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Clip description
Willy talking to camera about what has happened in the last ten years. In 2001 he went to university but left because of the pressure, in 2002 he lost his mother. Willy speaks of the impact the loss of his mother has had on him, but importantly how it increased his desire to be a good father and to help his son achieve his ambitions. This clip features footage of Willy with his young son and family as well as footage of a young Willy at the age of 17, happy and smiling.
Curator’s notes
Willy’s reflection upon his life, his dreams and aspirations that he has not achieved is very moving. His articulation of his inner turmoil of having dreams but being swayed by peer pressure and external influence sees Willy now at the age of 27 reflecting on the past ten years and how they have gone so fast. This is a moving piece and to have dreams is a universal quality that reaches across all cultures.
Filmmaker Ivan Sen has a capacity to delve into the inner-world of his subjects, evoking deeply personal reflections on their lives. Sen successfully communicates the fickleness of time, and for the subjects of Shifting Shelter 3, there is the sense that all decisions have had an impact upon their life experience as a whole. Sen draws out a sense of hopelessness though, and overall we get a feeling that the fate of each subject is beyond their control. While there is a gradual self-awareness that each subject arrives at by the end of this instalment of Shifting Shelter, we can only wait for the next part of this series to see if this awareness endures.
