A person’s philosophy of life tells their story. “You are what you give,” says Glyn
Stewart in Ramin Bahrani‘s documentary short “Lift You Up.” “If you don’t give nothing, you don’t get
nothing.” Glyn’s story is about giving. He has had several heart
attacks and that has changed his philosophy and outlook on life, but in his
heart of hearts, he has always been a giver. He has worked in hospice care with
his deceased girlfriend of 15 years, dressing up as clowns and trying to put
smiles on people’s faces. Now, he works as an egg inspector. The eggs get used
to help feed the hungry. Bahrani’s film spends eight minutes with Glyn and by
the end, we feel we know him as well as we know our dearest friends.
Glyn is a natural subject for a profile documentary. His optimism
and his empathy for others shines through with almost every sentence. But
Bahrani digs deeper and finds a broken-hearted soul who still longs to have
“[his] woman” back (in Kentucky, he says, you refer to your wife or
girlfriend as “your woman” so that nobody messes with her). From the
photographs, it appears these two were made for each other. Glyn has also
suffered a series of heart attacks at the age of 55, rendering him unemployable
and leaving him suicidal. At this point in the film, Bahrani cuts to Glyn
walking through a house that has yet to be fully built, a perfect visual
metaphor for a part of Glyn’s life that, sadly, never fully came to fruition.
But Bahrani is also careful to maintain a bit of
light-heartedness throughout the film. Glyn jokes about his eggs, walks among
the chickens making chicken sounds and laughs at some of his fondest memories. Chickens
and eggs become the recurring audio and visual motif, with Bahrani even asking
Glyn his thoughts on the eternal question of which came first. His answer
should come as no surprise. The combined efforts of Alex Camillari’s editing,
Adam Stone’s cinematography and M. Lo’s score give the film a fluidity and
elegance that paint a full picture of a man whose life is filled with drama,
but prefers to not dwell on the past. He has too much to give others to worry
about what he didn’t get in the decades that led him to this point in time.
How did you find/meet Glyn?
I met Glyn in a food bank in
Winston-Salem, NC while shooting a commercial. He started talking and laughing
and then handed me an angel made from paperclips. His goal was to give away
10,000 of them and he was only a few hundred away.
What interested you most about him?
I liked him immediately. He had an
electric personality. He was so intent on laughing and hugging everyone, that I
assumed he must be harboring a profound sadness. I wanted to know why.
The first thing we hear from him is about him being
crazy and yet he has such a generous soul. Why do you think he has this
perception of himself?
Glyn says,“I’m crazy, but I’m happy. I
always tell people, I’d rather be crazy and happy than sane and sad, and I’ve
never been accused of being sane so I’ve never been sad.”Any sane human being who looks clearly
at history and life will have no alternative than to go stark raving mad. I
assume Glyn knows he’s better off being crazy.
Is there anything else Glyn expounded upon during your
time with him that you cut out?
He has had eight heart attacks – and a ninth after we made
the film! He’s still living, giving and eating eggs.
You made a point to ask him about which came first,
the chicken or the egg and it’s asked early in the film. Why do you think his
answer is so important?
I always wanted to know, and he had
an answer. I was also very curious what his late girlfriend’s favorite
breakfast was. His reply is very specific and moving.
Your narrative films have so much in the way of
authenticity. Do you feel that making short documentaries or profile
pieces such as this help keep your instincts sharpened as a narrative
filmmaker? Or do short films serve another purpose for you?
I feel free making shorts, because
there is no financial pressure. This was my first documentary and I would like
to make more. They help me as a writer and person. I am currently finishing a
longer documentary about a murder in Texas.
What else is next for you?
I have a new feature script I want
to shoot next summer as well as a TV series.
Lift You Up – Dir: Ramin Bahrani // Tribeca Film Fellow: Frisly Soberanis from Tribeca Film Institute on Vimeo.
