a film about the mussel
published: 2012-09-16The mussel. Would you ever consider it to be a main character in a film? I definitely wouldn’t. And still, yesterday evening I went to the premiere of one of the more intriguing documentaries I’ve ever seen.L’Amour des Mouleswas about exactly that: the mussel.
The mussel’s shell is a blueish-black, the inside of it shines. It lives, breathes, survives, joins arms with peers against forces of nature or mankind. It is coveted, protected and adored. Today, I am still thinking about the mussel film, and about the people portrayed in it who’s lives are moulded by the mussel. About the way the film was shot. The music.
A band performed after the film. A tiny, skinny girl with big hair got up on stage. She looked a little silly. You’d think she’d be shy. You’d think she’d never do a thing like get up on stage. And she couldn’t sing to save her life. I don’t know whether she was aware of this fact or not, but the thing is: it didn’t matter. She was vibrant, laughing and confident. She gave it all she had.
I like going to festivals and performances. I am always reminded that it doesn’t matter what you do or how, as long as you do it with conviction. It’s this conviction that speaks to people. And sometimes this conviction leads to works of timeless beauty. To a film about the mussel.