It’s been almost four centuries since Reneé Descartes proclaimed “Je pense, donc je suis” (I think, therefore I am) in an effort to validate his and his fellow humans’ existence. Today, we have developed a new way of affirming our own realities as we wield camera phones on our persons daily: I ‘gram, therefore I am. We are now habitually quick to document everything from the miraculous to the mundane with our phones. Every sunrise, meal, concert, misfortune, and in-between seems to be captured with the intent of being blasted into the world as a beacon of our being. Sometimes, as is the case within this week’s Staff Pick Premiere from filmmaking duo Ivete Lucas and Patrick Bresnan and presented by TOPIC, this act of affirmation brings people together. ‘Roadside Attraction’ captures what unfolds when the presence of Air Force One turns an otherwise average roadside into a spectacle as groups of people gather, take out their phones, and prove that they were there, too.
Florida has a long history with roadside attractions. There’s Gatorland, The Fountain of Youth, and the Mermaids of Weeki Wachee. Lucas and Bresnan were living among these in Pahokee, Florida the past year working on a feature film. During one commute on Southern Boulevard, they noticed Air Force One literally parked on the side of the road as drivers pulled over to take selfies with the famous plane. Bresnen recounts that “we just thought it was the most surreal improvised tourist attraction that we had ever seen and ... we kept saying that we needed to film the gathering.” So, with carefully considered framing and observational style that Lucas and Bresnan are known for from films such as ‘The Rabbit Hunt’ and ‘The Curse and the Jubilee,’ we, the viewer, are invited to join in and consider each person that enters the frame and what motivated them to get out of their car for a photo.
Bresnan describes the crowd as being “very American” in that “it was a melting pot of folks that came from all demographics and backgrounds. The desire of the passerby to take photos appeared to be much more about the magnetism of the object rather than a political statement.” The undeniable effect of Air Force One’s presence can not only be witnessed as onlookers gather before the plane in the film like moths before a flame, but also felt through the screen as the impressively large plane reminds us of the American presidency and the power that comes with it. In ‘Roadside Attraction,’ we see everyday Americans finding their lives intersecting with their country’s history, and documenting the moment because it feels important to them. With this film premiering just one day after the midterm elections, we are reminded of the many other ways to engage in the American narrative, and the importance that we feel when we take part. Of course, we have the selfies to prove it.
