Staff Pick Award to Palm Springs ShortFest 2022: "Meantime" by Michael T Workman |

HTML0 I'm so sick of that waiting.

Aren't you,

In order for the entire world to enhance

Beautiful and lovely?

Let us take an Axe

Then cut the universe into two pieces.

See what worms are feeding on

In the rind.

Langston Hughes Good Morning, Revolution: Uncollected Social Protest Writings

Winner of the Staff Pick Award at Palm Springs Shortfest 2022 will be "Meantime" written by Michael T Workman. Michael put a camera into his dad's house in order to film, which is a "deeply personal examination of memories along with labor, guilt, and the attempt to preserve the fleeting." That's at least that's the subtitle of the film. The appeal of this film is that it'sn't really about those vague expressions of human emotion. "Meantime" is a magnifying lens on the source of the evils that plague people in the United States: capitalism, poor labor practices, insufficient medical care for those with mental illness, and the fact that the American principle that says "pull yourself up by your bootstraps" is a physically unattainable task. The documentary lays out the various ways that people in the United States fails to fully guarantee the health and well-being of its citizens throughout the entire life cycle from the moment of birth until. As Michael the film's creator, he explains succinctly in our Q&A "

   "It may not be obvious, but I believe that the topic of the film is the cruelty of capitalism. ...My dad was a victim of a system that views individuals as "human resources" which is a system that views individuals in the same way as "human resources" and dehumanizes them when they do not fit to a rigid system of exploiting labor. "

Making films as stark as the harsh Montana winter that it's set, "Meantime" is a movie about souls who were wounded but yet grew to become caring and compassionate individuals.

We had a chance to ask Michael some questions regarding the process of creating this unique family photo and were awed by his kind and caring responses. Check out the following excerpts of our discussion with Michael.

The inspiration for this:

   "The concept for this film was born after helping my father digitize his video footage from his house. As I watched them I was struck by these truly moving moments from the tiniest and small moments my dad took pictures of. It was not the celebrations for birthdays, Christmas parties, or weddings that touched me the most. These were times that my relatives had been in the middle and just waiting for something to occur and then talking and laughing, or even fighting. These were the times I could see my friends from different phases of their lives, and my perception of their lives became more granular. I've always been averse to making a personal film, but the footage I had viewed and my return to Montana made me want to produce this documentary . "

His tips on filming family:

   "Working with family members is so hard. Deciding when to shut down the camera and just exist was the greatest challenge. In the middle of the filming session My dad and I had stopped filming. It seems like I'm comfortable just hiding behind my camera now. One of the best tips for film makers working with families is to think about the timings and occasions you're planning to record and then use it as a limitation. You shouldn't film everything all the time and do not keep track of what's happening. You should think about what you'd like to film and then let your camera do the rest. After you've finished, you'll be finished. There will be things you didn't notice, but that's ok. Most important is to set up a situation where the photos that you take increase the chance of being deep and compelling. Turn off your camera and start enjoying your everyday life . "

The reaction of his family to the film

   "My family members have seen the film. I handed it over to my mom when I had finished it. It was one of of the most intense experiences I've had. Since this movie is very personal to me I experienced times of not being able to relate to it and also instances of deep emotion. While watching it with my mom, small aspects of the film caused me to cry in uncontrollable ways. It's a testament to how the context of the people who you are watching the film with could profoundly alter how you view the movie. This was a healing moment for us both  She also learned about the viewpoint of my father, which she could not see when she was younger.

   The most anxiety I felt was showing the movie to my dad. We planned to watch it together but it wasn't the right timing, so he decided to watch the film by himself. At the moment he called me back to tell me that he'd seen it at home, my heart broke. He said something along the similar lines of "Mike I watched your movie It's fantastic, I'll never go back for it." The most stressful thing for him was not the fragility of what was being said however it was watching himself on screen and being able to hear his own voice. It was the voice that was making him uneasy (for myself as well). ). "

On challenges faced:

   "The toughest part of making this film was to create a gap between me and the film. My opinion is that's the main difficulty with personal projects and that's where they fail most often. Personal films can be deeply emotional to the creator but not necessarily to the viewer. I was trying to stay out of the situation at all cost and attempt to isolate me from the film and think of it as something I don't know myself. Because I was the editor it was an ongoing problem. I was able to overcome this issue with the help of many trustworthy people near me. They gave me honest and constructive criticism . "

Things the director would like us to consider when watching the film:

   "It could not appear obvious however, I'm convinced that the topic of this film concerns the inhumanity of capitalism. Ultimately, this is the root of my dad's struggle to live his life the way he'd like to enjoy harmony and security. Though abuse is a possible root of my father's problems and struggles, his inability to come back from the trauma of his past is an effect of society rather than an individual failing. My father's tale is the product of our society which treats the human being in terms of "human resources" a system that dehumanizes those who are not able to conform to a rigid system of labor and exploitation.

   Capitalism gives working class people the choice of working or begging on the streets. Though this is not explicitly mentioned in the film but it forms an important sub-textual element of the story. If people in my dad's situation had access to quality health and wellness by way of shelter as well as food and shelter and didn't have to show their humanity by living in harsh conditions, they would be able to live happy, secure lives, where they could concentrate on healing the trauma they have suffered.

   The key point of the title card that opens the film is that dad's stroke was brought on because of a panic attack during work due to the fact that the firm was trying to earn the highest profit by not having enough staff in the hospital where dad was employed. I realized this was a recurring situation for him when I was creating the documentary when I realized that stress at work instead of stress due to being pregnant was what contributed to my father's mental health crisis when I was a child.

   Also, I hope this film encourages viewers to treasure moments with their beloved ones and discuss trauma and hardship in a compassionate and open space. The heart of the film revolves around caring for our parents through being able to understand them as human beings and cherishing the time spent with your parents . "

HTML1 Michael's suggestions to budding film makers:

   "I often tell my students that they should battle tooth and nail for their youthful enthusiasm to make movies. At every step the industry will attempt to push you into the middle of the road and make you the tools. They'll try to eliminate the fun and set artificially high stakes for making some of the most sloppy media. Anyone who has worked on an agency with a large advertising budget has seen this. The most effective advice I can offer is to pursue activities that inspire you regardless of whether you earn a wage or not. isn't. Continue to work on the film you create yourself, or pursue pursuits that make to make you feel more as an artist. If you're considering Sundance and you've let go of your enthusiasm for filmmaking, why is this happening ? "

What's next?

   "I'm working on a feature documentary idea . It will be an observational film with a character driven woven story set in a small town mining in Montana. The project is in the beginning stages of its process and I'm not in a position to talk about it right now.

   I'm involved in a project that focuses on people who do work that they realize is entirely unproductive. If you're working in a job that's similar to this, send me an email. The company is currently recruiting . "

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