Life in a Day

A week ago, at TIFF (Transylvanian International Film Festival) they showed Life in a Day, Youtube’s latest project. For those who haven’ t heard about Life in a Day, on July 24, 2010 people from all around the world filmed whatever they wanted and sent their clips to this project for them to be selected and edited into a film that was about to tell “The true story of a single day on planet Earth”. They received over 4500 hours of footage and they made a 90 minute masterpiece!

The movie is mostly what you expect. It’s a video compilation of one day, in a mostly chronological order (well time zone dependent). It’s filled with beautiful scenery, ordinary events, amazing people and even a couple sad and gross parts. What I did not expect to see, was actual story. That being a real, simple story that connects the short clips. There are several short stories of certain people, but one of them holds the film together. The story about one man. I won’t tell you who he is or what he does (no spoilers today) but I can tell you that I only realised how important he was after the film ended. And what is magical about this person is that it’s his own story, he filmed it, he sent it, no one requested it.

Among most videos where people just added what they wanted, the editors also posted 3 questions to the public.

1. What’s in your pocket?
2. What do you love?
3. What do you fear?

The answers are as varied and sometimes unexpected as they can get. You’ll laugh about some, think about others not understand a few and maybe just ignore the rest, but chances are your loves and fears are hidden in this movie as well.

The soundtrack is top notch. It makes those little films feel as one. Without such a brilliant soundtrack, the story would not only have been literally fragmented but it would probably not even have existed.

But what makes this film truly special is not the story, nor is it the soundtrack. It’s the whole film with all it’s little details. It shows you fragments you see every day but you don’t notice. If there’s any beauty in every day events, ranging from frying an egg to driving sports cars, you will see it in this movie. It makes you think, what a wonderful world… (link not related to the movie).

This movie is a must see. When it comes to a cinema nearby, go see it. It’s definately worth it. I have no idea when it will be out or even if it will be out, but you guys have to see it.

PS. Yes yes, there’s gross parts in there too, 3-4 of them, hey, you can’t have a true story without both ups and downs.

~ by Laserbeam on June 18, 2011.