Me and You and Everyone We Know

A few weeks ago, I watched this provocative and poetic little film about the quirkiness of human behavior, love, and growing up. Of course, that summary is inadequate. Here is a link to the film's website. The film is probably not for all as it involves some controversial subject matter, but a good film nonetheless.

The filmmaker, Miranda July, is a visual artist in her own right. On her site, mirandajuly.com, you can find interactive activities. One of the more interesting and fun pages is the "Learning to Love You More" page that provides the websurfer with "assignments" to complete and turn in which are then shared with the rest of the audience. These "assignments" have limitations and criteria. Some examples of "assignments" are as follows:

#50 Take a flash photo under your bed. Here is Rebecca Croft's photo:


#53 Give advice to yourself in the past. Here is Julia Henderson's response:

"Advice to Julia K.Henderson at age 10.
1. Math will never be your strong point. Ms.Bell knows you are smart, but stop worrying about what she thinks!
2. Concentrate on your art, it s beautiful.
3. Love the fact that you are a choir geek ! You love to sing and it s wonderful.
4. You have beautiful hair and flawless skin, stop worrying about being chubby. The cushioning will redistribute and be wonderful assets soon.
5. Relax a little. The world is not going to fall apart if you stop telling it what to do. Promise."

There are 51 more of these "assignments" and the results are fun to look at if you decide not to participate. Some are even potentially therapeutic if you do decide to participate.


© Stephanie Lewis, 2005