DARK DAYS: lessons learned
Sunday, October 10th, 2004THIS IS A MUST SEE MOVIE:
Underneath Penn Station, in tunnels that are dark at all times, there is a community of people living in homes they have built from thrown out wood. They tap into rail wires and have electricity. In many cases, the people are incredibly self-sufficient. Marc Singer, a young British filmmaker, spent 6 years of his life making a film about this group of people. In the film, we see the common everyday problems that these people face. We forget that these are “homeless” people and remember that these are people just like us. This film is incredible. So honest and provoking, it is the kind of film that only comes around once.
And in the watching of the film, it is clear that Singer never once considers his role as filmmaker to elevate himself above the subjects of the film. WE MUST REMEMBER THIS ABOVE ALL ELSE. In fact, Singer doesn’t even appear in the film. He allows the people, and their wisdom to speak louder than any well polished written voice over could have. One of the lessons Singer teaches us is that as we are making our documentary about the White House Hotel, is that respect and friendship of all subjects of the film is a must.
For instance, if we were to come across an older man who is about to take a bottle of sleeping pills, we are obligated to stop filming, and try to convince the man not to do it. We are obligated to get help for him. This is a drastic example, but the point is this– We should never be shooting a person who is in a dangerous or bad situation and think to ourselves– THIS IS really Great footage… Instead, if the case is drastic enough, like the sleeping pills, we put down the camera and help out.
The interests of the subjects must come before those of the filmmakers….
One of the other lessons learned from SInger, is that of dedication. He put all of his life into DARK DAYS, and that is why it is such a phenomenal accomplishment. We must and will dedicate ourselves fully and totally to the task at hand. And that may well mean late nights and many months of shooting, many months of editing, many months of struggle. As we begin to envision the film coming into creation, as we believe more and more in ourselves, we will gain the momentum necessary to create the kind of film we want to make. A film that tells the story of these forgotten men. A film that tells the story of these young travelers. A film that tells the story of a neighborhood in flux. A film that tells the story of the cycles of a city.
We believe this film will be great. But we must remember, that the concerns of the subjects of the film will come before the concerns of the film itself. We should be looking for ways to help these men. Ways to improve their problems. We should befriend these men, look at them as equals, not as merely “content” for the film. We must always remember, that despite the time we will commit, they will be the people truly responsible for the magic and beauty that will result.