Staff Pick Award for Palm Springs ShortFest 2022: "Meantime" by Michael T Workman |
I am so tired with waiting.
Aren't you,
For the world to be good
Beautiful and sweet?
Let's grab the knife
and cut the globe in two-
Check out the worms that are eating
At 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 placed a camera inside his Dad Tim's house in order to create a "deeply personal exploration of memory, guilt, labor, and the attempt to capture the fleeting." At least, that's what its logline says. The beauty of this film is the fact that it doesn't really focus on these vague descriptions of human emotion. "Meantime" focuses upon the causes of problems that plague the United States: capitalism, poor labor practices, insufficient care for people suffering with mental illness and the fact that the American slogan is "pull yourself by the bootstraps" is a physically impossible feat. The movie explains the various different ways that the United States fails to fully take care of its people, from birth to death. The way Michael articulately states in the Q&A section "
"It might not seem evident, but I am convinced that the focus of this documentary is the inhumanity that capitalism has created. ...My dad was a victim of a culture that sees people as "human resources" which is a system which dehumanizes people who are unable to fit into the strict rules of labour and exploitation. "
As austere in its filmmaking like the harsh Montana winter that it's set, "Meantime" is a movie about souls that were wounded but nonetheless grew into kind and loving individuals.
We asked Michael some questions about the process of creating this unique family portrait and were moved by his thoughtful and warm responses. Read on for excerpts from our conversation with Michael.
The inspiration for this:
"The inspiration for the film was a result of my experience as I assisted my dad in digitizing his videos from home. When I was looking through them, I had these profoundly emotional moments in the small and seemingly insignificant moments that my father captured. These were not birthdays, christmas parties or weddings that were most affecting. They were the times when my family members were in between, waiting for something important to occur and then laughing, talking or fighting. In those moments I saw the people I knew through different stages of their lives. My understanding of their experience was beginning to grow. I had always been pretty anti-the idea of making personal films, but watching the footage, and then returning to Montana inspired me to make this film. ."
His tips on filming family:
"Working with your family is so difficult. Knowing when to turn off the camera, and to simply be was the biggest challenge. In the middle of the session, my dad and I had finished recording. I'm comfortable simply hiding behind my camera now. The best advice for filmmakers who work in a family setting is to structure times and situations that you plan to shoot and utilize that to set a limit. You shouldn't film everything all the time, and you shouldn't chase what's happening. You should think about what you'd like to capture and let the camera roll. After you're finished, it's completed. It is possible to miss some things, which is fine. What's important is that you make sure that your images be more likely of being meaningful and impressive. Turn off your camera and go back to doing your normal everyday life ."
The reaction of his family to the film
"My family has seen the film. I played it for my mother after I was done; it was the most emotional viewing experience I've had. Since this film is so personal to me, I went through waves of feeling completely numb to it and moments of profound emotion. As I was watching the film with my mom, tiny details in the movie made me tear up in a way that was hard to control. It's a testament to that the perspective of the people you're watching the film with will dramatically alter your experience the film. It was a healing experience for both of us , and she was able to understand more of my father's viewpoint that she was unable to see at the time.
The most anxiety I had was showing it to my father. We had planned to share the experience but the timing wasn't right so he decided to watch it on his own. After he called me and told me he watched it and was saddened, I cried. He said something along like "Mike, I watched your film, and it's a good film, and I'll never go back to it." The most significant source of anxiety for him wasn't the vulnerability of what he shared; instead it was his own reflection on screen as well as hearing his own voice, which was the most unsettling (for me , too). )."
On challenges faced:
"The most difficult part of creating this film was creating distance between myself and the movie. I think this is the main issue with personal projects and is when it is most difficult to overcome. The personal films are often emotionally charged for the creator however not to the viewers. I tried to stay clear of any chance of this and try to separate myself from the film and view it as someone who does not know me. Since I was editing it was an ongoing problem. I was able overcome it through having a lot of trusted individuals around me who gave me constructive feedback. ."
The things he'd like us to think about when watching the film:
"It might not seem apparent, but I think the theme of this film is the cruelty of capitalism. In the end, it is the main reason for my dad's struggle to have the life he wants to live in peace and comfort. Though abuse might be the cause of my dad's struggle, the lack of support to heal of that experience is a social ill-effect, not an individual failure. My father is part of a system that views individuals as "human resources" a system that dehumanizes those who are unable to be incorporated into an arbitrary system of exploitation and labor.
Capitalism gives working class people the choice of working or begging on the streets. While this is never explicitly mentioned in the film, it is the subterranean foundation of the narrative. If those in my dad's situation had access to quality mental and physical healthcare in the form of housing, food, and shelter without having to justify their worthiness by living in a miserable environment They could lead happy and safe lives where they could heal their wounds.
The crucial detail on the titles for the documentary is my dad's stroke was brought on due to a panic attack during work because the company wanted to increase profits by not having enough staff in the nursing facility where he worked. I realized this was an ongoing issue for him while making this film, when I discovered that stress at work rather than the stress of having a family was what led to my father's mental illness in the early years of my life.
I also hope that this film encourages viewers to treasure the time they have with their loved family members and to discuss the effects of trauma and hardship in a compassionate and open environment. In the end, the heart of this film is about caring for our parents through understanding them as complex humans and respecting the precious moments you spend with them ."
Michael's tips for aspiring filmmakers:
"I often remind my students to fight tooth and nail to keep their enthusiasm in making films. Every step of the way, this industry will try to make you go through the meat grinder of work to make you someone else's tool. They'll attempt to take all of enjoyment out of it and create artificially high stakes to create the most asinine material. Anyone who has worked on a large advertising set knows this. The best advice I can give is to do something that makes you happy regardless of whether your wage labour job doesn't. Make sure you continue to create your own films or creative pursuits that help you feel like an artist. If you're a part of Sundance and you've lost the joy of filmmaking Why are you making this? ?"
What's next?
"I'm creating a feature documentary idea that will be a woven-narrative character-driven observational film located in the mining town of Montana. It's in the early stages of development so I'm not able to say beyond that at the moment.
I'm involved in a project on people with jobs that they know are completely ineffective. If you're in a position similar to this, please reach out by email. The company is currently recruiting ."