How Two Twenty Directors Find Solitude and Happiness in the American Desert

The film is the closing act of the theatrical program on May 8. Both have the same theme: loneliness. It was an inspiration for Brahma. “I think there’s a lot of beauty in sadness. But sometimes you have to look for it carefully, or be open to it.” The spoken word artist wants to show through his theatrical performance how you can still find happiness despite setbacks.

Real western

The idea for the film came from a balcony in Delden. The duo discussed their upcoming trip to the United States, where they were to receive the LA Video Music Award for their short film “Wakker.” On that balcony, Brahma played a spoken text to Michel. “I immediately imagined a Western theme. The West represents the harshness of life, and the landscapes enhance this feeling greatly.” Within four weeks they had written the script and contacted a crew from Los Angeles. They flew to the United States at the end of September. There they shot the short film in a day and a half in the Mojave Desert north of Los Angeles.

According to the filmmakers, the fact that the filming took place in the US took their film to a higher level. “Americans really live for filmmaking, and they always want to strive for the best. If we had stayed in the Netherlands, we wouldn’t have achieved this quality,” says the video maker. “At first I had no interest in making fiction films, and I was always a video maker for a company. But making a film on your own with a small team is actually very good. We do it outside of work, and when you’re in Los Angeles, you push yourself to the limit.”

Loneliness

The theme of loneliness is central to the film. What do the makers make of it? “Loneliness is a big, universal theme. It’s very human to feel alone. You wonder if this loneliness is there for a reason and if it can bring you more. For example, the symbol we use in the film is the cross. When paths cross, you never know when you’ll have to say goodbye again. You also meet others who are on their own journey,” says Brahma.

Director Michel Colley finds it particularly important to give the viewer something they can use. “You want to evoke an emotion, to make the viewer think about life. For me, the film is about the adventure of life and unpredictability. I think the beautiful moment in the film is when Brahma comes out of the trailer. It really symbolizes breaking out of your comfort zone, your comfort zone. That you reinvent yourself and rediscover yourself. If you dare to do that, life becomes much more interesting.”

Theater Program

The short film and play are titled “Round Alone.” As with that film, the May 8 show can’t be pigeonholed into a specific genre. “It’s not stand-up comedy, it’s not cabaret. It’s somewhere in between,” Brahma said. During the show, the theater maker takes you on his journey through loneliness. Before the film, you’ll see the bright spots that have shone along the way, but also gone dark. “The show is about a lady who broke my heart, and it’s about dealing with grief. It’s about the people you meet along the way and what they give you. There’s spoken word, there’s stand-up comedy, and I sing songs.”

The spoken word artist doesn't just make films, theater, and spoken word. In addition to the short film, he also shot a video in Los Angeles for his first single, “Men Cuilen Niet.” “The song says something about thinking you should be so proud. And then you realize maybe you should have done it differently. That you should have shown those feelings sooner.

All this and more can be seen on Thursday 8 May at De Kleine Willem in Enschede. For more information about the show, please visit wordartist.com.