Gardens of the Moon

This has been a long time coming: shot in Michigan, produced in Vancouver. I've mulled and chewed and second-guessed. A crucial member of the intended audience is absent. It may or may not convey what I intend, but for all that, it's done. Like any work of significant investment, it'll be some time before I'll see the thing itself rather than the goal.

Most of the spoken word in this video is improvised. The text being read can be found here:
http://bcarruth.blogspot.com/2012/01/sleight-of-hand-life.html
(yes, I did set that up just to link this text).

Category:

Film & Animation

Tags:

• impressionism
• narrative
• myth
• gender
• existentialism
• philosophy
• relationships
• sexuality
• outsider
• lgbt
• Human Sexuality
• Interpersonal Relationship
• Pride

[zarkoff45]

Nice use of ambient music. Did you make it yourself?

[TheCarruths]

@zarkoff45 Some of it is remixed from tracks courtesy of Djinnestan, some of it mine.

[ThePr0tege]

I have no words to express how blown away I am by this video. It was exactly what I needed to hear, and then some. What was it you were reading from in various clips? please tell me it exists somewhere where I can read it for myself!

[TheCarruths]

@ThePr0tege A little something I wrote. I've still got it somewhere around here.

[TheCarruths]

@ThePr0tege There ya go: link in the textbar.

[alowlyapprentice]

(3) Not sure if you're heading towards some sort of oneness. Oneness is something I am opposed to. For at the moment there is no other, there is no self. To me that is a form of death. I don;t think there is a better level of stress and strife for humans. It is either expressed between groups or between individuals. But without the other there can be no self. So this is necessary, IMO.

[TheCarruths]

@alowlyapprentice Quite the opposite: ideas like "oneness", even the underpinnings of otherwise benevolent concepts like egalitarianism, act as a second blow to the marginalized (by minimizing to silence even their perceptions of marginalization). Recognized diversity is critical, and will only become moreso as cultural and memetic fragmentation increase.

[jdelphiki42]

I like the way you weave in and out of different strands of thought. It gives it a feel of synthesis between poetry, philosophy, and plain concern.

[GrowthSpiral]

Ben - the music is so hauntingly wonderous - makes me pulse race each time - the content i continue mull over on my daily rides to and from work - incredible as i find your art to be, stay golden...

[AussieGriffin]

Nice to see some old school independent cinema on YouTube. Takes me back to the 1990's when my sister did film school.

A.G.

[kiittenwolf]

@kiittenwolf Recognizing diversity, a value-neutral idea, can sometimes for instance transform into an obsessive hatred and ostracization of one group by another, even to the point of justifying explicit apathy, rather than leading to these noble pursuits of humanitarianism if it's not handled carefully. This is for instance, commonly found amongst radical feminists, radical marxists, radical black power movements, radical white power movements and now the men's rights movement.

[kiittenwolf]

@TheCarruths I think recognized diversity can and often does lead to an amplification of the diversity itself and induced inflation and fragmentation through the media. I also think this implied distinction between oneness or lack of oneness is a false dilemma. I know why recognizing diversity is important in terms of furthering humanism, I just want to point out that, as far as I see it, this is a double edged sword and has historically not gone so well.

[TWITfromURANUS]

@alowlyapprentice i don't want to come-off like an authority. i'm so not. i am not 'enlightened'. i am just a man of faith (just don't ask me what in). but yes, i will attempt the impossible, if you wish. why the hell not...

i just don't want to keep spewing my shit here. it feels kinda rude to Mr Carruths & his splendid creation. (so just 'PM me' if you're still interested. i don't mind either way)

[almafarag]

beautiful Texture. your Expression is very inspirational as is your message Ben. What I would interpose re the simultaneity of Identity and Performance: can you really make a distinction between language/culture as a collective dynamics and the 'individual' use to which the former may adapt? (whereby one component element may precede and thus effect a change in the encompassing element?) isn't the One an aspect (alwaysalready) of the Other rather than a vector of force for the Other?

[ReptoidBoffin]

That was amazing.