… I sense that
eating is just a fraction
of the mute affair.
The rest is high old air:
spiralling, mote filled.David Scott
from New College Dining Hall
Selected Poems
I am grateful to my friend the photographer Colin Dixon for drawing this glorious film to my attention a day or two ago.
The Online Photographer wrote: ‘If you haven’t seen this yet, you need to. Practically demands full screen, and after dark is best, with nothing else going on, no distractions, no other noises.’
I paid attention to the advice and came to the film after a post-supper walk last evening. Rendered speechless (temporarily!), I was spellbound and profoundly moved then, and came to the film a second time this morning.
For some not-immediately-obvious reason (as is so often the way with the gift of poetry) David Scott’s lovely poem about New College Dining Hall came clearly to mind! Perhaps because the poem, like the film, draws attention to so much more going on ‘above’ (and below and all around) us than our attention to the smaller, mundane and everyday events might ordinarily allow for, lightly touching upon ‘sabbath again’ … time and space to contemplate and celebrate ‘high old air: / spiralling, mote filled.’
Mauro Morandi (see yesterday’s post) was not, I think, suggesting that to look at something is somehow an entirely lesser experience than feeling beauty with our eyes closed might be. He, after all, speaks of his love for watching sea and sunset. But, after watching this film, his invitation might very well have a particular ring of truth in it for those who set out to ‘watch’ it again, feeling its beauty, with eyes closed.
And there’s more! Visit Mike Olbinski at Vimeo. I’ll meet you there. Often.
wind in my wheels 🌱 