It is a universal truth that whenever there is a film festival around me, I will invariably have little money to spend on tickets to see any films. It hadn't occurred to me to volunteer as a photographer for Glasgow's International Film Festival, as my friend Heidi had done thereby guaranteeing some welcome free tickets, so I was restricted to what I could afford and that wasn't much. In the end I managed to see two films. The first was a Palestinian film called "Laila's Birthday" and the second was a film by acclaimed Swedish director Jan Troell called Maria Larssons Eviga Ögonblick (Maria Larsson's Everlasting Moments).
Based on the true story of Troell's Mother-in-law, the film tells of Maria Larsson, a working class woman living in early twentieth century Sweden. Trapped in a loveless marriage to an abusive, womanising drunk, Maria finds escape through a camera she had won in a lottery. Her discovery of photography grants her a new lease of life and a new way to see the world and it is this that makes the film so attractive.
While watching the film, I was reminded of my first, playful, childhood, impressions with an automatic film camera. I remembered thoughts of my excitement at the click of the shutter, the whirr of the film winding and the incremental ascending of the exposure counter, and my amazement at the film negative against the positive 6x4 print. Most of all though, I remembered more recent times and the first time I picked up an SLR camera. Everything felt fresh and each new discovery - be it in composition or in technique, be it in black and white, or in colour - felt novel and important. Most of all though, the film reminded me why photography can have such importance and gravitas.
For some, the film's Maria for example, photography can be a way to escape the mundanity or even brutality of their every day life by looking at the world in a different way. To change the way you see the world, even if that simply means limiting it to a viewfinder's frame, can have a profound effect on how you understand your life and what surrounds you. Taking a photograph, for instance, can become an eloquent metaphor for cropping or discarding what you don't need or want, leaving you with what is important and necessary. For others, photography can be a medium through which artistic ideas can be presented by someone who may not have the skills to be creative with another medium.
I had just made the decision to close Too Many Fireworks when I first picked up an SLR,and it would be some months before the disappointment of bringing an end to my record label would subside. I immersed myself in learning to photograph to give me something to focus on, something to identify with. Six months on, I was smitten and knew I had my new obsession.
...and, well, I sure as hell can't draw... yet.
Based on the true story of Troell's Mother-in-law, the film tells of Maria Larsson, a working class woman living in early twentieth century Sweden. Trapped in a loveless marriage to an abusive, womanising drunk, Maria finds escape through a camera she had won in a lottery. Her discovery of photography grants her a new lease of life and a new way to see the world and it is this that makes the film so attractive.
While watching the film, I was reminded of my first, playful, childhood, impressions with an automatic film camera. I remembered thoughts of my excitement at the click of the shutter, the whirr of the film winding and the incremental ascending of the exposure counter, and my amazement at the film negative against the positive 6x4 print. Most of all though, I remembered more recent times and the first time I picked up an SLR camera. Everything felt fresh and each new discovery - be it in composition or in technique, be it in black and white, or in colour - felt novel and important. Most of all though, the film reminded me why photography can have such importance and gravitas.
For some, the film's Maria for example, photography can be a way to escape the mundanity or even brutality of their every day life by looking at the world in a different way. To change the way you see the world, even if that simply means limiting it to a viewfinder's frame, can have a profound effect on how you understand your life and what surrounds you. Taking a photograph, for instance, can become an eloquent metaphor for cropping or discarding what you don't need or want, leaving you with what is important and necessary. For others, photography can be a medium through which artistic ideas can be presented by someone who may not have the skills to be creative with another medium.
I had just made the decision to close Too Many Fireworks when I first picked up an SLR,and it would be some months before the disappointment of bringing an end to my record label would subside. I immersed myself in learning to photograph to give me something to focus on, something to identify with. Six months on, I was smitten and knew I had my new obsession.
...and, well, I sure as hell can't draw... yet.
