I’m going to break from my regular routine of resisting Fuhrer Drumpfenfarten and the Republican Reich that he personifies. Instead, I have a piece designed to demonstrate how much we all share in common, regardless of race, religion, or locale.
“Kumbaya” is not really in our vocabulary at Brave New Films. We are believers, not conciliators, not deal makers. There is justice and there is injustice, and we fight for one and abhor the other. We do not believe that sacred ground lies in the middle. So we are pretty much the last studio you would expect to embark on a project like “40 Strangers, 50 Questions.” But we love a challenge. So, when a friend dared us to try to find something positive in these terrifying times, we decided to give it a shot. We did not expect to be so deeply moved, even changed by the experience. You might be too. Take a look.
The piece is inspired by a Danish advertisement meant to address the very real issues of racism and fanaticism that country is experiencing. The premise is quite simple. We put an ad in Craigslist asking people to meet in a warehouse in Los Angeles, and promised them lunch and an interesting experience. When they came, we separated them, physically, into groups based on what they most obviously had in common—race. The groups stood in boxes delineated by masking tape on the floor. And then they moved.
They moved—physically actually moved—according to their answers to questions ranging from playful to deeply personal: “Did you have overprotective parents?” “Have you ever bullied anyone?” “Are you in love, right now? I mean, right now?” “Do you have a tattoo?” “Have you had sex in the past week?” “Were you ever teased for your race or the way you look?” “Do you distrust police officers?” Finally: “Do you feel we are stronger united than divided?”
For each answer, the yeses walked to one box, then stood together for a group photo; the nos to another, for their picture. That was it. No judgment. No dialogue. Just this slow, beautiful dance, this coming together, splitting apart, joining and rejoining…
From <The Nation>
Before you click through, remember that non subscribers only get six reads a month. I have been a subscriber for years, so I don’t have that problem.
Because I am not on Facebook, I found and am embedding the YouTube version instead.
I found it eye-opening. Now of course, we still need to…
RESIST!!
…but as we do, let’s look for bridges to build too.
10 Responses to “40 Strangers 50 Questions”
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I’m glad you saw this and are sharing it. We do need something positive. I saw it somewhere, not on The Nation, and was impressed. Of course The Nation has superb writers, and sometimes they are the only way to get the full story. Glad the video is on YouTube too.
I think most people are intertwined somehow, and most people that I have run into, whether it’s at the store, going to the park, or whatever….have a sense of pride, goodness, & dignity within themselves. Everyone…has a story to tell.
As I have gotten old(er), I find that it’s good to stop and smell ‘the roses’ now. I am not the person who I was…say at 17, but I find myself slowing down, and enjoying what the day brings me. The little things in life matter to me now, and those memories made from my experiences.
It’s all good, and this video showed me that. We’re ALL in this together.!!!!
Thanks, Tom for this enlightening post.
I will check this all out at a later moment, as I need to get ready to meet friends, for dinner, but: WE ARE ONE, period! We share DNA across cultures, across the things we call “races.” We all began in Africa, as best we now understand, and were ALL quite BLACK! Many of us carry Neanderthal DNA (3-5%), some of us also have Denisovian DNA…shit we all carry some sunflower DNA! Without getting maudlin, WE ARE ONE, period! Those who’ve worked to separate us, in the modernish times, do so for selfish agenda, and insecure ego needs. The time in which tribes really needed to know who was the “other” are long gone. Think of Carl Sagan’s “Little Blue Dot” video!
Namste!
Yesterday I was gone most of the day for a funeral of someone in my extended family (cousin’s wife’s father). It was in a small town in rural Missouri and most of my Missouri relatives are Rush Limbaugh listeners and Trump supporters.
But it was a very pleasant (if funerals can be pleasant) day spent with folks who are still important to me. And not a word of politics was mentioned (which is probably why it was pleasant).
But the “40 Strangers – 50 Questions” video really hit home for me. Especially this moment close to the end when they ALL lined up against the wall in answer to the question: “Do you believe we are stronger united than divided?”
A most fitting example.
Thank you for sharing this, TomCat. Beautiful video that shows that bridges can be built if we look for common ground and not for differences.
Just over 20 years ago while I was working, a woman approached me at a teller’s wicket. Just being my usual self, I asked how I could help her. She gave me a rather quizzical look so I asked if there was something wrong. She was taken aback because I was nice to her, which I found odd. It turned out that she was a Muslim from Eastern Europe (not a migrant) accustomed to being looked down on and discriminated against. She wondered why I was being nice to her. At that point, I asked her what happens when she gets cut. “I bleed” she said. I replied “Yes. And what colour is the blood?” “Red” she said. “Same as me. And I’ll bet it hurts.” My point to her is that we are all the same. The package may come in various sizes, shapes, coverings etc, but we are more alike than not.
Excellent video demonstrating this point in a very experiential way.
Another most fitting example.
I have viewed it, and the moisture is still clouding my vision!
I am going to look for a way to end it to my e-mail list.
Thanks all. Pooped hugs!