The French Way Blog

You may have read Sarah’s Part 1of 2 of “Life in 24 Frames per Second”. Here is Part 2. This article culminates in a trailer of her documentary “Making Of”. Watch her film trailer and be inspired. This may well be a story about you – the making of you! A young girl falling in love with life in Paris, with all its struggles and joys. Enjoy.

Two months into my cinematography exchange at the prestigious Louis Lumière Film School in Paris I came to the realization that I’d nothing to ‘document’ my new life in this effervescent city. My life was essentially a documentary in itself, as banal as it may have seemed.  I wanted all my friends and family to be part of the adventure – the beginning of our careers, the paths to our dreams and trying to make it in the world when everything seems to conspire against you. So, for the next year, eight of France’s most aspiring filmmakers took to the challenge to document their lives, for me, for a little film called Making Of.

Making Of: celebrating and documenting life, love, and living your dreams.

Set against the iconic backdrop of Paris, these filmmakers, from all cross-sections of society, open up and share their lives, their stories, and where they all want to be in ten years time. What strikes me as amazing is that this time in ten years there’s no reason that any of these people can’t be the next generation’s Spielbergs and Scorseses. There’s nothing stopping them. There’s nothing stopping you either from becoming the next top models, painters, doctors, filmmakers, professors, philosophers, sportsmen, writers, or actors. I’m not saying that we have be at the top or become the next Scorsese, Speilberg, Leibovitz, Michelangelo, I’m only saying that there’s no reason why we can’t be.

Screenwriting classes: learning the tricks of the trade.

We all have to start somewhere, beginnings are so important. We all have at some time planted a seed for our future. When it starts to sprout, we have to celebrate its small steps towards a new life. When it starts to whither we have to make sure it doesn’t die off. When it blossoms beautifully, we have to smile proudly and acknowledge its achievements. Every day, every step of the way we have to nurture this seed, this idea, this hope, this dream.

Of course there are things in life that can stunt the growth; be it a surrounding environment, a lack of stimulation and light, and the inability to overcome adversities during the growth process. But if we have done everything within our possible abilities to take care of this seed, and it still dies off, at least we can say loud and clear that we tried, we continued trying, and it didn’t work out.

Some of these filmmakers could be household names, their names glittering in neon lights in movie theatres worldwide, they could similarly end up in aviation, pharmaceuticals, or web-design. But the aviators, the pharmacists, and the web-designers haven’t necessarily thrown away their dreams; they have merely changed them, their priorities and realities shifting slightly.

Mikael Gaudin-Lech: a friend, an inspiration, a future household name??

Making Of penetrates to the core and central mysteries of growing up, of life; where will I be? What will I do?  Who will I become? No other art form can capture so magnificently the hopes, dreams, struggles and fears than documentary can. With the mere means of a Panasonic Handycam and a bunch of disposable cameras, this project is still an intimate celebration of those hopes, those dreams, and that love we have for the people in our lives. In the eyes of these aspiring (and inspiring) young filmmakers you will all be able to see the passion that exists, or once existed in your own hearts, and remember that in the screenplay of life you can in fact choose your own ending.

“When a person really desires something, all the universe conspires to help that person realize his dream.”

                                –Paulo Coehlo, The Alchemist

Making Of: the film, the exhibition by Sarah Reese.

Due for April 2011 release. I’d love to receive your comments about Sarah’s film trailer. Would you like to see the full documentary?

Trailer can be viewed on http://www.vimeo.com/16220569