In cooperation with Campus Life, Eastern Michigan University presents the innovative and groundbreaking documentary film “Life In A Day.”
This event will take place in the Student Center Auditorium at 8 p.m. on Jan. 31. The event is free and open to the public and does not require a ticket.
Do you remember what your life was like on July 24, 2010? Probably not. But thanks to the 80,000 people who participated in the documentary film project “Life In A Day,” you can take a look back to the past. This video time capsule was directed by filmmakers all over the world to display what life was like for thousands of people on that day for the world to forever remember.
After 4,500 hours of footage was shot and submitted from 192 countries, according to Internet Movie Database, the 14 directors, including Kevin Macdonald, Natalie Andreadis, and Jack Attridge, cut and pasted together one of the most epic depiction pieces of the century.
Earth’s population seems astronomical these days and each one of them has a voice, which is why “Life In A Day” will be a significant mark on our timeline, so generations after us will see where we were and how far we will go.
Oscar award-winning director Kevin Macdonald (“One Day in September” and “The Last King of Scotland”) and producer Ridley Scott (“Alien” and “American Gangster”) hand-selected clips from all over the world to create an intellectual and artistic contrast of views that bridge the communication gap on this planet and shove our feet into other people’s shoes. The film features clips from countries such as Russia, the Unites States, Peru, Japan and Indonesia. Submissions from Detroit can also be seen on YouTube.
After being nominated for the Best Documentary at the British Independent Film Awards and receiving an 81 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, this film has spawned so much interest that “Britain In a Day” was announced in October of 2011, a documentary in the same format and the same message, but slimmed down to the exposure of just one country.
“Life In a Day” might interest not only fans of YouTube, or movies for that matter, but people in general. It depicts life in a new way, not through fiction or fake found-footage, but in actual life someone else is living. It breaks down communication barriers and dares to tell a story of real lives all over the world. With someone from almost every country being featured, there is something for everyone to relate to.
It is known worldwide as “A Single Day on Earth” and according to National Geographic, the film’s distributor, the proceeds from ticket sales will help further National Geographic’s “nonprofit mission to increase global understanding through education, research and conservation.”
Macdonald has created a world-wide phenomenon that can change the way we look at other cultures forever. It is not only a look at life through someone else’s eyes, it is a lesson that teaches the human race to step out of their comfort zone and live.
They don’t say it is a harsh world for nothing so a word of warning for those who may be a bit squeamish: This film is rated PG-13 because of disturbing violent images, language and a sexual reference or two.
