Films & Fotos: Philomena and NatGeo

First off, my apologies for being late on my Film & Foto Friday but I promise it was worth the wait!!

The past forty-eight hours yielded two experience--a beautiful film and a spectacular photography exhibit.

Philomena

In the madness that is Oscar pre-season a film like Philomena might gets lost in the shuffle. THAT would be a real shame, as Philomena not only presents a powerful and moving performance by Dame Judy Dench, it also provides a great (true) story that can be discussed and debated long after the car (or metro) ride home. 

The foundation of the story is simple: 

A woman tries to find the son she was forced to give up for adoption fifty years ago. 

The story becomes unique and powerful when you add the elements of religion, sexuality, and personal beliefs. No longer is it simply a mother trying to find her son; it's a mother, struggling with her own religion--a religion keeping her from her son--trying to find her son with the help of a journalist--with an agenda--who had no belief system. Those elements alone would make for a interesting dynamic. Now, add in the son's story and you have a beautiful, complex narrative you wind through like a Sunday drive. Just when you think the story is headed in one direction a comment, a picture, a prayer, changes everything.

The story may not be for everyone; it doesn't move fast, it is not about action. If, however, you slow down enough to enjoy the dialogue, and watch facial expressions that speak volumes, you will see a majestic piece of work.

The Power of Photography 

The Power of Photography: National Geographic 125 Years is an exhibition running through April at the Annenberg Space for Photography.

The exhibition is the first (or one of the first) of it's kind, utilizing high definition screens instead of prints to show the photographs. This increases the amount of photography able to be shown and the exhibit boasts a 501 image catalogue.

You can't see it all in one day; and you shouldn't!!

I spent the afternoon walking through the space, viewing the photos, and reading a little about each one. This is another powerful element to the show; each photograph (on the high def screens) is accompanied by either information about the photograph, or about the photographer.  That made the photographs that much more real, that much more accessible.

The images themselves are beautiful depictions of our world: whether natural or man-made, celebratory or confrontational. Seeing 125 years documented in one space is a powerful reminded both of how far we've come, and of how many things are still the same. A face will always be a face, and the emotions it carries are universal. A landscape is always changing and is never the same, even from day to day. These are the thoughts that resonated with me as I walked through the gallery looking at the works.

I plan on revisiting the gallery in the coming months to see what new imagery will strike me, and to see how the imagery I've seen already will transform when viewed again. The exhibit is free and open to the public. Come once, then come again!

It is a weekend like this past one that keep me in love with imagery! Whether film or photo the captured image is a powerful, complex, messy, beautiful thing!