There's a story in the Mahabharata. Three brothers are dying of thirst in the desert. They decide to split up, the idea being that they are more likely to find water if they each head in a different direction. The first brother, dying of thirst, eventually stumbles upon a lake. He is about to have a drink when a voice from the lake says: "Wait, first answer my question." The first brother thinks to himself that one little sip won't hurt, and that he can always answer the question later. So he takes a sip and falls unconscious beside the lake.
The second brother eventually comes along, sees the first brother lying there unconscious, tells himself he'll check up on his brother right after he has a drink, and is about to quench his thirst when a voice from the lake says: "Wait, first answer my question." The second brother thinks to himself that one little sip won't hurt, and that he can always answer the question later. So he takes a sip and falls unconscious beside his brother.
The third brother then comes along, sees his two brothers lying there unconscious, tells himself he'll check up on them right after he has a drink, and is about to quench his thirst when a voice from the lake says: "Wait, first answer my question." The third brother says, impatiently: "Okay, fine. What's your question?" The voice from the lake says: "What is the most amazing thing in the Universe?" The third brother replies: "The most amazing thing in the Universe is that everyone dies and yet everyone acts like they're never going to." The voice from the lake says: "Yes, that is the most amazing thing in the Universe. You may now drink."
But what about film distribution? What is the most amazing thing in the Distribution Universe?
The most amazing thing in the Distribution Universe is that there's not enough time. Everything has to be done in a hurry. The marketing campaigns are rushed, the poster designs are rushed, and the trailers are rushed. No one has the time (or incentive) to do anything until it's as good as it can possibly be. The days of the master craftsman, proud of his craft, are over. We live in a throwaway culture, the clock is ticking, and the Distribution Universe's motto is: "We're out of time, therefore it's good enough."
Frank Black once said that the only form of protest left is quality.
Meanwhile, we are dying of thirst.
posted by Caveh Zahedi at
2:18 AM
