacency with which the majority of those at home regard the continuance of agonies which they do not share, and which they have not sufficient imagination to realise.'

I'm so happy I have been introduced to Sassoon. After reading through this several times I felt as though I really have something to work with here in relation to the dialogue for my film. After all, my piece has always been about my personal response to this 'attack' against humanity just as this letter is a personal response to an 'attack' against soldiers. Also, I have all these ideas and half constructed sentences but creating a solid format or order in which to place these scribbled notes is something I've really struggled with. Perhaps the layout of this statement could be a good foundation on which to build my personal letter.

Lupita Nyong'o Speech on Beauty

After her recent Oscar win, actress Lupita Nyong'o gave a touching speech at the annual Black Women in Hollywood Luncheon, when she collected an award for Best Breakthrough Performance. In this video, Lupita addresses the curse of western perceptions of beauty and her personal battle with confidence: 

She talks about how she experienced the same disappointment everyday, as her reflection in the mirror didn't change, no matter how much she willed it to. She talks of how the colour of her skin was an obstacle, which stopped her from feeling beautiful. Even after watching the black model Alek Wek being praised for her skin colour and beauty on the television, Lupita makes an interesting comment; "It was perplexing and I wanted to reject it because I had begun to enjoy the seduction of inadequacy.". And this is what I think is most damaging about the society we live in. Through our television and the internet, we are continuously fed a look and a lifestyle that we are led to believe will result in our happiness if we can somehow obtain it. As we continuously fail to meet the standards set, we become so familiar with the feelings of inadequacy, failure and self-loathing. What is really scary about this mental state, is how comfortable it can be. It's safe, removed from a place where potential failure is possible, but instead an accepted way of life. With so many people existing within this mind set, no wonder personal growth, compassion and gratitude are slipping away from so many. 

When speaking of her own struggle with the concept of beauty, Lupita says "Suddenly I realised beauty was not a thing I could acquire or consume, it was something that I just had to be and what my mother meant when she said that 'you can't eat beauty' was that you can't rely on how you look to sustain you. What actually sustains us, what is fundamentally beautiful, is compassion for yourself and for those around you. That kind of beauty inflames the heart and enchants the soul." She goes on to suggest that the little girl to whom she is indirectly aiming this speech towards, who represents all those who feel inferior to their beauty rivals, that whilst feeling the validation of their external beauty, it is the deeper business of being beautiful on the inside which truly counts. "There is no shade in that beauty."

The Cult of Self

Recently, a good friend introduce me to the non-profit organisation and magazine, Adbusters. The Canadian project, founded by Kalle Lasn and Bill Schalz in 1989 seeks to educate and comment, bringing together like minded individuals on topics such as anti-consumerism and pro-environment. Adbusters describe themselves as "a global network of artists, activists, writers, pranksters, students, educators and entrepreneurs who want to advance the new social activist movement of the information age."

I have read their magazine and follow their Facebook page and often find myself sparing a few minutes to read any posts that I might come across. Today's post seemed most appropriate, bringing together the collective issues that I think hinder modern societies ability to appreciate real beauty. Here is what I read:

"It is the cult of self that is killing the United States.

This cult has within it the classic traits of psychopaths: superficial charm, grandiosity and self-importance; a need for constant stimulation; a penchant for lying, deception and manipulation; and the incapacity for remorse or guilt.

This is also the ethic promoted by corporations. It is the ethic of unfettered capitalism. It is the misguided belief that personal style and personal advancement, mistaken for individualism, are the same as democratic equality. It is the nationwide celebration of image over substance, of illusion over truth. And it is why investment bankers blink in confusion when questioned about the morality of the billions in profits they made by selling worthless toxic assets to investors.

We have a right, in the cult of the self, to get whatever we desire. We can do anything, even belittle and destroy those around us, including our friends, to make money, to be happy and to become famous. Once fame and wealth are achieved, they become their own justification, their own morality. How one gets there is irrelevant." - Chris Hedges

It struck me, the comparison between psychopaths and this way of thinking and behaving that is so encouraged by the modern world. The modern world tell us that no matter what, we as an individual have the right to succeed. This much is true, and whilst I am a firm believer that only you alone can be responsible for your journey and your winnings, I often find myself disappointed by those telling me that in order to succeed financially, or in order to be beautiful and even happy, I must compete with those around me. Everyone is so fixated on the prize. A prize that is so often unobtainable, because I don't think success, beauty and happiness lie in financial stability, or fit into the stereotype of 'regulation hottie'. Someone with these assets may believe themselves to be and perhaps they are, but I'm not sure it's possible for someone's soul to sit easy if you view that happiness as a success over someone else's failure. Food for thought for my dialogue.