I came upon this lovely animated film on Brain Pickings this morning. It’s titled Iterations and is produced by hitRECord, a global creative community and mulitmedia production company formed a decade ago by actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt. You might remember him as the teen Tommy on the sitcom Third Rock From the Sun but he has matured into a very fine actor and director with an eye for challenging material. His work at hitRECord falls into that category.
It’s a sweet film that concerns its self with self transformation, a theme that is visited often here on this blog. The idea that each phase, each new iteration, of our life is an experiment and that it is under constant recalibration appeals to me.
Change is a part of who we are. At least, I know it is part of who I am. For a while, I came to view it as a weakness, this need for constant change. I mistakenly thought that finding a state of being static was the answer. This little film reminds me that it is not.
Below is a description of the film along with the names of the many artists involved in its making from Gordon-Levitt and below the video are the lyrics to the tune. Hope you’ll enjoy.
“….are very pleased to present ITERATIONS — a short musical film to come out of our collaboration regarding ‘The Road.’ The road can represent many things including escapism, change, and personal growth. And, while many people may identify the themes of ‘The Road’ with artists like Jack Kerouac and others of the beat generation, the story told in ITERATIONS is a slightly different interpretation. Based on ‘The Journey of Jeanine’ by hitRECord artist, SophieRumi (Hungary) and developed in collaboration with mirtle (Cyprus), ITERATIONS tells the coming of age story of a girl’s sometimes difficult and sometimes reluctant path to adulthood. Jeanine has a guide (Wolfred the wolf) and gets help and support along her journey, but in the end must set off on her own path. The piece is set to Metaphorest’s (Scotland) wonderful song, ITERATIONS and orchestrated by Robo_J (USA). The eye-popping animation is provided by the incredibly talented artist, fajigajiga (Canada). The worldwide community of hitRECord artists provided additional illustrations and instrumentation.”
Have you seen my old self?
I think I must have lost her
I wonder if I cost her
Her life?
Have you seen my second self?
She seems to grow younger
More delicate than ever
But never better
I’m an experiment
Each trial is a test
Constant recalibration
I am recycled cells
I learn to like myself
more with each iteration
Where is my restore point?
I found an old sore point
All disjointed
My file corrupted
Where is my replacement part?
I need another new heart
The other one’s beat was
Interrupted
I am recycled cells
I learn to like myself
more with each iteration
I’m an experiment
Each trial is a test
Constant recalibration
Redtree Times 