Whisper of Art
Whisper of Art: Book & Film Reviews
~ Stephanie Deplanque
One Book: The Elder, by Manolin Manny Moreno
"Aging is not 'lost youth' but a new stage of opportunity and strength."
Betty Friedan US Feminist (1921 - 2006)
Why do I think Manolin's book needs to be published and read? First of all, to be honest I hardly saw the 115 pages as they flew by. The book is well written, the story is interesting, it's honest, real. It is a story of love and respect. Respect of your elders, of course, but respect of yourself as well. It's a story of humanity.
As we face a time in society where we will have more retired people and thus
elderly to take care of, as all the baby boomers of after WWII are now grandparents, we need to accommodate them in our society. And it is becoming very hard to accommodate elderly people as respect from young people diminishes.
The fact is, when I look at how we treat our elders, I am afraid to grow old. What will it be in 30, 40 years from now? Unless we start educating, or re-educating our children, we are doomed to a sad future. Older people are a link to the past, to history, to mistakes that should not be repeated. They are often wiser than young people because they know. They have learned something. And it is up to us to decide if we want to listen or not.
I remember having been taught to talk with respect to people older than me, and to listen to them. Now, working with children, I realize how this is getting lost. Many parents seem not to teach this value to their kids anymore, the “king child” reign has arrived. No more listening. No more respect.
Manny's life was not on the easiest path, and it did not look good. But the stability he couldn't find in a career or in a marriage he found in the person of Harry Jack.
Although the first time they met, this friendship did not seem possible, it became one of mutual respect. Manny learned a lot from it, and although everybody respected Harry when he was in full health, when old age and illness arrived, lots of people started putting him aside. Was it fear of him getting hurt? Easier by simply getting rid of this annoying old man? Thinking he was losing his mind?
When you have learned so much from someone, you owe help and respect until the very last moment. Even though it means giving your time and your energy, which is what Manny did.
This is why I think Manny’s book deserves to be published and to be read. It deserves to be looked at and to make us think: What would we want people to do, if we were in a reverse situation? Because, let’s face it, we will all grow old and we all might become ill or senile… What do we want people to remember?
To learn more check out Manny’s website:
http://monolinmannymoreno.yolasite.com
The Elder can be purchased via PayPal for $12.50 at the above web site or at www.Back40publishing.com .
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One Film: Imprint
Most of the time, you get surrounded by these huge blockbusters with ridiculously enormous budgets and an all star cast. But now and then, you find a small budget film with a very little known cast, and you are surprised! Surprised by the talent of the actors; surprised by the well written screenplay; surprised by the beauty of the scenery and filming angles.
Why did I choose to talk about Imprint in this issue? Well first of, as I’m writing this, it is Halloween! So what better than a good old fashion ghost story for Halloween?
The film is great because you really get this feeling of struggle from the main character, Shayla Stonefeather (Carmelo Tonantzin) as she tries to juggle between her American identity as a lawyer outside of the Reservation she grew up in and living in the white society, while her family and friends (like Tom Greyhorse, played by Michael Spears) are still deep into the traditional beliefs that she now finds hard to understand. All the while hearing voices and suspecting the death of her brother (Tokala Clifford).
How do you manage to find your identity when you are supposed to be part of a nation that still denies it? Whether you were born on Indian land or not, being Native American is what you are but it does not necessarily define who you are as a human being, who you will become. How does one can find perfect balance when the government, your government, your society, does not tell the truth? Does not recognize what has been done, and what is still being done?
One expression used in the film that made complete sense when it was explained is when she is said to be an “apple” (white on the inside, red on the outside). I suppose for a lot of young people today, it must indeed be very hard to get out in a world where most people still see you as stereotypes, and leaving all the beliefs behind. Many young people, when leaving their traditional families for studies and career, tend to disconnect. Yet there are those, at some point in their life, feel the need to go back to the spirituality of their respective tribe, and then often manage to find a balance between modern society and traditional beliefs.
This is why I encourage you to watch this movie. But to be fair, any movie made or produced by Chris Eyre will do!
Banner Graphic: www.firstpeople.us
