My Days of Awe and Grief, Part I: Dirk and Me (2004) User Reviews

excellent script punctuated with humor

[liza-34 · 10/10 · 9 September 2004]

Short but very sweet is my take on Aaron Douglas's first film, "My Days of Awe and Grief." It takes an honest look back at some of the pivotal moments in a young boys life while growing up in the 1960's in a small Oregon town. Douglas's sense of story and timing has produced an excellent script punctuated with humor (just as life is!). The photography, involves some very effective use of black-and-white photos that's imaginative and supports the story line extremely well. Most importantly, this young filmmaker digs deep, showing the courage necessary to bare a portion of one's soul in order to touch others. This may be his first film, but I'm willing to bet it won't be his last!

Engaging and bittersweet

[lisa-356 · 6/10 · 7 July 2004]

This nice little short by Portland filmmaker Aaron K. Douglas details his relationship with his closest friend as they grow up in a smallish Oregon town. Their simple lives take on a bittersweet tone as they grow apart, leaving Douglas to wonder how or if he should help his friend. It's an engaging enough story that you'll look forward to the second installment, but Douglas' narration is the real draw: personable, with just the right mix of sass and pathos. Winner of Best Documentary in Portland's 2004 Forest Film Festival.

Excellent use of medium

[geo-49 · 13 July 2004]

Using black & white images, Douglas evokes a time decades earlier to relate childhood experiences. The long gray-scale rather than high contrast leads viewers into an internal drama--relationships instead of lots of quick cut action. Douglas's narration style fits perfectly with the careful use of still photos, creating a nostalgic remembering of the "awe and grief" of adolescent searching for acceptance and affirmation. The title words "awe and grief" (borrowed from the Iraq war slogans?) subtly convey the struggle inherent in surviving the teen years in small towns. Nothing in the sound track or imaging lets the viewers escape the involuntary intimacy of the setting. Douglas denies viewers the usual escape hatches of flash, color, fast action, driving sound, and high contrast, patiently and quietly showing the growth of a relationship that raises but does not answer life's basic questions. A difficult accomplishment masterfully achieved.