I have always been a huge fan of movies and of the camera and visual images. When we moved to the US my dad bought a camera, which we still have, and he took it everywhere!He loved just standing there and taking hours and hours of video, sometimes is was video of a road trip. The whole tape was the highway and the trees and people laughing in the background and some music. My dad somehow figured out I liked the camera and that soon became my job. If my dad knew I would one day change from an Accounting major to Communications major in college because of that what he did I don't think he would have given me the camera lol.
Below you will find what I call my baby! You know when you make something, it could be a paper you wrote, a song you sang, a painting you well painted, and you are so proud of it, every time you see, hear or read it? That's how I feel about this project.
I posted it on facebook and shown it to almost everybody that walks into my house. I have never given the full explanation of all my decisions and the history behind it and how it came about. So now that I blog I can do it :). First we watch then we will talk about it....
Ok hope you see it before you read this part, obvious spoilers coming up.
I was going to give you the whole story of how I came up with the story but its too long. Ok so the movie. I wanted to give special attention to the wardrobe of each character, I wanted it to tell a story. In the first scene we see the son and father are both wearing gray, and the "bad guys" are wearing black. The gray represents the trauma the characters about to face. The dad will die and the son will be scared by this event. The black represents that they are the bad guys, dark and well evil.
The next scene we see the boy is now an adult and is still reliving the trauma of his dads death. He is wearing a white button down shirt with a gold tie, representing justice and "the good guy". When the conversation starts it is revealed he is a cop, but just not any cop but a general, this is how the rankings work in Colombia, where the story takes place. By the greeting of the Cabrera we can see this is not the first time these two cross path. I choose to only show the eyes and the mouth of Cabrera while the conversation is happening to reveal that he is the one that killed the general at the end of the conversation. At the end of the conversation you will also notice that he is no longer wearing black but a grayish color, Cabrera has indeed changed, he is looking to redeem himself. By the content of the call we find out that Cabrera is trying to make some type of deal with the general and that he is not accepting it. The general gets angrier and angrier to the point that he doesn't even wants to talk to the man and hangs up. He takes a deep breath and opens his desk and we see a gun and a shield, each representing choices. He picks up the shield, which represents justice, this is his father shield, which I didn't make very clear. We then see that it changes from color to black and white, representing that he is now in the same state of mind as in the beginning of the movie, also in black and white, and that state of mind is to kill and he picks up the gun, and yes I know my props are horrible, student film here, give me a break lol. The music has also changed for that reason as well. he gets up and puts on a black jacket, representing, yep you guessed it, his evil plan to go take revenge. He grabs the gun then the shield, remember the shield represents justice so he is taking justice into his own hands, cliche maybe clever, you be the judge.
Next scene we see him going to the house of Cabrera. Ok I had a happy accident happen to me here at 2:55 the music is on cue with the actor as he moves his head, love it. Ok he is looking at his prey, Cabrera seems relaxed drinking coffee and just chilling in his kitchen, representing his new life. The general takes the shield once again and kisses it, this action means he is doing it in the name of his father, keeping a promise to do justice.
Next scene he comes busting through the door, calls him a parasite and has him just were he wants him, on the floor. Then he says a key line. "Do you think I can accept peace from the man responsible for all my nightmares?" Ok, I love this line, call it what you will but like everything there's a meaning. The conversation on the phone was about a deal that Cabrera is trying to make with the General, it is in this line that we find out that he is trying to negotiate a peace treaty with him. Cabrera doesn't know who the General is, they have never met, although they have talked on the phone, however the General is not there as the himself or his title but as his fathers son. By Cabrera's face we know he knows exactly who he is and that he is in trouble.
Ok now this is where I wanted to get a bit tricky, he delivers the line "This is for my father", the screen goes black we hear a gun shot...his dad falls dead, not Cabrera! We jump back to the scene in the kitchen to find the General with the gun still in his hand, you may think Cabrera is dead, the General looks up and we see a face of a young boy, wearing white, which represents innocents. By showing his face only, we don't know where is his in the scene, then we open the scene to see that Cabrera is still alive and that the body is watching the whole scene. Then comes my favorite part of the movie! The camera goes behind the General and we can see the boy looking at him, the camera moves and the boy is switch by the General as a young boy. This means that the General sees himself in the boy.
He then takes out the shield, looks at it. The gun, revenge, is on top and the shield, justice, on the bottom. He then brings the gun down and the shield up, meaning the feeling of justice takes over the feeling of revenge. The color also comes back meaning he gets out of the evil, killing state of mind. He realizes what he is doing and not wanting to rewrite history and lets Cabrera go and leaves.
And thats my movie and thats what it all means :)
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Friday, December 11, 2009
Overwhelmed
So this past Sunday we had spacial guest in our service. We had a Chinese congregation join us. The co-leader or assistant leader, not really sure what his title is, is our doctor. He is a very rare jewel, he is Asian, Christians and speaks Spanish! Yes you read correctly dude speaks Spanish! He is what we have been looking in a doctor for years. He is an efficient, smart, and caring doctor that loves not only my family but most of the members of our church! As Hispanic we don't keep anything good to ourselves but always share the goods and so we told the congregation of our awesome doctor and a lot of them transferred over to his facilities. Now he has more clients and we all have a great doctor!
So yeah that was a side story about our doctor. So my mom went to see him and she saw that he was specially happy that day and asked him why, he said that on Sunday his church was going to have a baptism. He then moved on to say that it was going to be done in a big bathtub in one of the members house, I'm guessing that's the only Spanish word he found to describe what my mom thinks was a jacuzzi. My mom then tells him that we have a baptism tub in our church and that we would be more than happy to let them use it. Our Doctor was delighted by the invite and accepted and it was arranged to have the baptism in our church then they would join us in our service.
Now when we do a baptism we wait for a group of at least 10 to do it. My mom was expecting the same thing for their congregation...nope. The baptism was for just one person, an older male, which according to my sister, who went on a mission trip to China, are the hardest to convert. My mom said that our doctor wanted to carry that man in and out of the baptismal like a baby. They were so proud and filled with joy with the decision that man had made.
Our service on Sunday had something special, this was before I knew that they were going to join us. One of the girls that read the scripture came in sneakers, hoping to change into the correct shoes once inside, and then realized she had forgot them in her house. She read the scriptures in her running sneakers, to say the least, with the biggest smile on her face and couldn't help but tell the congregation that she was just so happy that day. That tone carried the rest of the service. It was just a service full of joy and happiness. Then the Chinese congregation joined us and it was like finding Chuck-E-Cheese in Disneyland, for a kid of course, ahh who am I joking for me! The joy just got bigger and bigger!!
The members of our congregation gave up their seat for the incoming brothers and sisters, that just hit me so hard, in a good way. And then that's when it happened, I was over taken by this emotion that I can't even really describe, all I can say is that I was overwhelmed. I started to cry. The fact that two extremely different cultures could come together and just praise God overwhelmed me. The fact that this group of people were raising their hands and saying Hallelujah, which is the same in both language, in unison with us, which is something they can't do in their native country overwhelmed me. Their joy overwhelmed me. Their freedom overwhelmed me. Their peace overwhelmed me and all I could do to stop myself from doing the ugly cry face was just sit and take it all in.
They sang two songs in Chinese with American sign language, which made me even more happy since a member of our church is deaf and understood what they were signing about more than us who were listening. It would be overkill to say I was overwhelmed but I was. After their two beautiful songs our churches sang "I'm Trading my Sorrow" or "Yes Lord", not sure the title of that song but you get the drill, and flags were brought out and we marched together for a good half an hour or more! It was just the happiest service ever! And all I can truly and honestly say is that God is really really really GOOD!
So yeah that was a side story about our doctor. So my mom went to see him and she saw that he was specially happy that day and asked him why, he said that on Sunday his church was going to have a baptism. He then moved on to say that it was going to be done in a big bathtub in one of the members house, I'm guessing that's the only Spanish word he found to describe what my mom thinks was a jacuzzi. My mom then tells him that we have a baptism tub in our church and that we would be more than happy to let them use it. Our Doctor was delighted by the invite and accepted and it was arranged to have the baptism in our church then they would join us in our service.
Now when we do a baptism we wait for a group of at least 10 to do it. My mom was expecting the same thing for their congregation...nope. The baptism was for just one person, an older male, which according to my sister, who went on a mission trip to China, are the hardest to convert. My mom said that our doctor wanted to carry that man in and out of the baptismal like a baby. They were so proud and filled with joy with the decision that man had made.
Our service on Sunday had something special, this was before I knew that they were going to join us. One of the girls that read the scripture came in sneakers, hoping to change into the correct shoes once inside, and then realized she had forgot them in her house. She read the scriptures in her running sneakers, to say the least, with the biggest smile on her face and couldn't help but tell the congregation that she was just so happy that day. That tone carried the rest of the service. It was just a service full of joy and happiness. Then the Chinese congregation joined us and it was like finding Chuck-E-Cheese in Disneyland, for a kid of course, ahh who am I joking for me! The joy just got bigger and bigger!!
The members of our congregation gave up their seat for the incoming brothers and sisters, that just hit me so hard, in a good way. And then that's when it happened, I was over taken by this emotion that I can't even really describe, all I can say is that I was overwhelmed. I started to cry. The fact that two extremely different cultures could come together and just praise God overwhelmed me. The fact that this group of people were raising their hands and saying Hallelujah, which is the same in both language, in unison with us, which is something they can't do in their native country overwhelmed me. Their joy overwhelmed me. Their freedom overwhelmed me. Their peace overwhelmed me and all I could do to stop myself from doing the ugly cry face was just sit and take it all in.
They sang two songs in Chinese with American sign language, which made me even more happy since a member of our church is deaf and understood what they were signing about more than us who were listening. It would be overkill to say I was overwhelmed but I was. After their two beautiful songs our churches sang "I'm Trading my Sorrow" or "Yes Lord", not sure the title of that song but you get the drill, and flags were brought out and we marched together for a good half an hour or more! It was just the happiest service ever! And all I can truly and honestly say is that God is really really really GOOD!
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Dead to Sin, Alive in Christ
Roman 6:7 "because anyone who has died has been freed from sin"
I was in bible study on Tuesday when this verse hit me like a ton of bricks. I read it over and over again and couldn't understand why this verse struck a chord. I tried to talk it out with the youth and all that came out was gibberish. I can't help but think there is something supper profound about this verse and for some reason I can't put it into words. My head doesn't understand it yet it does. You see I know what the answer should be, if someone came up to me and asked me what I thought this verse meant I would give them the answer that has been given to me in sermons and even in bible classes at Gordon. For some reason when I ask myself what does this verse mean I don't want to give myself that answer.
I feel the typical answer is so generic and not very thought provoking...its just an answer. I feel there's too many answers in this world and not enough questions.
Ok now back to the verse.. Here's how I would word it, I guess how I see it, "in ordered to be free from sin you have to die". The only way to get away from it is to not live. My bible, like most bibles divides books into sections and gives them title. The title where I found this verse is "Dead to Sin, Alive in Christ". As a person with a very vivid imagination the first thing that comes to mind is when some one gets really angry at another person and they declare them dead to them. "Your dead to ME!!" and doesn't want to see or talk or even think about that person. Act as if that person doesn't exist. I think that's what we have to do to sin, not let it pronounce us dead but pronounce it dead to us.
The only way to overcome sin and be freed from its awful grasp is to die to it...now. I guess I kept thinking about physical death...but why go on living with something that only seems to hold us back when we can shun it from our life now...and the reality is that we don't have to physically die because someone else has...I guess that's what I'm having a hard time with...if I want to get rid of sin I should die, if I want to get rid of this thing that tortures me and my soul I should die but I don't have to physically do it. Oh the mystery of the cross is a big one. It doesn't seem fair yet it is. The thing is when we shun sin we embrace Christ and when we close one door the one behind us opens and takes us out of this claustrophobic space that we put ourselves in.
So pronounce sin dead to you and run towards the warm embrace of life in Christ.
I was in bible study on Tuesday when this verse hit me like a ton of bricks. I read it over and over again and couldn't understand why this verse struck a chord. I tried to talk it out with the youth and all that came out was gibberish. I can't help but think there is something supper profound about this verse and for some reason I can't put it into words. My head doesn't understand it yet it does. You see I know what the answer should be, if someone came up to me and asked me what I thought this verse meant I would give them the answer that has been given to me in sermons and even in bible classes at Gordon. For some reason when I ask myself what does this verse mean I don't want to give myself that answer.
I feel the typical answer is so generic and not very thought provoking...its just an answer. I feel there's too many answers in this world and not enough questions.
Ok now back to the verse.. Here's how I would word it, I guess how I see it, "in ordered to be free from sin you have to die". The only way to get away from it is to not live. My bible, like most bibles divides books into sections and gives them title. The title where I found this verse is "Dead to Sin, Alive in Christ". As a person with a very vivid imagination the first thing that comes to mind is when some one gets really angry at another person and they declare them dead to them. "Your dead to ME!!" and doesn't want to see or talk or even think about that person. Act as if that person doesn't exist. I think that's what we have to do to sin, not let it pronounce us dead but pronounce it dead to us.
The only way to overcome sin and be freed from its awful grasp is to die to it...now. I guess I kept thinking about physical death...but why go on living with something that only seems to hold us back when we can shun it from our life now...and the reality is that we don't have to physically die because someone else has...I guess that's what I'm having a hard time with...if I want to get rid of sin I should die, if I want to get rid of this thing that tortures me and my soul I should die but I don't have to physically do it. Oh the mystery of the cross is a big one. It doesn't seem fair yet it is. The thing is when we shun sin we embrace Christ and when we close one door the one behind us opens and takes us out of this claustrophobic space that we put ourselves in.
So pronounce sin dead to you and run towards the warm embrace of life in Christ.
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
So maybe I'll become a blogger
Its been one of those interesting days when I seem to be sitting down not knowing what I'm suppose to be doing when I get the bright idea to blog...once again. You see this isn't the only blog I have created. When I was new to the internet I made a blog on HI5. Then I evolved into MySpace and intrigued by audience with my wishes to kill the person who invented papers and essays and my horrible studying ethics. I even realized the strongest quality I possess, procrastination, and the art of leaving what I could do today for tomorrow and doing something that should take 1 to 2 hours in 5 to 10hours. I got to share what I thought were my best writing samples and complex little questions I couldn't wrap my brain around. I then discovered facebook and twitter and what I used to say in 2 t0 5 paragraph in a blog got downsized to 140 characters or less.
The reality of the matter is I learned a whole lot about myself when I write. I get to see how profound that head of mine could be and get to really study what I believe. By writing things down I get to understand why someone not giving me gum hurt me so much. I can get rid of those feelings that are not healthy for me and let go of those emotions that eat me little by little inside. I also get to use my creativity and see how witty I can really get, its hard to sum up a whole day of events into 140 characters or less, those include spaces people!
Anyways, so after many years of shorthand I have decided to fully explore the reality that surrounds me. Write Laugh Out Loud instead of LOL and truly understand what made me OMG something...Anyways I think its time to crack this head open and jump back into reality and embrace the self discovery that's about to happen...welcome to Yiry:(G-ree);Adj.
Oh p.s the name of the blog right...It took me a while, as in 30 min, to figure out what I wanted to call my blog. I was thinking Discovery Channel or The Next step or something to do with discovery. Out of nowhere I remember that I always say there's only one word that can really describe me and that's Yiry, my nickname. This blog is going to be the definition of who I am. It will change and it will contradict it self but at the end of the day we will be closer to finding out what it really means...yes WE.
The reality of the matter is I learned a whole lot about myself when I write. I get to see how profound that head of mine could be and get to really study what I believe. By writing things down I get to understand why someone not giving me gum hurt me so much. I can get rid of those feelings that are not healthy for me and let go of those emotions that eat me little by little inside. I also get to use my creativity and see how witty I can really get, its hard to sum up a whole day of events into 140 characters or less, those include spaces people!
Anyways, so after many years of shorthand I have decided to fully explore the reality that surrounds me. Write Laugh Out Loud instead of LOL and truly understand what made me OMG something...Anyways I think its time to crack this head open and jump back into reality and embrace the self discovery that's about to happen...welcome to Yiry:(G-ree);Adj.
Oh p.s the name of the blog right...It took me a while, as in 30 min, to figure out what I wanted to call my blog. I was thinking Discovery Channel or The Next step or something to do with discovery. Out of nowhere I remember that I always say there's only one word that can really describe me and that's Yiry, my nickname. This blog is going to be the definition of who I am. It will change and it will contradict it self but at the end of the day we will be closer to finding out what it really means...yes WE.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)