I was travelling by bus from Berlin to Munich. Since it was a 7 hour-long trip I was well prepared with stuff for reading and a movie to watch.The chosen movie was "Before Summer Ends", by Maryam Goormaghtigh.
At some point, I realized the scene on the screen mirrored what could be seen from the
bus window:blurry
lines, runaway trees and
mountains.
About the video: I wrote those lines a few years ago, thought they go well with the image of a road trip.
The only difference was one took place in Southern France during the summer and the other in Northern Germany during winter.
Amused by this coincidence, mesmerised by the motion inside and out of the screen, I suddenly remembered: it's going to be 10 years since I left my so-called "home country". And
my life has been one long road trip since then.
Each of the 3 main characters in the movie represented for me the different stages one could go through when moving abroad: not adjusting and wanting to go back, finding the way
of balancing the old and new identities, facing a tough choice once you have settled for good...
Regardless of the differences in background, culture and life experiences I could identify with the 3 guys, mainly because the movie is quite intimate and you do get to know what they think and
how they feel. But also because some of the things they go through, are things we all can experience at least once in life: the feeling of not belonging, the questioning of your own
identity, the need for change... "Borrón y cuenta nueva", start fresh from a blank page.
Many times we travel because we are trying to leave something behind, but there are things that stick to you no matter what. I wonder: How many times are we actually trying to escape from ourselves?
In case you're curious...
- Information about "Before Summer Ends" on IMDb and MUBI
- Movie review at The Playlist
- Interview with Maryam Goormaghtig in Variety
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