Lynne: The Way We Get By :: Quiet Chaos

The Way We Get By

If you need any reason to remember helping others can be accomplished by team work, take out some time on Saturday morning and attend this year’s Cleveland International Film Festival and catch a viewing of the movie How We Get By. This film, done on location in Bangor, Maine tells the true story of several common citizens that have taken it upon themselves to greet every plane that departs and arrives to and from Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan.

This is all done by the courageous volunteers that feel that it is their duty to make sure the soldiers have the proper sendoff and welcome home. The greeters, many of them World War II vets have taken it upon themselves to be there in support for soldiers flying in and out of Bangor.

Any plane leaving from the USA to the Middle East depart from Bangor Maine. Because the military does not work on a normal 9-5 schedule, these greeters have created a round robin style system of calling, notifying one another of an arrival or departure of soldiers. Therefore, regardless of time, be that either day or night, a group of supporters are at the airport ready to greet and assist the soldiers in anyway. With flags displayed, this group awaits each soldier, many with phones to make that special call to a parent, wife or special someone notifying them of their location.

So, take some time out on Saturday morning and spend it with some special citizens in Bangor Maine. It will make you proud to be an American.



Quiet Chaos

This Italian film shows beautiful scenes in the Italian countryside and shorelines. It is a tender and lighthearted story of a father and daughter, who, after the Mother dies from a fall, must carry on with their lives.

Little girl, Claudia goes back to school, plays with her friends and keeps herself occupied with school work. Her Father is not equipped to handle the grieving that must be done. And this in turn, is reflected onto the daughter.

He takes his daughter to school each day and waits for her in the park. Throughout his day he continues to conduct business from the park bench, local cafe as well as his car. As he waits he makes eye contact with various individuals slowly building aquantanceships with each individual in different ways.

When it is nearing winter, his daughter, finally tells him it's okay to go back to his office. He cannot sit in the park forever. So in the end it is his daughter who takes the reins and shows him how to overcome the grieving process.

This film has a cameo appearance by Roman Polanski; some of the twists in the film seem awkward yet, overall, a long (2 hours) film, interesting with Italian subtitles’.