Anna Odells first movie 'The Reunion' goes up today, 15 November 2013. In Sweden. Already she received two awards and more will follow. But she will have to pay for this controversially (the ambivalent reactions waiting around the corner) film: in focus her experience in school. Uninvited she comes (too late) to the party of reunion. The one who arranged welcomes everybody: "Great that so many have come. Cheers!" Anna interrupts: reminding them all what they did to her and with her. She was the Nobody and had to be. In every group is a container for the bad things: "A daily battle. Not revenge but to tell today what I could not tell yesterday. I was the one who was pushed, beaten, laughed at, not looked at and not seen." And it happens again: interrupted in her speech. The same for the No-body today. Chaos.
She is by far not alone with this experience, called mobbing. Yesterday, today, Tmorrow. Many of us have to live with it, unable to defend us. Laughed at. Unseen. The object for shame. Not one of the crowd Not In- but Out-side, beside the group. Qietly suffering for what they are and never can be. How react? As Anna Odell? It took courage to come late and cross (not for the first time) the forbidden line everybody accepts and respects? Today not as art performance but the actor and director.
The setup are two parts, the second as documentary. When she planned the idea, she asked her former class if they want to take 'their' part in this reality-movie. They denied. Of course. Actors took their place. How will the real people of her class from yesterday, today adults, react that actors took their part? To be in public forced to look into the mirror is everything but not easy. For Anna Odell it does not matter, what ever the reactions. The Nobody she is for them. She has nothing to loose.
The movie reminds not only of the speech in the Danish Dogma 1 movie 'The Celebration', 1998, Thomas Vinterberg but also of Gina's speech in The Girl in the Café, 2005. Even them had nothing to loose, knowing what happens after their speech.
Change? Nothing will change. For many this (in front) mirror can be a reminder of our society: in school and today at work. Change? Perhaps by small islands. Those small islands amidst of the daily battle, that Slavoj Zizek describes as 'spaces'. Not left-right, black-white but by the unrecognized and unseen 'Between' as possibility: our responsibility. ............... ...............................
Return 2014-10-11 Som years have passed. At that time I hired the movie, keen to see it as it washighlighted by many and in the media. Now I bought the DVD to see itnot in a haste. I even re saw again Thomas Vinterbergs 'TheCelebration'. I still believe that this movie is so much better, sorough and true as Anna Odells, she must have seen it, bleak copy. Shewanted and pulled back.
BUT: the reason why i return: she should have had the courage to go beyond. More. Out to infinity and return on the other side. THEN most of us should have be happy. More. With this action she could have handled a for us important issue different. Objectivly "and" personally. She asked her former class to take their part. They refused. Actors took their part. I wondered if some of them made a police issue of it as they all where drawn into the light. But it did not happen. Why? Answer 1. They where afraid that more by a trial should surface Answer 2. They did not care
She is by far not alone with this experience, called mobbing. Yesterday, today, Tmorrow. Many of us have to live with it, unable to defend us. Laughed at. Unseen. The object for shame. Not one of the crowd Not In- but Out-side, beside the group. Qietly suffering for what they are and never can be. How react? As Anna Odell? It took courage to come late and cross (not for the first time) the forbidden line everybody accepts and respects? Today not as art performance but the actor and director.
The setup are two parts, the second as documentary. When she planned the idea, she asked her former class if they want to take 'their' part in this reality-movie. They denied. Of course. Actors took their place. How will the real people of her class from yesterday, today adults, react that actors took their part? To be in public forced to look into the mirror is everything but not easy. For Anna Odell it does not matter, what ever the reactions. The Nobody she is for them. She has nothing to loose.
The movie reminds not only of the speech in the Danish Dogma 1 movie 'The Celebration', 1998, Thomas Vinterberg but also of Gina's speech in The Girl in the Café, 2005. Even them had nothing to loose, knowing what happens after their speech.
Change? Nothing will change. For many this (in front) mirror can be a reminder of our society: in school and today at work. Change? Perhaps by small islands. Those small islands amidst of the daily battle, that Slavoj Zizek describes as 'spaces'. Not left-right, black-white but by the unrecognized and unseen 'Between' as possibility: our responsibility. ............... ...............................
Return 2014-10-11 Som years have passed. At that time I hired the movie, keen to see it as it washighlighted by many and in the media. Now I bought the DVD to see itnot in a haste. I even re saw again Thomas Vinterbergs 'TheCelebration'. I still believe that this movie is so much better, sorough and true as Anna Odells, she must have seen it, bleak copy. Shewanted and pulled back.
BUT: the reason why i return: she should have had the courage to go beyond. More. Out to infinity and return on the other side. THEN most of us should have be happy. More. With this action she could have handled a for us important issue different. Objectivly "and" personally. She asked her former class to take their part. They refused. Actors took their part. I wondered if some of them made a police issue of it as they all where drawn into the light. But it did not happen. Why? Answer 1. They where afraid that more by a trial should surface Answer 2. They did not care