This piece combines performance and documentary language to explore the ephemerality of young-adulthood and momentary freedom afforded in the liminal space in between full maturity and adolescence. Similar to a documentary, the film flirts with the language of the “real” by artistically treating “evidence” with a perspective. 

My film begins with a impromptu story about the tragic death of a friend. It’s both sad to hear and humorous in tone. Stating the delicacy of life, I hope to give the rest of the movie an air of carpe diem. If life (and young-adulthood) is so short, we should certainly make the most of it. 

The title of the film, Squishy, functions to highlight the vulnerability of human life and the malleability of memory. Keeping with my interest in how memories function, especially in conversation with recorded history, I have been aiming to evoke feelings of fleeting recollections. The fast-paced montage is indicative of home-movies. This four-minute piece feels like a “life flashed before my eyes” story sometimes told by those who flirted with death. I sought to use non-diegetic voice over to color the action. 

I have combined a) orchestrated and rehearsed skits with b) non-fiction depictions of real events and c) actual found-footage of a camping trip held by strangers to me. Together, these episodes remind me of the far-too-short duration of childhood, adolescence, and our young-adult years some of us wish would never end. Because the events were recorded, they can exist forever. However, they are only a slice of the truth and the subjects have all since moved on and aged. 

I test what the audience believes to be true but complicate the narrative by including actual found-footage alongside staged scenes. The opening title sequence is meant to evoke the fragility of memories by revealing flaws in the filmic medium of hi-8 tapes. In the tagging of the white wall I wish for the audience to notice the jarring cuts symbolizing missing pieces of memories and the different layers of white on the walls. Perhaps this vandalizing act will be covered up and forgotten like the implied others. 

The vertically rolling sun transitions to the next segment. The drag and costumes featured were meant to point to Americana figures while also affirming the capability for young-adults to create a persona for themselves. We understand ourselves under the codes of history/culture and try to express ourselves within or outside that lexicon. The film closes on a mash-up of boys camping together and singing Whitney Houston’s “Greatest Love Of All.” The lyrics get at the concern of the film:

I believe the children are our future 

Teach them well and let them lead the way 

Show them all the beauty they possess inside 

Give them a sense of pride to make it easier 

Let the children's laughter remind us how we used to be…

I decided long ago 

Never to walk in anyone's shadows 

If I fail, if I succeed 

At least I'll live as I believe 

No matter what they take from me 

They can't take away my dignity