‘Healing’ is an experimental film. It combines the form of transitional imagery and soft music, aimed as a medium used to help awaken one’s senses to human connection. Hart Ginsburg has created many of these short films, much similar to this one being reviewed.
Hart Ginsburg is a psychotherapist and is known for focusing his efforts on giving patients existential and narrative approaches to healing. He founded an organization called Digital Tapestries that aims to provide interactive and visual materials such as books and films to educate and generate feelings of emotional healing for those in need with their mental health, and even more so then ever, for the COVID-19 pandemic.
Workshops are provided as an outlet of discussion of the pieces of art that is created and shared for the community to communicate his experiences as a psychotherapist as well as life experiences in both the Eastern and Western parts of the world.
The film ‘Healing’ is one of many of his series that provide the abstract imagery he has in his mind. When watching the film, there is very minimal dialogue, and most scenes a transitional still pictures and works of art that match to the calm music that is meditative and restorative to one’s mind.
Sometimes it’s a much-needed approach given how fast-paced life can be for some people. In life itself, people live by a certain routine that becomes the everyday chore, not realizing that the things they do become so automatic, they forget to take a step back and reflect on the present time of why they do what they do. And when it gets to a point where a huge barrier hits one’s reality, the rhythm of routine is broken. Yet sometimes one would still force through the challenges as they feel that the task at hand should be completed by the end of the day.
Looking at the imagery invokes a reminder to slow down in life. From a personal experience, many people in my circle are bounded by a schedule in their work life. Sometimes not realizing that it carries over to their personal life, and that all the tasks have to be done at a specific deadline. But what if you take a step back, and look at the tasks at hand? Do they all have a hard deadline? Or is it something that is self-imposed on your own?
Having realized that at a recent point in life, has opened up the idea to re-evaluating the idea of a schedule, and to focus more on the idea of taking care of yourself first. Because at the end of the day, many of those tasks will be there, and whether they are done on time or not, it is okay if not all tasks are done. I believe these imageries are a reminder that there is a lot of noise around us, and it is the responsibility to oneself to find the time to calm the mind down, before taking on another task that may cause potential burn out.
The editing of the film gives that reminder to free your mind from the invisible load we have. No matter how much you decide to take on, if the body and mind starts falling out of rhythm, this film is telling you to stop, take a break, and focus on your health first. I’m a believer of the saying that Health is Wealth and Time is Valuable. There are those that live until 25 and pretty much metaphorically died living for the rest of their lives because they are confined to the noise of demands from others instead of listening to their own health.
I believe that is what Hart Ginsburg is trying to do with ‘Healing’. The title speaks for his intentions to heal the mind, body, and soul, for those who need it the most. But in order for the film to be effective, the viewer must have to realize and accept that it is time to explore those feelings if distressed, and explore the idea that there is more than one possibility in the paths you take in life when you hit that roadblock. I find comfort in that idea, because at certain stages in life, a change may be needed, and time should be given to heal yourself to allow the changes to happen organically.
by: Trevor Brooks
© 2021. UniversalCinema Mag.