Before I begin this piece, I do want to give a big olde spoiler alert as this will draw from two films I've seen recently that are referenced in the title, No Other Choice, and Nirvana: The Band - The Show - The Movie. I highly encourage readers to see both of these movies when or if they have the chance and do not take responsibility for anyone who chooses to continue to read and feels like they are missing out without seeing them, or feels the experience of seeing them has been ruined in some way by reading this beforehand. Go see them!
If you know me or have been privy to one or more of my rants irl, you know how much I love films, especially lately as I've gotten older, I have really realized what an important medium they are to me. I have on more than one occasion gone to see movies by myself for the raw opportunity for inspiration, reflection, or induced meaning making. There is a wild combination of cinematography, writing, and music, that combines art forms I love into a woven story that I can take with me into my life even after it finishes. And I have been lucky to have felt seriously moved in these last couple of years by several films.
These two recent films referenced in the title come at a funny time where it feels like so much is coming together and simultaneously falling apart in my life which also seems an apt description for the age we're all living in right now. I remember walking home talking to my significant other after we saw No Other Choice and I carried the feeling of being lost in it still as we left the theatre. I wonder now if I can even tap into the energy and feelings I was having talking to my partner after, as we were discussing what we both saw that evening. I was describing something it made me think of and began intermingling thoughts, and stories, and experiences across multiple timelines in a very Nirvana: The Band - The Show - The Movie way.
But I guess I'll start here. I also recently saw Nirvana The Band - The Show - The Movie, and it was so funny, and heartwarmingly local, and inspirational from a guerrilla-arts perspective. I've always been a big fan of the counter-cultural activities of graffiti and skateboarding for their true guerrilla style, you can turn a piece of your city into a canvas, or re-imagine a piece of a neighbourhood into a living playground. Loose parts and open-ended in ECE language. There's a certain type of courage it takes to pursue these niche art forms and there's something behind them or inside of them that I've tried to tap into in various ways in my own art and exploration. Nirvana: The Band - The Show - The Movie takes this to a whole new level and it is so blissfully aware of the playfulness involved in engaging in that capacity that I felt truly relieved and validated in my perspective on things watching it. The way it simultaneously didn't take itself too seriously while also paying heavy respects and credence to the things that came before and made it possible. The literal geography and culture of the city it takes place in very much included. To riff off something that happens in the movie, it felt like getting shot in the face with your own ideas. It was a very literal example of executing some core beliefs I've held for a long time when it comes to making something or taking on a larger project creatively.
Anyways, I saw this movie and immediately afterwards, Matt Johnson, one of the creators and stars of the movie jumped out with a microphone and started talking to the audience and opened up the floor to questions. It was so cool, and funny, and unexpected and I felt lucky to have the opportunity to be there. I asked something easy that I thought about and appreciated about the movie and was blown away by how guerrilla the movie itself actually is. People asked questions about scenery in the film or characters that appear, and Matt answered readily that most people you see in the movie are real civilians and are speaking candidly throughout the film, the crew that shot it was like 6 or 7 people max. Most of the footage is real footage of the two stars in their city. (I asked how they got the CN Tower shots, and he answered that it was mostly social engineering, luck, and very risky play). They just used footage they had accumulated over the years and went out and did the thing, without seeking permission of any kind (beyond their team of lawyers I suppose).
But as has happened on more than one occasion in recent years, I left the movie feeling so excited and inspired, and somewhat disappointed in myself that I didn't pitch Matt a screenplay I had written last year. I use the term “screenplay” generously here - but it's something I created and it was a cool writing experience I had. It's something that I did believe in at a time despite how cumbersome and cloudy my doubts of it right now might be. So I felt like I needed to pitch him something and connect with this creator on a deeper level. To leverage the spontaneous opportunity somehow in my own favour.
There's been times in my life where I can see the sun shine through that all encompassing doubt and I have a raw and intense belief in myself, or a moment, or the universe itself, and it's almost like premonition knocking on my window how I just move with time and space into a reality I've been seeking, or if you want to get freaky with me here, potentially even helped create.
So I go to the bathroom feeling enthralled but also disappointed I didn't try to ask this person I was inspired by a question about myself or how to connect with him further, but also hearing the tap, tap, tap of the universe on my doorstep so to speak. I moved with the rhythm of the moment and relaxed into this old familiar feeling of doubtlessness. My partner and I took the long escalator ride down from the movie theatre at Yonge and Dundas and when we got down to the exit across from the Eaton Centre, there was Matt Johnson outside again, standing and talking to a small crowd who were dressed like they belonged in a Fontaines DC music video. I waited patiently for them to finish and right as they did, some agent or handler guy pulled Matt away aggressively from any further interaction and said, “Sorry we've got to get moving.” Or something to that effect. I quickly just followed them and tapped Matt on the shoulder to shake his hand to say thank you for the experience. I then looked at him and said, “Sorry if this is a crazy question but could I like send you a screenplay by chance?” He was totally cool and said to google his production company, the email should take 2 minutes to find, and to reach out there. So I did. (I re-read the “screenplay” shortly after sending it to him and found so many little errors in grammar or spelling and felt embarrassed by it and that it was nowhere near good enough).
But before even getting home myself, walking away from the experience in a puffy cloud dream-like ecstasy, I walked my partner home and then got on the subway northbound towards Yonge and Bloor station. When I arrived on the Eastbound platform at Bloor, I happened to stand next to a dude wearing a jacket with a Very Hungry Caterpillar character painted on his coat. I smiled and pointed at the familiar caterpillar and told him he had a dope jacket. He took his headphones out and was so genuine in his reply to my compliment, that we both hit it off and started chatting more and more about his art, and ideas, and the state of things to a certain extent. It was a short train ride but the brief conversation was so compelling and mutually agreeable, there was a real depth to it and I felt like I had recognized a kindred spirit. I will give this artist a shout-out here too as I added him on Instagram to follow his journey, and the dude made some seriously dope stuff both on his person and that he showed me quickly on his phone. @crayonclub.ca check him out!
So I meet this awesome film maker whose amazing movie I just saw, then meet this insanely talented and cool artist immediately after and I'm feeling invigorated and revitalized and just swimming in the energy and synchronicity of it all. I literally texted my partner, “Magic is real babe," and there's been several of these albeit rare moments in my life where it's unquestionably true. Real people do real magic, and you can find them, right around the corner from where you live.
Two more quick things about this serendipitous artistic encounter. One, he showed me a giant board he had made on his phone that he glued a large amount of VHS videotapes to to use as a canvas, and he had hand painted an actual movie theatre on top of it. Seriously @crayonclub.ca (I think his name is Evan), one of the dopest pieces of art I've seen. Genuinely loved it and the conversation about it that followed about the meaning of painting a theatre on this old media in what feels like a dying art form. And two, how he mentioned he was doing a runway show soon with his fashion-artwork. That he was super intimidated or nervous about it and how that's actually a good feeling as an artist as when you feel scared it means you're stepping out of your comfort zone. How exploring new territory is kind of the whole vibe you start with in any art form really. Sometimes it's the simple truths, and this one hit home for me at the right time as I remembered his words when I was feeling stupid for sending something I wrote to Matt Johnson's production company when I got home.
Real people do real magic and you can find them.
Feels worthy of repeating.
Anyways, I met these two guerilla-arts guardian angels that evening and continued on in my life as one does. And it wasn't until seeing this Korean movie, No Other Choice, that the pieces started to fall into place even more cohesively. The thing about this movie, and honestly I could say the same for the few other Korean films I've seen, they hit deep. There are layers to this film. One thing I love about Korean films, and I remember this distinctly with Parasite, is I don't know what's going to happen next. I pride myself on crafting a story along with viewing it or being able to see when foreshadowing is being used, or even predicting flat out what I think will happen. But I love being wrong. And I love even more the mysterious feeling of not being able to guess at all.
No Other Choice is one of those movies that doesn't really spell it out for you. It leaves you thinking more and more about it as the credits role and you piece together your thoughts and feelings in real time. One of the overarching themes of the movie in my humble opinion is this idea of the modernization of industry. The last scene before the credits role literally depicts machines tearing apart trees for the paper industry in stark contrast with earlier dialogue in the movie about how the traditional practices in the Korean paper industry recycle trees and re-plant them and it's sustainable and such. But by the end it seems to be changing or has changed in some visceral and dynamic way, as much as the main character himself has changed through the actions that brought him to the end of this particular story. I couldn't help but feel a nod to the very obvious message in the film of, “Doing bad things to find success in the modern age, or ignoring bad things or consequences to find success in the modern age". It kind of screams out at you the more you sit with it.
I had to think of the plight of the Palestinian people, or the plight of any and all oppressed peoples in past, present, or future genocides. The willful ignorance of so many and the downright brainwashing and steep propaganda market making caring about any of these people uncool, or unworthy of one's time or emotional capacity, or flat out criminal. I use Palestine specifically as an example as there has been very obvious attempts by the Israeli state online to propagate these spaces with bots or influencer opinions to further their agenda of dehumanization of the Palestinian people, their inherent rights to violence on them, or the stupidity of anyone who speaks out against their actions. There have been numerous cases both online and abroad of direct censorship being applied to anyone who speaks out against the war crimes and active genocide the Israeli state is committing, and there are people even being criminally charged for their demonstrations or words of advocacy. The Irish group Kneecap (who are very outspoken on Palestine) were basically banned from Canada on the whim of a zionist MP with no direct due process and the Carney administration has yet to properly acknowledge the logistics of this choice. One member of the group Mo Chara more recently, has even been tried for charges of terrorism in English courts and there are other people in England being criminally prosecuted for saying they support Palestinian action as well. It seems anybody who speaks out in a position of power against the Israeli state anywhere in the western world, are quickly labelled anti-semitic, and hushed behind shadow bans or have their words twisted, criminalized, or suppressed in some other way.
There are nefarious groups promoting real anti-semitism of course. As much as there has always been. And there's also plenty of Israeli and Jewish people who speak out against the actions of the Israeli state and stand firmly in solidarity with the Palestinian people. The lines are rarely drawn as firmly as bots online and in media would like you to believe and there is a stronger base of support than I think gets fairly acknowledged in these spaces.
Most people capitulate to the mass censorship though and don't wish to sacrifice their position by speaking out about something considered taboo or something they feel they might be attacked for. The strategies of the powerful often succeed. Consistently we are blasted with trauma and divisive talking points out of our black boxes in our hands and people begin to work to appease algorithms and control measures to find their own success or status in a narrowing game of who can see more of who and how often. It is really is grim in a lot of ways, and I worry about it arguably more than I sincerely consider the conditions on the ground of the folks who are actually living day to day in its shadow. The reality of the truly oppressed, and the victims of the genocide itself. It's a sad thing.
To step back towards Nirvana here though, I was absorbing a few interviews of the creators of the Nirvana: The Band - The Show - The Movie both pre- and post-watch where they detailed some inspiration behind their film and articulated some beautiful ideas about art and movies, and what it means to them. There was a particular clip of Matt Johnson where he is describing gear-heads, and more specifically film gear-heads, and people who spend a lot of time worrying about and/or upgrading the kind of camera they have or want. He honestly opens up about the inevitable hopelessness of competing with the pace of technology these days, and that whatever camera you buy, it will become obsolete - and quickly. But what doesn't become obsolete, is what you point it at. The eye of the beholder. The act of guerrilla artistry to change the landscape into something beautiful in whatever way you know how. These sentiments remain a guiding light to me as I digested the meaning and emotion packed into the No Other Choice movie.
There's almost a meta narrative there in both of these films where the characters have become ruthlessly steadfast in their acting out of a creative plan that is necessary and painstakingly applied to achieve the success they see themselves worthy of. In Nirvana: The Band - The Show - The Movie it's a playful attitude towards the chase and the arts, and the film uses larger than life levels of imagination to place the characters outside of time and grasp onto a dream that they can hold. The film itself being a direct example of the characters actions in the film, diving through time to gather old footage, and exploring the city freely with cameras in hand to try to capture something truly incredible.
In No Other Choice, the main character sacrifices his morality and ideals to become part of the larger machine of industry that he needs to survive in the lifestyle he has become accustomed to. The supporting role of the partner has it's part to play as well, as the wife also becomes aware of this unmistakable shift, and chooses to ignore it and participate in the potential of success that it offers. That's what I mean about there being a meta narrative. This film itself is a creative plan the creator saw necessary to circumvent the oppressiveness of modernity in film. It uses truly creative story telling, detailed and wonderful cinematography, and incredible acting and humanity to tell a story in an age where those things are being actively replaced by supposed advancements in technology. That's the thing about No Other Choice. It's still a film. The main character abandons his ideals and values to find success but the creators clearly have not. They crafted a story to demonstrate the hyperbolic insanity of that sacrifice in the modern age to find the success you feel worthy of. They succeeded in their own way to violently resist the conditions they exist in.
While you don't have to go on a literal murder spree to compete in the economy these days, you very well may have to ignore one to stay ahead. Surveillance and military technology is still being tested and used in places like Palestine. Disinformation and psychological warfare online are becoming a fine science. Powerful elites have consistently been exposed as predatory, dishonest, and ruthless in their aims to claw for more status. The planet as a whole is actively being destroyed and water reserves depleted to fuel artificial intelligence machinery that people use to craft creative work, essays, or even their grocery list. The technology is being forced down our throats on every platform or device we use to connect with one another or gather information. Creators everywhere are relying on and conceding to a hegemonic technocracy to assist with and get attention from and to their work. History itself has become an open source sketchbook to those with the means and power to twist it to their will. This is all just the tip of the ice berg in terms of what is being planned behind closed doors or what is yet to come.
Still though, good art gets made.
Good humans continue to resist.
There is no other choice in today's cultural landscape other than to get creative with your plan it seems. To take up arms against the waves of modernity and be violently resistant with the state of affairs. Again I'm not promoting literal violence here. Although I do come from a long line of resistant militants in my family and recognize the important role it has to play in revolution. I also come from a long line of compassionate intellectuals who believe in the greater good and the power a story can have to change the world. People that have witnessed first hand the effects that violence has on a people and a place and have chosen compassion and story to build bridges towards real change. To acknowledge the violence that has occurred and to build a beautiful life beyond it takes its own kind of courage and tenacity.
My brother Seán and I used to stand on a bridge in the Don Valley and throw sticks into the creek. We would turn and move to the other side of the bridge and watch them race each other as we both picked a stick we believed would win.
I've often joked that nowadays kids would just be tapping sticks into the river on a digital tablet and playing, “Stick Racer 3” now available on the app store. But I know there is a value to standing on the bridge, to engaging with the land and the environment in some capacity. There is value in finding a worthy stick and throwing it hopefully into the wind for the chance at victory.
That's all I hope to do with my art nowadays. Even however long I continue to post it on problematic platforms for digitized hearts and commodified attention. I do hope to hold onto the stick of humanity and to continue to stand firmly on the bridge between the past and the future, between hope and the hopeless, between resistance and acceptance. To make fun with my own race, to engage in it with loved ones and find my own pace and grace where I can. There's no other choice for me than finding that nirvana, and watching it slip hopefully into the stream as I toss it away and find release.
Thanks for reading and may magic find you where you are.
Peace.