There are 2 things I realised while making this list:
1. That I can't spend more than an hour watching a movie without taking a short break. It's a real life application of what I learned from university-that students' short attention spans explain why, when watching videos, teachers should pause the video and explain or ask questions to check students' understanding of the material; and
2. That it takes time to write about how movies, music, and book influence our lives. I learned from one of my workmates that writing our feelings helps to make sense of what we're experiencing. Writing concretises feelings and abstract thoughts that are sometimes difficult to comprehend if not written.
MOVIES/ TV SERIES/ DOCUMENTARIES
- Jojo Rabbit - This movie reminds me of a book called The Boy At The Top of the Mountain. Not my favorite among the list, but I admire the movie's cinematography and the choice of songs. I'm grateful for this movie because it opened the doors for a new fascination on the works of David Bowie.
- Bar Boys- I've been wanting to watch this since its release. It's an inspiring movie, not just for law students, but for everyone. It's weird to see students whose characteristics resemble the characteristics of people you know. While watching the movie, I can't help but wonder if my career paths would've been different had I seen this movie before my college graduation.
- I Wanna Hold Your Hand- When my dad told me that he'll let us see this movie, I thought he was talking about a new movie about The Beatles. This is probably the oldest movie in this list, released just 8 years after the band's break-up. As a Beatle fan, it has always been fascinating to get a glimpse of how the band influence other fans.
- Only Yesterday- Prior to watching this movie, I thought of Studio Ghibli as an animation studio that only produces whimsical movies. Although this movie is not as whimsical as the other studio ghibli movies, I'm captivated by Isao Takahata's works- story and art-wise. Watching the movie reminds me of Japanese documentaries I used to watch when I can't sleep.
- Ocean Waves- To extend the feeling I got while watching Only Yesterday, I watched Ocean Waves right after I finished the first movie. Again, the movie's artworks are beautiful. My favorite scenes are the train station scenes. I always have this weird thought that train stations should have its own movie. The story did not affect me the same way Only Yesterday did, but the story is similar to a song called Ton Meilleur Ami.
- 84 Charing Cross Road- Who doesn't like to see a movie about letter writing and books? This movie is based on a book of the same title. When I watch this kind of movie, I can't help but think of the magic of letter writing. The convenience of electronic mails and text messaging makes letter writing a dying art- a sad reality I find hard to accept.
ReMastered is a music documentary available on Netflix. I've seen 3/8 episodes and I highly recommend this to anyone who likes to know more about musical personalities. I wish they'd include female singers in case they'll plan to release a new season.
MUSIC
- George Harrison- All Things Must Pass- Weeks prior to the suspension of classes, I was deeply interested to discover the individual works of Beatle members. I read somewhere that George Harrison's All Things Must Pass is one of the best solo work of a Beatle member. Although I always consider that my preference for my favorite Beatle member depends on the situation, this album kinda solidified this strange feeling that, after all these years, my personality is very similar to George Harrison's. Also, the title itself is a constant reminder for any listeners that all things shall pass. ( I'd like to think that the name of the album was George Harrison's words of comfort for their fans who found it difficult to accept the band's break-up. )
- Kate Bush- Hounds of Love- Since the start of the year, I've been spending more time listening to 80s song than before. One of the singers I discovered was Kate Bush. This is not the first time I've heard of her. Last year, I saw a movie called Started for Ten whose main character is a big Kate Bush fan. Listening to the works of Kate, this album in particular, gave me an idea why the main character liked Kate Bush. She's creative and she uses literary works as inspiration for her songs.
- Vira Talisa- EP- I discovered Vira through Fur. Her song Walking Back Home reminds me of Francoise Hardy's early songs about love. Vira is an Indonesian, she's actually the first Indonesian singer I've heard.
- The Beatles- Komm, gib mir deine hand- This song was used during Jojo Rabbit's opening scene. This became one of my Covid- 19 anthems- my song of hope during this trying period.
- Johnny Cash- At Folsom Prison- The ReMastered documentary inspired me to give this album a try. True enough, the album is a good Johnny Cash album for starters. The songs from these albums gave me an idea about the plight of people who live lives different from mine. I never really gave much thought about the experiences of prisoners until i heard this album. This album reminds me of biblical stories about Jesus and his disciples interacting with the outcasts of the society. It's easy to judge people whose lives are different from us, but hard to open ourselves to understand their plight and do something to help them, even in the little ways we can.
- Kate Bush- In Conversation- This album contains Kate Bush interviews. Since I started listening to Kate Bush, I was inspired by her creativity. Listening to this album inspired me to spend time doing art in my own ways. I noticed that there's always this lingering thought that following the formula of other people's success is the path to my own success. I'm starting to realise that success doesn't work that way. I've been thinking about this for months already. Listening to Kate Bush talk about finding creativity and following success convinced me to actually think about my own definition of success and creativity.
BOOKS
- Starter for Ten- By now, I know you already know that my decision to read this book was based on Kate Bush. I'm starting to believe that book Brian is way better than the movie Brian.
- The Despair of Monkeys and other Trifles- This book is Francoise Hardy's autobiography. I'm still to finish this book, but I think I'll stop for now. While reading this book, I can't help but feel as if the anticipation of reading this book is way better than actually reading the book.