It is the thing. One day it will be become your best asset. You will do whatever it takes to keep it. It will be worth it.
Affirmation
art blog
He Taught Me How
to walk fight and pray. Oh Happy Day is the song that is in my head because I watched Henry Louis Gates new series on the Black Church. I sang. I clapped. I took notes. For those who love the “black” church, this series is an experience that starts the journey at the beginning.
The Black Church: This Is Our Story, This Is Our Song chronicles the journey of the African American worship and praise service from its African roots and influences to the debilitating burdens slavery laid on it. Gates told the story of how something that should have sent it into extinction only sharpened its point. Captured Africans were only taught the portions of the bible that allowed them to be obedient servants, with laws put in place that forbid them to read and write. Slave owners did not want them to know the stories of Moses and how the children of Israel were freed. It struck down the lie that slavery was a means of introducing Africans to the gospel, showing that Africans were Christians long before Europeans knew who Christ was.
This documentary series celebrates the :black” church by showing the power of the Holy Spirit in an oppressed people surrendered to him. From the little wooden shacks built by freed slaves to the mega churches of the earlier 20th Century, African Americans not only built houses of worship, but they built communities that took care of each other. They built schools and taught one another to read. This project is filled with many images of these worship services that capture some of their best moments.
It took me back to that little girl sitting on the pew of that one room church house. As I watched the interviewees tell their stories of growing up in those simple times, it reminded me of my mother being in the choir. All the ladies had on the same type of dress, made by one woman in the church. They even posed for a photo after church to remember this special occasion. It was the thing that held them all together.
I learned new things about this church, of which I am a member. I never knew that preachers used to make recordings of three minute sermons. A three minute sermon? That is long gone. I am amused to know that we have been buying sermons for a mighty long time. We have been singing and dancing for that long too. It is one of the things I love about my people. There might not be a lot of hope in our current circumstances, but we know where hope is. We know it starts in community.
Affirmation
Sometimes your peace is sideways. You may have to hide to find those moments where you can rejuvenate. Some days it may look a little different. It may not have the ebb and flow that you want. But it is there.
Affirmation
It is the freedom from disturbance, but what it really is is not being bothered by the disturbance.
If you only got a little of this, hold on to it. Remember what it is like, it will grow.
Fill In The Gap 2021
Affirmation
If you don’t have it, you know it. The lack of it will rob you of sleep, disrupt your appetite and age you beyond your years.
It is defined as freedom from disturbance; tranquility.
Intouchable White Tiger
He wondered why his father never taught him to brush his teeth or not scratch his balls in public. Balram the main character in The White Tiger had a moment when he realized he wasn’t all he could be. It was not the typical movie from India that I watch. If cynicism was salt and the movie was popcorn, the salt would render it inedible.
But if that is your type of movie, you will love it.
This story examines the caste system with the tale of Balram who leaves his tiny village to work for an affluent family. He cherishes this way of life and his masters thinking they will take care of him forever. When they tell him he is one of the family, he really does believe it. Adarsh Gourav was so convincing as the impoverished servant, I had to look him up so see what other work he had done.
Another thing I had to do was suspend my African American beliefs so that I could appreciate how other people live. It was difficult not to measure it by my values instead of allowing the story to play out. It is one of the things I have begun to appreciate about stories from other cultures. Even so there were times I wanted him to punch them in face and run. This movie is in English, but use the subtitles because they talk fast.
I was impressed that Priyanka Chopra Jonas (Quantico) in addition to starring in the project, also produced it. I am always about #girlpower and women being able to tell the stories they want to tell.
The other movie I enjoyed was Intouchables with Omar Sy and Francois Cluzet which was based on a true story. In this story, Cluzet plays Philippe, a quadriplegic who hires an unlikely full time caregiver, a young man, Omar Sy from the projects.
These men share their ways of life with each other. Philippe introduces Driss to classical music, opera and art. Driss teaches Philippe how to smoke weed, go to massage parlors and date. Sy is big right now because of Lupin, but this film was made in 2011, which reveals his talent has been around a while.
It is a fun movie, in French so you won’t be able to multi task while reading subtitles.
Both of these movies, The White Tiger and Intouchables are available on Netflix. They will break up the series binging with some lighthearted thought provoking movies.
Affirmation
Even when it it hard to see, it is still there. Some days you have to focus on it.
Affirmation
Some times Hope doesn’t look like what you think it should. We are looking for one thing, but something else shows up. If we are connected to the creator of the universe, God we recognize it. Hope is always here.
Here’s A Good Movie (Maker)
My sister likes clothes and shoes. I do too, but not as much as her. She suggested that I watch The Dressmaker because she loved the wardrobe.
Ok.
First let me say, I am so glad that this story was a 2-hour movie versus the six episode series that seems to be the current trend with new projects. I am tired of weak story lines that drag on for six episodes.
The Dressmaker tells an interesting story with compelling characters that keeps you guessing.
Quirky was the term my sister used to describe it to me, and she was right.
The main character, Tilly comes back to her hometown in the 1950s to avenge a wrong, but also to discover the true story. Played by Kate Winslet, she leads us through the kooky town introducing us to the inhabitants, including a police officer who secretly cross dresses, a chemist with a hump in his back and the meanest schoolteacher I have ever seen. My first thought is why would you want to go back to these people, but she did have family there.
Judy Davis played her mother who is as wild and crazy as all the town inhabitants. But she is so fun. She tags along with Tilly on her first date with Teddy (Liam Hemsworth) sitting in the movie theater talking loud.
I won’t give anything away, but I love how they told this story. As much as my sister loved the clothes, which were amazing, I loved the story. At no time did I feel like I knew where it was going, but I was quite satisfied with the ending. You will be too.
UPP Creative Media 