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shadowkatIt was raining today, although rather balmy at 57 degrees. So there was that. But still raining. So I stayed in and watched telly. Far too much telly. Did however see a rather good documentary entitled I AM by Tom Shadyac, the director of Ace Ventura, Bruce Almighty, and Patch Adams. The documentary is a philosophical one...with a similar message to The Cloud Atlas, albeit with less violence.
Tom Shadyak had a major bike accident back in 2007, which left him with post-concussive syndrom...depressed, in constant pain, and wanting to die. During this period he discovered that he wanted to say something - before he died. But what was it? So he took a small film crew and went on a journey of discovery - to determine the answer to two questions:
What is wrong with this world and what can I do to change it? Ironically, what he discovered was what was right with the world. And that we had been interpreting it wrong. He had. The pursuit of fame, money, fortune, and acquisition of material goods and accolades had not resulted in happiness. At the time of the filmmaking, Tom had over five properties, a private jet, amongst other material possessions. What works, what is hard-wired in our DNA is an interconnectedness with all people and living things. Science has recently determined that we share DNA across species. That cooperation, love, compassion and empathy have furthered the planet and who we are. That hording wealth, and competition actually set us back a bit. Some competition is necessary, but not to the degree that we've taken it.
Also, the one natural rule that only humans appear to break - is not to take more than you need.
Here's a blurb about the film:
It was a revelation to me that for tens of thousands of years, indigenous cultures taught a very different story about our inherent goodness,” Shadyac marvels. “Now, following this ancient wisdom, science is discovering a plethora of evidence about our hardwiring for connection and compassion, from the Vagus Nerve which releases oxytocin at simply witnessing a compassionate act, to the Mirror Neuron which causes us to literally feel another person’s pain. Darwin himself, who was misunderstood to believe exclusively in our competitiveness, actually noted that humankind’s real power comes in their ability to perform complex tasks together, to sympathize and cooperate.”
Shadyac’s enthusiastic depiction of the brighter side of human nature and reality, itself, is what distinguishes I AM from so many well-intentioned, yet ultimately pessimistic, non-fiction films. And while he does explore what’s wrong with the world, the film’s overwhelming emphasis is focused on what we can do to make it better. Watching I AM is ultimately, for many, a transformative experience, yet Shadyac is reluctant to give specific steps for viewers who have been energized by the film. “What can I do?” “I get asked that a lot,” he says. “But the solution begins with a deeper transformation that must occur in each of us. I AM isn’t as much about what you can do, as who you can be. And from that transformation of being, action will naturally follow.”
Far more entertaining than expected, and moving. Featuring interviews with the following
luminaries as David Suzuki, Noam Chomsky, Howard Zinn, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Lynne McTaggart, Ray Anderson, John Francis, Coleman Barks, and Marc Ian Barasch. Also detailed bits on scientific experiments determining that the heart feeds information to the brain, not necessarily the other way around.
My only critic is the film feels a bit manipulative in places and choppy in others, also I think he oversells his point. But, other than that it is a lovely film and rather uplifting, not to mention inspiring. One of the points of the film - is everything little thing we do is important. There is not such thing as a tiny action. And it takes a lot of steps to do something. Don't take it all on at once.
Tom Shadyak had a major bike accident back in 2007, which left him with post-concussive syndrom...depressed, in constant pain, and wanting to die. During this period he discovered that he wanted to say something - before he died. But what was it? So he took a small film crew and went on a journey of discovery - to determine the answer to two questions:
What is wrong with this world and what can I do to change it? Ironically, what he discovered was what was right with the world. And that we had been interpreting it wrong. He had. The pursuit of fame, money, fortune, and acquisition of material goods and accolades had not resulted in happiness. At the time of the filmmaking, Tom had over five properties, a private jet, amongst other material possessions. What works, what is hard-wired in our DNA is an interconnectedness with all people and living things. Science has recently determined that we share DNA across species. That cooperation, love, compassion and empathy have furthered the planet and who we are. That hording wealth, and competition actually set us back a bit. Some competition is necessary, but not to the degree that we've taken it.
Also, the one natural rule that only humans appear to break - is not to take more than you need.
Here's a blurb about the film:
It was a revelation to me that for tens of thousands of years, indigenous cultures taught a very different story about our inherent goodness,” Shadyac marvels. “Now, following this ancient wisdom, science is discovering a plethora of evidence about our hardwiring for connection and compassion, from the Vagus Nerve which releases oxytocin at simply witnessing a compassionate act, to the Mirror Neuron which causes us to literally feel another person’s pain. Darwin himself, who was misunderstood to believe exclusively in our competitiveness, actually noted that humankind’s real power comes in their ability to perform complex tasks together, to sympathize and cooperate.”
Shadyac’s enthusiastic depiction of the brighter side of human nature and reality, itself, is what distinguishes I AM from so many well-intentioned, yet ultimately pessimistic, non-fiction films. And while he does explore what’s wrong with the world, the film’s overwhelming emphasis is focused on what we can do to make it better. Watching I AM is ultimately, for many, a transformative experience, yet Shadyac is reluctant to give specific steps for viewers who have been energized by the film. “What can I do?” “I get asked that a lot,” he says. “But the solution begins with a deeper transformation that must occur in each of us. I AM isn’t as much about what you can do, as who you can be. And from that transformation of being, action will naturally follow.”
Far more entertaining than expected, and moving. Featuring interviews with the following
luminaries as David Suzuki, Noam Chomsky, Howard Zinn, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Lynne McTaggart, Ray Anderson, John Francis, Coleman Barks, and Marc Ian Barasch. Also detailed bits on scientific experiments determining that the heart feeds information to the brain, not necessarily the other way around.
My only critic is the film feels a bit manipulative in places and choppy in others, also I think he oversells his point. But, other than that it is a lovely film and rather uplifting, not to mention inspiring. One of the points of the film - is everything little thing we do is important. There is not such thing as a tiny action. And it takes a lot of steps to do something. Don't take it all on at once.