Rebirth

I viewed "Rebirth" at the independent film festival in Clear Lake, IA, along with many other films. "Rebirth" provided far more substance in a few minutes than most films provide in an hour or two. It takes but seconds to first chuckle and then to laugh out loud; it takes but seconds more to suck in your breath and then weep out loud. There is sufficient hope and despair to last a generation packed into these briefly told tales. The music deftly contributed to the message. The principal actress performed well and the ordinary non-professional folk who enact the remainder are edited so well that their performance as much contributes to as detracts from the film. The writing sees us as we are in all our complexity—the kindness, the meanness, the ignorance, the understanding, the awkwardness, the sensitivity. While the story is resolved satisfyingly, the truth of our condition still festers in me. This is a film I want to see multiple times. There is a lot to learn here and a lot to feel here. I am eager to see more of what Francesca Soans has to say about us.

This is an excellent film that challenges many of the typical (perhaps stereotypical) images of small-town America (i.e. is religiously and ethnically homogeneous, politically conservative, insulated from the rest of the world, etc.). As a resident of a small town in the Midwest, I tire of encountering such images. That is why I was so pleased to view "Rebirth." In this film, we learn that small towns can not only be ethnically diverse, but also have people that are consciously and actively engaged in social and political issues affecting the world. At the risk of sounding trite, "Rebirth" helps us realize that the world is indeed becoming a very small place.

The personal is political, and in this endearing little film, the local turns out to be global. Soans explores the life of a woman in a small town, whose daily, everyday experiences open a small window into how we are all connected to other people and to each other. The settings are deeply familiar--the bakery, the courthouse steps. The issues addressed are powerful ones--how we treat our neighbors, how we experience difference, how we understand our responsibilities to the wider world. My college invited Soans to come speak about her film to a summer institute class; it was a treat to hear her thoughtful and insightful comments about filmmaking and about small town life and big world connections in this day and age.