Passion (a filmmakers story)

Passion

Once upon a time there was a shy girl who couldn't find herself. Day to day, she went, class to class, and report card to report card....she struggled. Home wasn't home when you are compared to your brothers. Grandma talks about how successful they will be in their field of work. She tells herself, "You are too dumb to be successful". Weeks go by with the same issue. Bad grades, no motivation, the feeling of being lonely and lost engulf her as she drowns in her sorrowful tears. She wonders day after day, "What am I missing?". One gloomy friday afternoon, the trees were falling with sorrow. She steps in puddles of mud as her rusty dark high top converse get drenched in muck. As she is walking, she notices something unnatural. The once dreary and dead flower, had now grown into a luscious yellow sunflower. Peculiar yet astonishing, the flower catches her eye. She carefully dug out the flower. She walks into her backyard, plants the flower in the mushy soil and comes back inside to turn on the t.v. After flipping through channel after channel, she stumbles upon a commercial. "PASSION" is the word yelled from the screen. Passion? That's it! I need to find my passion!" The following week at school she searched and searched. Once saturday rolled around, she was done. She gave up. Her father walked into the her room to see her lying on her bed, confused and sad. "Hey kiddo, wanna see a movie?" That was always a great way to relieve stress but she was so frustrated she didn't know if she wanted to go. After contemplating it for about two minutes, she knew she had to go. She slowly pushed her slothful, inattentive self off the bed and got in the car. Walking into the theater, she felt at home. The rich smell of popcorn (some fresh some burnt), people talking and discussing their excitement for the upcoming movie or the one they just walked out of. People coming together to watch something so powerful and moving that it can impact your life. It was her happy place. She took her place in the theater and fell into the film, forgetting she was in a room with fifty others because she was so deeply invested. Before she knew it, the credits were rolling and she was forced to come back to reality. Suddenly, the theater was silent and the lack of bodies revealed the popcorn spread across the sticky floor. She walked out of the room and couldn't stop thinking of the film. "Did you see the detail in the cinematography and the thought..." She was interrupted by her father. "You seem really into film, you should consider it as a career one day!" Her face resembled a deer in headlights. "That's it! I found my passion!" Now school wasn't so hard. She knew where she was headed. Doors had opened and she knew it was her time. The road would be rough but motivation was present and she knew she could do it!

Year 2036, The room was silent, so silent that the squeak of someone's black dress shoes or movement of a women's designer dress could be heard across the room. You could feel the anticipation. She sat there quietly with her head down thinking of every possibility. How to stay strong if she doesn't win or who to thank if she did win. In that thirty seconds, she couldn't breathe. Time had stopped. She froze....and then they announced the winner. "And the winner for best Film Director is......Mia Redwine!" She couldn't believe it. It actually happened. All the hard work and effort put into film for over twenty years, paid off. She went on with her speech thanking everyone she worked with and the people who she was close to. Then she said "You know, I don't remember what movie inspired me to take this path in filmmaking but i'm glad I saw it. I remember at times not knowing what to do in life or what I was interested in but then I found it. And what I learned from being a film director is, it doesn't matter how much money you have, or if you have straight A's. It's all driven by one small thing that makes films successful. All that matters is passion.