1.30.2010

Abigale Disney: Recruiting for Film Army

Peace is loud, as said by Abigail E. Disney, but it is also a product of creative and assertive filming. She collaborated with the Liberian women by documenting their creative efforts to imagine a more peaceful country and enforce it in artistic ways. Pray the Devil Back to Hell emphasizes the importance of community as a powerful force through the medium of a camera. The camera’s role was as Disney’s communicator. After hearing her convocational address, I was missing one link to her experience in Liberia. That was the visual sharing of information: seeing the “peace” in action.












The camera becomes a force in its dramatics and a creative weapon. Ammunition for the camera is interviews and protests for peace. The cinematography displays the actions of Liberian protesters as fighters when contrasted next to video clips of men exchanging arms. A viewer of Pray the Devil become involved as well, creating an interrelated community of people across borders. This is what Fuller meant when describing energy of Universe as continually passing through one another, “I live on Earth at present, and I don't know what I am. I know that I am not a category. I am not a thing—a noun. I seem to be a verb, an evolutionary process—an integral function of Universe.” Disney is primarily a promoter and activist (some may consider as a peace extremist) and filmmaker is her means of forcing her opinions (which is also the collective view of Liberian women) upon people.

The reason why peace is loud is because it, as contrasted with war, is another extremity of judgment. Another way of looking at the film is as another realization that an individual can make a difference, such as collaborating with a group with similar interests. Why peace now, Disney? Again, as Fuller entails about the power of the individual, “our first priority…is the full realization of individual potential in order to reach the second derivative of a full realization for all individuals.” She uses effective filming strategy to bend viewers to her cause and join in on her war for peace.

IHRTLUHC

Ian Wallace

2 comments:

Lindsey said...

Your comments about Fuller as a verb relates to Disney's comment when she mentions that even Peace is a verb, I think the connection made between Fuller and Disney this way was very good.

However peace does not come immediately and the US is not even at peace. We are involved in war at the moment. But peace should be something everyone strives for.

Shimon and Lindemann said...

Yes, the notion that everything is connected stands out in both Fuller and Disney. Activists are calling for peace all the time but the media and/or the public gets distracted by the theatrics and economics of war and that was and still is too bad.