Thank you Linklater for ‘Waking Life’
Dear Mr. Richard Linklater, I want to tell you about a very special day.
It was in Bangalore, India, 2015. It was evening, the sky was already preparing for night, and the college was completely empty. But in a small dark room in an obscure part of the campus, my friend Nikhila and I were sitting together and watching your film Waking Life.
Nikhila had been wanting me to watch the film since a long time. She was convinced the film would speak to me on a personal level.
Of course, she was terribly right.
That is to say, I was goosebumped the whole time and I also cried.
Your film articulated so many spiritual dilemmas and insights that I had never managed to express before for two major reasons:
1. I lacked the words.
2. I thought it was futile, and so I never tried. I felt that nobody was interested in listening to these ideas, much less penetrating into their depths.
And that’s what Waking Life changed for me. It showed me that indeed, somewhere out there, there is a filmmaker who is inspired by these themes, and there is an audience that appreciates and understands.
This means a lot to me, you know.
You’ve created a film that showed me that even confusing spiritual themes such as life as a dream/illusion, the puzzle of free will or the eternal present moment, can be expressed through the medium of film in a very inspiring and engaging way. Before Waking Life, I had never watched anything that explores these subjects in such a direct, yet beautifully poetic manner.
I felt utterly inspired by the visuals and all the different crazy personalities. And I kept thinking of the lines, it’s all in what you do with the crayons that you get.
Something changed for me that day.
I never since hesitated to incorporate my spiritual and philosophical sensibilities into my artwork. Later that year, I chose film as my specialisation in college. Somehow, Waking Life made me believe.
It made me believe that films don’t just have to be about dramatic events in a person’s life or conform to one well-known genre or another. I felt like there was a global audience, however small, which can deeply engage with such a film.
Whenever I meet someone who tells me that they enjoyed Waking Life, I just know I will connect with them sans problème. But I promise, I don’t just see your film as a reliable yardstick for choosing friends. I see Waking Life as a kind of modern spiritual cult classic that will never be irrelevant.
And I haven’t counted, but I think I’ve watched your film a hundred times since that evening, both in times of joy and in times of despair. Somehow it just eases me and centers me into myself. It’s definitely something more than just a favorite.
So, I guess what I’m trying to say is…
THANK YOU.
From a place of deep appreciation,
Shrey
November 29, 2018
