“Life will always be sh**ty and at the same time life will always be wonderful. My serenity lies somewhere in the acceptance of that duality” – CODA
CODA is a short documentary that follows the journey of urban youth through Johannesburg in December. Directed by versatile creative Hallie Haller — the short film plays out over the edge of a new year and asks us to consider the passing of time and what it means to us. Haller shares:
When we set out to film this, I wanted to consider the documentary format as a medium for ritual. Rather than a neatly deposited, consumption-ready media statement. In pre-production, I really asked what it would mean to change in the process of making something? And what it would mean to engage subjects in ritual rather than documentation?
I think this is my first, very small step, into work of that nature.
We so seldom see films like ‘CODA’ screened from our continent. The idea of an ‘African film’ has really been dominated by the Western gaze and a few overused motifs — that I will not name. It’s less commonly acknowledged that we too, experience the universal and existential crisis associated with urban living. And that is the subject matter of ‘CODA’.
A often celebratory yet daunting moment, the end of the year often signifies the point where self reflection plagues the mind. The time where one looks back on their lived experience throughout the past year and wonders how time moved so quickly up to a speeding halt. CODA provides a snapshot into the lives of urban youth as they reflect on the days, that turned into months which significantly then turned into a year. Touching on relevant topics such as adulthood, relationships, death, mental health and social pressures, CODA invites viewers to ponder on the significance of the inner workings of their own lived experience in which is dominated by the misunderstood concept of time.
“Time passes and we lose our jobs, or lose our loved ones, or lose hope, or just lose sight of what the point of it all is. Life is so expansive and overwhelming, and sometimes it’s hard to comprehend what doing it ‘right’ might even look like. We don’t talk about that enough, what does it mean to exist in time?” asks Hallie when discussing the film.
The short film which is a mesh of snippets of visuals accompanied with dialogue that tackles the subjects of perception time and it’s implications. The sequence of the scenes which feels like a measured stretch in time clearly mimics the constant moving nature of time. The varied perspectives of the complex topic reflect the collective conciousness of young people nowadays who feel concerned about the mounting pressures placed on them. Be it from thier the working environment, school, relationships, family, monetary responsibilities and even their own self esteems.
WATCH CODE: Here
