What Would You Do?
The Big Wait
Dear Watchers and Listeners and Thinkers and Dreamers,
What would you do if you had a lot of space to yourself—land the size of an entire state, for instance—and no one around to talk to other than your romantic partner?
Would you enjoy that space, or would you go crazy?
This week I found a short film “The Big Wait” that presents a couple—a man and woman—who spend a lot of time together on the site of an emergency airport in Australia. No one ever comes, but they live in a way that is structured, hopeful, and prepared in the event of potential guests.
In the United States right now, many of us are imagining and/or bracing ourselves for the end of life as we know it. Throughout history, so many people have imagined the end of times when faced with change and threat to our typical structures. We may also worry what will happen when the toxicity of man-made inventions cause us to lose the comfort and nourishment that nature brings.
In this short film, “The Big Wait” (15 minutes), we see two people making a life for themselves of joy and simplicity and silence, and living in a unique end-of-the-world kind of way.
I was so excited about this beautiful work that I arranged an interview with the director Yannick Jamey shortly after and watched his other films, too.
To find my interview with the director Yannick Jamey, subscribe to the Ms. W Film Club Podcast on either of these platforms:
Or watch the interview on my YouTube channel here:
Find Yannick Jamey’s other films on his website (they’re awesome): www.yannickjamey.com
Browse Short of the Week, where I found “The Big Wait”: shortoftheweek.com