Peter Sellars Knows The World's Secrets

As Peter Sellars entered the TFF Student Symposium classroom, a 'zone of coolness' was ushered in with him. That's right. A zone of coolness.

'Coolness' is Sellars' term for a person's aura, their vibe, the energy with which they greet the world; admittedly, this all might sound like a thrust towards bizarre new age philosophies and hippie hoopla, but let's run with it for a while. Let me convince you that Peter Sellars is the most loving, well-intentioned human being one may ever come to know -- Peter Sellars knows the world's secrets and he wants to share them with everyone.

It is not so much that Sellars has uncovered hidden relics or mysteries of human history, but that he has realized evident truths which not everyone is conscious of. Much like Ken Burns' philosophy on film, Sellars pays specific heed to the personal as a window into both a universal understanding and the underlying truth of who we are or are meant to be.

Film, like life, is all about framing -- in the frame, you choose what fits and what doesn't fit. A frame is that through which things are felt, experienced and understood. In Sellars' mind, developing a film is about coaxing its substance out from your nocturnal (ie. subconscious) self and presenting it in the daylight (ie. out in the open). It is about focusing on making what is personal to you, the director and filmmaker, accessible to everyone else -- it is about establishing a dialogue based on the personal which translates to the universal.

Sellars champions experiential knowledge over academic knowledge -- this is to say purely that he is more interested in what is written on a person's heart than on a piece of paper or in a book. As equal part inspiration and mentor, he cites the French philosopher Simone Weil. Sellars' claims that Weil once said something to the tune of 'work (meaning process) is what gives life meaning.' It is not thereby the end result that is the most satisfying, but the journey of getting there that is the true treasure. How true.

Sellars' main point, then, is about finding yourself and staying true to yourself by living actively in the process of life, accomplishing what you set out for yourself and being who you want to be. To this effect, Sellars said something remarkably poignant, that I don't think I will ever forget, if only because it struck such a chord with me personally.

"It's when you're in a miserable state in your life that you really realize what it is you want and who you really are -- also, you realize how to come to that ideal place." -- Peter Sellars (08/29/08)

I don't necessarily want to step up onto my own little soapbox here, but damn it all if Sellars' sentiment here doesn't ring gloriously true for me in my life. But, to a certain extent, I understand what Sellars is saying here based on personal experience. It is the reason the year 2008 was so far different from 2007 -- change needed to be made, and it is still happening. Thank goodness.

Sellars told us that the 21st Century is all about connecting, about being connected, about democratizing not only our technology but our lives in their entirety. He talked about the "gaze that goes both ways," which for Sellars means Darshon, a Buddhist principle of seeing God and having him see you back. For me, I interpreted this as the kinesthetic ability for response in live performance, the ability of performer and spectator to see one another, to be present in the same space at the same time; liveness personified.

Sellars urged us to articulate the world see ourselves living in. He posed an important question to us as a follow-up, a reflection of this sentiment.

"How do you move into a place in your life where all the things you look forward to (ie. dream about) are waiting for you?" -- Peter Sellars (08/29/08)

The answer he gave us to this query was three words long: "Imagine, Create, Live." The energy of one's being directed properly can accomplish what you wish for in your life -- make the effort, speak from your heart, don't deny yourself what it is that you need to become who you are.

Again, our world is all about connecting. After all, even the unconnected things can be connected through the existence of rhyme.

The Flowers, They're Goldblumin' (or I Prefer My Shakes Maltin)

I have a quick confession to make. Due to the rigorous nature of the festival, I may not be able to update the blog as much as I would otherwise like to do. It's currently 1:23 A.M. in Telluride, Colorado, and I've already got to be up for breakfast and a discussion at 7:30 A.M. -- yikes. Prepare not to sleep if you ever come to Telluride. By its very nature, especially relevant to Student Symposium, you are out and about at all hours of the day and the night -- it is (blissfully) unrelenting. I have absolutely no complaints.

I have a lot that I plan to write here, personal anecdotes and may venture into the realm of using videoblogs to condense information, but since I won't have time enough to prepare oratory on the subject matters, writing things down here or in a notebook seems to be a more appropriate way to store my thoughts for the time being. I've always been a writer first and an actor/improviser second, so I'll opt to stick to my guns on this one -- the deliciously serendipitous (and not-so-serenditious) occurrences here at Telluride deserve a meticulously and thorough relation, with careful attention to details.

A story might be fun to hear in person, but my one experimental venture into videoblogging (or vlogging) resulted in a fairly circuitous, rambling and incoherent relation of several anecdotes, including but not limited to a brief and spastic tour of my condo (by means of spinning my computer around in a circle). So. Let's put that brief bit behind us, ignore it for now, and hope for the best via the textual relation of my stories to all of ya'll.

A brief note that I will expound upon after the festival's close comes from our class discussion with filmmaker Peter Sellars -- Sellars, in his forty-five minute lecture to us all, talked of the importance of praise and of understanding intentionality. His focus with these two main core subjects was on defining who you are in the truest form, and admittedly having to go through some relative hell or tumult to arrive at a sense of peace or appropriate purpose in one's life. He said something to us all that really struck a chord with me -- I may be paraphrasing a bit when I transcribe this quote from my hastily-written notes, but the sentiment that follows is a near perfect illustration that my life has taken in the past year.

"It's when you're in a miserable state in your life that you really realize what it is you want and who you really are (and who you need to become) -- also, how to come to a place that mirrors that."
-- Peter Sellars

What Sellars said to our symposium is outstandingly relevant in the sense that a less than favorable state in my life led me to realize exactly what it was I needed to be doing with my life. I was in a situation where the circumstances were unfavorable, where I was making choices based on the concerns and opinions of others instead of first consulting myself.

I am being purposefully cryptic because I intend to expound on this a bit more in a later post, but trust me when I say that in the past year (since having realized the changes that needed to be made), life has been close to ideal. A place like Telluride makes me (at least) realize that everything I have come to believe in the past year of my life and have realized as aspirations, goals and wants, is intensely valid if potentially less poetic than the linguistic stylings of Peter Sellars, filmmaker and honorary motivational speaker, in my book.

Also, I have some additional quick notes for further explication. Look forward to hearing about the following:

• My Chance Meeting with Leonard Maltin
• Meeting Jeff Goldblum (complete with pictures to prove it!) + Bonus Random Anecdote
  
• Symposium Discussion with Ken Burns
• Symposium Discussion with Peter Sellars (in further detail)
• Paul Vester's short film In The Woods (and aftermath)
  
• U.S. Premiere of Waltz With Bashir & Meeting with Director Ari Folman (w/ Folman's video introduction that almost got me kicked out of the Chuck Jones' Cinema -- sorry, Telluride Staff, I honestly didn't know that it was forbidden!)
  
• U.S. Premiere of A Private Century by Czech Director Jan Sikl & Meeting Afterward

It's true what they say about Telluride, in that you have every opportunity to meet anyone who is in attendance. The Ari Folman story, in particular, is an excellent illustration of how making the right choice (what would normally be considered going the extra mile) allows that which is unbelievable to become a distinct reality.

Everyone here really is within an arm's reach. The opportunities can slip away as easily as they present themselves -- but, thankfully, I have rarely been one to turn down an opportunity. And, since being here in Telluride is such a special honor, I'll be damned if I am going to walk by someone I respect or who has inspired me in some way without at least introducing myself. Some are content to observe from afar and say, "Hey! It's Jeff Goldblum." But, I got to talk to the man, all because I made the effort to do so. It's not hard, per se, but it takes some courage.

For me, the fact that I am here in Telluride is courage enough. Cheers.

Arrived At Last!

It's official!

After approximately six hours worth of travel from Evanston to Chicago, Chicago to Denver, Denver to Montrose, one shuttle ride later I have arrived here in Telluride, Colorado. And, perhaps obviously, I couldn't be happier to be here. Honest.

After having visited Colorado once before (in Westcliffe, Colorado) only last Spring, I am pleased to return to the place that I consider the easily the most beautiful state in the United States of America. As aforementioned, I miss all the oxygen that comes along with any other location in our country, but the view is incomparable, along with the festivities that are yet to come.

I have settled into my condominium, located in the center of the small mountain village on Main St. -- luckily, I couldn't be any closer to everywhere I would want to be in this town. It's a great little two-bedroom abode, elegantly decorated in a style that reminds me of a log cabin. And, perhaps unbelievably, I am able to get wireless internet right from the condo. Having this available will make future blogging much easier. I had previously been told that cafes and the local library would be our only option for internet access. I am glad to find that this is untrue.

I don't want to spend all of my time inside, and I am eager to explore the town (and to take pictures!). But, before I come to the close of this quick update, I'll provide a little bit of an anecdote to accompany the preceding information. Here goes.

I exchanged business cards for the first time on this trip while in-transit from Denver to Montrose. As it turns out, I was seated next to a woman who is a patron of the Telluride Film Festival. Her name, Julie Friesen. Ms. Friesen is representing Anderson Friesen Film Appreciation here at Telluride, which is based out of Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

Our discussion revolved around many topics -- as it turns out, she spent most of her summers in college working in and around Chicago for the Malnati family, who own many businesses including the famous Lou Malnati's Pizzeria. Perhaps most significantly, we talked about our respective reasons for attending the festival. She was impressed to hear that I had been selected for the Student Symposium and, in contrast, everything she said to me was something I couldn't believe.

She mentioned she would be attending a private preview screening that is exclusive to patrons, supposedly happening tomorrow (Friday, August 29th). As we exchanged contact information as our 45-passenger plane touched down in Montrose, she mentioned that she would let me know what the "super secret" film is and her opinion of it, as well. If and when the information comes to me, I'll be sure to put it up here.

But, for now, I'm about to grab lunch and walk around for a bit before the Symposium festivities begin at 4:00 P.M. this evening. There are more stories to tell already, but not enough time. I'll save them for the next post.

Caught in a Rainbow of Disbelief

There's been a change of venue.

I received an e-mail only yesterday informing me that my original lodging arrangement with Paul Gandell (see earlier post for stories/explication) had been canceled. Hearing this only two days before the festival's opening, I appropriately allowed myself a moment of panic.

Erika Gordon, Education Coordinator of the Telluride Film Festival, was the sender of the e-mail. Her details were purposefully cryptic and spare, but what I could glean from her message was that Paul apparently ran into personal reasons that has resulted in an inability to host a student for the duration of the festival. Bummer.

Talking with Paul on the phone was like talking to an old friend -- and, I looked forward to meeting both him and his family. I can only hope that all is well in his life. It worries that Erika did not offer any details of Paul's situation, but then again I assume the omission is less than an oversight, more so a nod towards privacy on his part. It's not that I particularly mind, but I cannot help but attempt to fill in the blank for myself.

All speculation aside, Erika soon afterwards informed me that alternate arrangements had been made. And, with the results, I couldn't be at all happier. Okay. Perhaps that's a bit of a stretch. I could be staying with George Clooney for the festival, but what has come about as a result of the complications on Paul's end is just as good, if not better. Don't get me wrong. This isn't schadenfreude. It's a delightfully ironic turn for the best.

My lodging will be provided by Elaine and Tom Schroedl, in a condominium located in the exact center of town (on, wouldn't you know it, Main Street). Elaine and Tom are what Telluride locals might call the talk of the town -- for a small mountain town like Telluride (with a population of barely over 2,000 residents), these are the individuals that paint its high altitude palette with sky blue brilliance. The Schroedls have a son, age seventeen, who is about to embark off to college at the close of the festival. He's into basketball, soccer, athletics in general. The Schroedls describe their home as a bit of a circus, people coming and going willy-nilly.

But, rightly so. I spoke with both Elaine and Tom today on the phone during my lunch break at work and hearing them talk about what could be expected out of the festival sent my level of excitement to a brand new high. Allow me to explain.

Every year, on the Thursday before the show, Elaine and Tom host an immense shindig for all the festival guests, meaning the filmmakers, actors and honorees in attendance. It's a social soiree of an epic sort. It's the kind of thing you read about in books or see in the movies. Before, the thought of even ambling through the streets and bumping into a celebrity by serendipity seemed like an opportunity with limitless results, but here will be practically everyone, all in the same Telluride home for several hours.

I, too, have been invited to the party. Utterly unbelievable.

I am sure that there are many moments to come that will make me feel as if I'm caught in a beautiful rainbow of disbelief, but this is the first to strike me so. I have no way to predict exactly what will occur in the coming days, but I have a pretty good feeling that it could change my life.