Director's Statement
The title of the film was taken from one of my favorite Mary Oliver poems, “A Summer Day.” In the poem’s final lines the poet asks the reader:
“Tell me, what else should I have done? Doesn’t everything die at last and too soon? Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?”
And yet…and yet...in my own experience, I doggedly forget the wild and precious nature of my time here. I most often lose sight of this fact when I am with the people I treasure the most—my family. I love my tribe dearly but when we gather to celebrate or mourn, drama ensues. Over the years at various events, I have noticed that is there is often someone who feels compelled to belt out an aria of pent up woes and injustices. How can you possibly coax a raging person back into the fold? No one sets out to be an outsider and ultimately we all crave community as we experience the rituals of life and death. But some people are a challenge to include.
In “Wild & Precious”, the character of Enid is a composite of many qualities that make it difficult to be a part of a family. She’s narcissistic, flamboyant, and hot-tempered but underneath it all she just wants to help and ultimately be included in the rituals of the day. It takes the persistence of her granddaughter, Leah, to discover these things. She refuses to dismiss Enid. Leah may only be 12, but in this situation she is far wiser than her years. I’ve noticed that it is often unexpected people who save the day and diffuse the drama in these family fiascos. It can be a kid, a stranger, or often someone who may be quite a challenge in their own right.
I am more of a questioner than a believer in any one particular faith but I do believe in sudden and sharp moments of goodness. Some people call it grace, some people call it “being present”, others just think of it as being human. The character of Leah personifies what I believe grace can be. She is brave in a way that we are often not with those we love. And the rest of the family mirrors her journey. Everyone is gathered for a funeral, yet the importance and depth of being good to one another becomes more and more apparent and vital as the day progresses toward the closure of the service.
The writer Anne Lamott sums things up so beautifully when she writes, “I do not understand the mystery of grace—only that it meets us where we are and does not leave us where it found us.”
My hope with “Wild & Precious” is to capture that fragile and mysterious journey.
“Tell me, what else should I have done? Doesn’t everything die at last and too soon? Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?”
And yet…and yet...in my own experience, I doggedly forget the wild and precious nature of my time here. I most often lose sight of this fact when I am with the people I treasure the most—my family. I love my tribe dearly but when we gather to celebrate or mourn, drama ensues. Over the years at various events, I have noticed that is there is often someone who feels compelled to belt out an aria of pent up woes and injustices. How can you possibly coax a raging person back into the fold? No one sets out to be an outsider and ultimately we all crave community as we experience the rituals of life and death. But some people are a challenge to include.
In “Wild & Precious”, the character of Enid is a composite of many qualities that make it difficult to be a part of a family. She’s narcissistic, flamboyant, and hot-tempered but underneath it all she just wants to help and ultimately be included in the rituals of the day. It takes the persistence of her granddaughter, Leah, to discover these things. She refuses to dismiss Enid. Leah may only be 12, but in this situation she is far wiser than her years. I’ve noticed that it is often unexpected people who save the day and diffuse the drama in these family fiascos. It can be a kid, a stranger, or often someone who may be quite a challenge in their own right.
I am more of a questioner than a believer in any one particular faith but I do believe in sudden and sharp moments of goodness. Some people call it grace, some people call it “being present”, others just think of it as being human. The character of Leah personifies what I believe grace can be. She is brave in a way that we are often not with those we love. And the rest of the family mirrors her journey. Everyone is gathered for a funeral, yet the importance and depth of being good to one another becomes more and more apparent and vital as the day progresses toward the closure of the service.
The writer Anne Lamott sums things up so beautifully when she writes, “I do not understand the mystery of grace—only that it meets us where we are and does not leave us where it found us.”
My hope with “Wild & Precious” is to capture that fragile and mysterious journey.
