Article: My Life is a Song for You
By Sophie Minello
“I just found out that life is a goddamn miracle, and the ending is a song.”
Emotion seeps through the frames of this short film.
Bertie Gilbert, a filmmaker from the UK, dives into a study about the connection between grief and art. Paired with the always magical Tom Rosenthal and his song “My Life is a Song for You”, this film is one that lingers in your soul, almost immediately drawing tears through its storytelling.
You are not just a viewer. You are in the room watching people share pieces of their loved ones through their art; through their words, their paintings, and their movements. The second that the film begins, you are inside of it. You are inside of the hearts and experiences of these people, these strangers, who soon become friends. You are connected. This film is about the genuine human connection between strangers passing by.
The coloring, the location, and the angles that exist through this film create a dark but beautiful world. This is our world.
“How could we ever understand?” says one lady in her native language as Rosenthal's foggy piano melodies dance around her. And the answer is we cannot understand, but we can be comforted by sharing and remembering and celebrating. Rosenthal’s song pulls a blanket around your shoulders and holds you tight, tells you to make yourself at home, and makes you a nice cup of tea. It tells you that you’re not alone and it takes care of you.
Your loved one lives in your eyes, in your breaths, in the way that you move your hands.