You're exactly right, it's therapy. But I think it's art because she's using a very specifically tailored method in each therapeutic act. This film focused on her 2010 piece, but it was also about her life's work, which covered a vast range of themes.
To me (and, I guess she says this specifically, as well), it's about energy-- or, what makes us, us. Who are we? Ultimately, it's a mystery. Sitting across from her wasn't supposed to be about her or how "special" she was, although the cultish following might give that impression. What makes this art, and what I think she's calling attention to, is what we find. The things that anchor us. What do we choose to look at in life?
We're so used to averting eye-contact, too busy avoiding other people-- let alone even taking time to truly sit alone with ourselves... What's that quote? All of men's problems stem from his inability to sit in a room and do nothing? Through her own life challenges & self-inflicted trials of concentration, she's already been there, done that. So, that's all I think she's trying to "enlighten." The first step, to be with yourself. Or, yourself. What does it mean to be yourself?
She provokes all these questions, and that, to me, is art in itself. Her unique method, and in this case even the simple imagery of two people sitting across from each other in chairs, is an artistic vision. Imagery/an experience which stands for something worth a thousand words.
I actually had the opportunity to sit across from her (and I'm in the film like, front and center for a good beat, but I don't want to say when), but because we had to "battle" the people in line, my mind wasn't settled enough and I didn't feel like I was truly in the moment as I could've been. But, I tried. I also broke the rules by giving the sign for "love" with my hand, and mouthing thank you and being generally kinda antsy, which got security riled up, but they didn't jump on me.
Anyway, so I have a personal bias I suppose... But, I couldn't do it. I'm still trying to work on it. Sitting... truly connecting. Working at Starbucks for 8 years has been the perfect playground for energy dynamics and interacting with people... Seeing what gets to the heart of people, of strangers, even in brief moments. I find that when I connect with someone by looking at, finding, the spark in their eye first, ignoring their physical appearance-- you can almost feel a weight lifted from that other person. Especially if they're someone who might feel/be persecuted often. It's amazingly refreshing to connect with people on a level where you don't make up ANY stories about them.
But I think that's what Marina is about. It's about that spark in their eye-- the spirit. We're all the same. It sounds very humdrum and Therapy 101, but it's an insanely difficult message to hit home. When someone gives us the freedom from persecution and expectations... When someone can look at us with a pure heart... Things bubble to our mind and we might be disgusted with what we see. Or maybe we have a revelation. Or maybe you just start crying, and you don't know why. Maybe it's being in awe of something beautiful, intangible, beyond words...
I didn't mean for this to be this long, but I just wanted to respond because you wrote a thoughtful review, and you're a therapist... and thought it was self-indulgent of her. I just can't see it that way.
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