Through the Lens: The Power of Film as an Expression of Truth and a Camera's Connection to Humanity

    Filming, to me, feels like a way for people to express love. It can also be a way to express hatred. Film can express a multitude of feelings and thoughts and expression. That’s what makes it so special—it captures a moment of which the person recording interprets and intends to portray. Watching movies opens the world to a new perspective and a new story. It is literally food for thought. Film can evoke both laughter and tears, showing the breadth of their impact. Like a painter, a videographer has a muse. Every type of art has one, though it might not always be a model. An idea, a feeling, a grudge, a hope—these can be muses too. Artists are always chasing their muse, attempting again and again to capture that feeling just right. It's the pursuit of perfection, that desire to finally get it exactly as envisioned.

    Not all artists may strive for perfection, but one thing is certain: every artist strives to make a difference. Art is an expression of one's truth. It may not always be "right," but it is always true. A statement piece will always have an effect on an outside viewer because, in the beauty of humanity, no one truly has an entirely unique experience. There is always relatability somewhere, even if it comes down to the basis of "you're alive and so am I." That’s what makes art so moving. It's an outlet for empathy, for acknowledgment. It’s a statement that says, "never are we not connected somehow," even if that statement is layered in complex meaning.

    Film, or the moving picture, has pushed the limits of what it can achieve—special effects, music, cameras that capture every blade of grass. But recently, there has been a resurgence of cheap, old cameras that fit in the palm of your hand and shoot at a mere 24 frames per second. This digital camera, once seen as outdated, is now making a comeback because of its nostalgic charm. We’ve grown tired of increasingly sophisticated cameras, shrinking in size but improving in quality. It’s the simplicity that draws us back. That grainy texture adding a different kind of life to picture. What is left to the imagination is what gets enhanced to the very best, meaning that there's no way to make it better, it is at its best.

    It's the blend of emotion, simplicity, and imperfection that makes art—particularly film—so powerful. It resonates deeply because it captures the human experience in all its forms, unfiltered and raw. Whether it’s a high-budget production or a grainy, handheld shot, film remains a timeless medium for storytelling, constantly evolving but always at its heart, an expression of who we are.