Through Images

When I read chapter 3 and chapter 7 of the book, it got me thinking. Not just by the ideas said, but also by the various images presented. In chapter 3, the short story of Fish Cheeks by Amy Tan it was very relatable in the sense that we do not tend to pay attention to details in everyday life, but when we realize it it is usually later on or when the moment may not always be the best. When she told the story about how she thought her family and their customs where defined as "embarrassing" when the boy she has a crush on joins them for dinner on Christmas Eve she only dwells on that and not on what her mother had done for her. Her mom prepared her favorite Chinese food items. That is when it hit her that her mom took the time to think of her and she didn't do that for her with her embarrassment. This made me realize that I also tend to dwell on myself when dire moments happen but forget the details and the people involved. I know that with film I will definitely not let this slip me by. I really want to make it a goal in my filmmaking to pay attention to details and not overlook things. The Iwo Jima image was an impacting image because I actually went to Washington DC and saw the memorial statue that was based of it. I don't know, but that image can give me a huge sense of how important that flag is to the soldier, they could even die for it. This is how I felt. Even the photographers risk their lives for their passion. The Ground Zero one also shows this with the very future-istic chaotic scene out of "The Day After Tomorrow" or some film like that. Then I got to chapter 7, many of the images and dialogue that came with them were very impacting and really hit home as well. One of the images Omayra Sanchez and short comentary of it by Isabel Allende made me kind of mad. It was mostly because I found out that this girl died... "what the heck was the photographer doing at that moment besides taking the photo? Shouldn't he try to save her?!" But aside from my emotional soap box... it really captured grueling and stomach turning thoughts that someone could have over the last moments of a human being, especially an innocent 13 year old, in the last moments of their life. I can remember what I was doing on an impacting event like September 11. I was a teenager and was at a car repair shop with mom who was getting her oil changed. Then we saw on the news what appeared to be some kind of trailer for a movie about terrorist attacking New York...but it was not, it was real. I couldn't believe it until I got home...and we found out from various news sources that it was so. Those images of the burning towers always come to mind whenever I think of the feelings and actions I have towards someone else. Because we never know when we will see them again or if we will be still standing on this Earth tomorrow.