Deadlines, Imperfections, and the Altruistic Heart of a Child
Doing the best you can for who you can.
Hey friends, It’s Saud. Welcome back to Touching Base.
This is a little passion project of mine where I like to share the tangible things in life. It may be that you’ve had a lot of work this week, and you’re searching for something small to digest in your downtime.
It’s been a while. I’m going to be completely honest - I’ve procastinated for the longest time, this has been sitting in my drafts for too long. It may be outdated, but that’s okay - there’s still some things you can take away from reading this edition. enjoy :)
Editor’s note: this edition was written way back around May.
Media(m) for change
Where is the Friend’s House?
Summer is right around the corner, which only means one thing… It’s everyone’s favourite time of the year - Exam season!
I will truly miss this feeling, the crunch times, the late nights in the library, and the crowded cubicles of silence and people working mindlessly through endless past papers.
As someone who’s just submitted my final assigments, i will somewhat miss the thrill of meeting deadlines. It’s reminded me of this film I watched last year called ‘Where is the Friend’s House?’ (1987) by Abbas Kiarostami, where this kid spends the whole film trying to find his friend’s house so he can give back their notebook that he accidently mistook for his own.
Like any good friend, they want to see you succeed. That’s what the main character, Ahmed, is trying to do. He spends the film trying to return his friend’s notebook so that they can do their homework and meet the deadline due the next day (reminds me of doing my own assignments the day before its due).
Thankfully unlike the poor friend, who’s at stake of getting expelled if he doesn’t submit his work on time, i wouldn’t be expelled from university but rather losing some much needed course credit.
Take a look at this clip from the film:
Yes, i absolutely just made you watch a child run between towns for a minute and a half. Now, keep in mind this happens for atleast an hour of the film. Silly, right?
Well, there’s actually a good reason why I’ve chosen to reflect on this film during exam season.
You see, Ahmed has absolutely no reason or benefit from going on this manhunt for his friend, it makes us question him - shouldn’t he just focus on completing his own homework instead of worrying about others?
After all, just like his mother says in the movie, couldn’t he just give the notebook back in the morning?
This is where Kiarostami’s work shines. In the fast-paced, blockbuster CGI-filled flicks hoarding our cinemas nowadays, the director’s vintage slow-burner of a film does something unique and asks the viewer about their own intrinsic values.
Kiarostami demonstrates through his lead, Ahmed, that we can all learn to have the altruistic heart of a child. Despite no one telling him to do so or having any incentive for searching for his friend, Ahmed remains dedicated in the pursuit of his friend to make sure they are able to do their homework.
Ahmed could have easily just completed his friend’s homework for him, but he chose instead to empower his friend by giving them the chance to succeed on their own merit and hard work.
Let’s all learn to be like Ahmed.
Even if you are in a situation where you are pre-occupied or have a deadline to meet, take the opportunity to lend a hand to those close to you.
Rather than simply providing answers to an assignment, be a guide for your friends, helping them to uncover their potential without expecting any reward in return.
Yutori Corner
Embracing Imperfections
In the past couple months, i’ve finally had the opportunity to get into film photography.
After buying a camera and sending it to get fixed, i set out to take some shots for my first film roll.
It felt like i was in a completely different ballpark from taking pictures on my phone. I did not have a real-time preview of the exact photo i’d shoot, nor have auto-adjustments made to optimise the objects being seen in my frame.
Nonetheless, i took this as an opportunity to learn how analogue photography works, adjusting my camera to the right settings in new environments.
By learning what an ISO range is, how light meter readings work, and what aperture settings to put, it made me realise how much we take photos for granted.
Unlike a digital camera, films leave you with a set number of exposures per roll - creating scarcity in your opportunities to capture a moment.
When i mailed my roll to be developed, i was excited to see some of the final shots. Here’s a few:
Not the best, not the worst.
I was bummed by some of the results, as some frames had light leaks.
However, I’m determined to improve my work and look forward to experimenting more and trying out new methods in shooting film.
For what it’s worth, the light leaks do add a bit of character.