Yet Untitled 067 - I am in a new place

A quick note after emerging on the other side

Dearest Yet Untitler,

Here I am, in prose again! Those of you who have been reading the frenetic poems I’ve shared in the past few editions would guess that this likely implies an easing of some kind. You’re right - I’m in between shooting schedules, catching my breath; gathering insight.

A word on the past few days - while directing, I have lived through some “high-intensity life”. There were many instances when, the ground fell away from under my feet and I didn’t know what to do. More than once, the comfort of experience quickly ran out and the duress of an unforgiving schedule put me in places where I was flummoxed.

In such moments, there was little to hold on to but the moment itself. What I mean by this is: all I could do was gaze lay in front of me and do the very best I could.

I seem to remember the past weeks as a series of such moments: a pearl necklace of intensity, when days seemed to have no end, and when they ended there was only a second’s respite before it all rebooted and the onslaught started again.

But there was variety, there was laughter, there were triumphs, there were misfires, there was friendship, there were surprises, there was satisfaction. There were raised voices, there were words of comfort. There was humanity, as was there arrogance and anger.

And then, suddenly, it was over. This extremely long, hot, deluge of a day ended.

The next morning, I woke up and clocked, palpably, that I felt…different. I felt more capable, like I’d suddenly been to Ikea and purchased one of their amazing toolboxes and could suddenly fix everything in the house! I could see more, and suddenly life felt more full of possibility. I started thinking about films I hadn't made yet and suddenly I felt that I should, I must, now make them!

Beatrice Wood’s sculpting tools, Ojai CA, c. 2016

I have come to a new place. This place has some new answers to old questions. But it has a lot of new questions too!

Thanks for listening.

Lotsa love

V

Face for the new place, New Delhi, c. 2023