the audience a chance to breathe. I can hear the man in the back of the theater again making comments about the girl on the screen.
By the time the fifth vignette begins I feel that the audience is all in. A camera takes us through a party where naked women are being fondled, men are pissing in stairwells, and drug use runs rampant. All this while Franz( Mustafa Harris) gives a brilliant monologue against the Hollywood system. While he pours his heart out you can almost feel the audience, many of which were filmmakers, suddenly and truly jump onboard to the purpose of this film. Through all of its ridiculousness, the message was being heard.
At the sixth vignette, the chaos of all the proceeding scenes were thrown all together into a room, like ingredients in a gumbo. Every character apathetic towards the other. Every character out for themselves. Every character, although outrageous, being very much a human being. The human being that many of wish we were not and try so hard to hide from the rest of the world.
When the lights came back on there was a general consensus through the room. The film was a success. It wasn’ t perfect, but neither are we. And though the tag line of the movie was“ None of this Matters”, it was apparent that the message did matter. If only for that moment.
There were a few more parties after the showing. There were damages to hotel rooms, and complete emptying of minibars. Even a neighboring guest had his room paid for by PEOPLE because of the antics.
Maybe in the grand scheme of things the movie didn’ t matter, but maybe for someone it will. And maybe that someone will make something that does matter.
PEOPLE will next be showing at the 2016 New Orleans Film Festival that runs from October 12-20th. Check listings for showtime.