Tarnation

We went to the Dendy cinema on Sunday night to see Tarnation, Jonathan Caouette's documentary about his relationship with his mentally-ill mother. It was, at times, hilarious, unsettling, and very moving, and Heather and I thought it was great. We walked into the city for the film, and walked back home afterwards in the cold winter night. It's really pleasant to go walking after seeing a film; like having a stroll after dinner, I suppose, it seems to aid the digestion.

Seeing the movie also made me surer about this blog. Sometimes I wonder if blogging is too self-involved, and whether it's presumptuous to think that anyone else is interested in my life. But Caouette's film is really self-involved, and it works. It works because he has a story to tell -- a small story, a family story -- and through hearing his story, I could better understand my own family stories. And, no doubt, by telling his story, Caouette understands things better himself. That is also what I am trying to do here in this blog. Place my little jigsaw pieces and gradually form a picture -- for myself, and for anyone else who is curious to see what results.