By Kira Yanagi, Bates College Class of 2027

Half of the semester has passed by with the welcoming of brief sunlight and a hint of spring. Although they often fade away ephemerally underneath the silent snow, resembling the ebb and flow of a tide, the notice of their presence is just enough for us to imagine and anticipate the film festival happening in less than two months upon defrosted grass.

Just like how the melting of the snow is announcing an end to our wandering in the whiteness which once felt everlasting by revealing the vibrant colors and elements that coordinate the word, we, the Board of Directors of the Bates Film Festival, are also entering the phase of gazing at the entirety of this project to further examine the films to show.

Our mission statement this year is to inspire and create a space for discussion by sharing films that draw insight into social issues through the complexity and influence that art holds. Many of the films we have watched so far are directly or indirectly engaging with this vision. However, it is essential for us to go through processes of selection in order to effectively imply the message we wish to convey and ignite a conversation that illuminates the audience’s moment of experience.

In this letter to all, I would like to illustrate how the conversations in the classroom during this process has led us to discover the importance and the beauty of deconstruction and reassemblement of the reality we as a team strive to realize.

Many of the shortlisted films we have reviewed overlap in themes or subjects, each of them offering a unique perspective and narratives. However, when the overlapping occurs repeatedly and concentrates the repertoire theme definitely in a direction too particular to an extent that is out of our range of anticipation, the discussion on what our mission statement really means, what values each word carries, and ultimately, how we want to be, becomes naturally available. This is really where the diversity of our thoughts, imagination, and the atmosphere we individually bestow to the same subject matter becomes apparent; and the discussions around such difference allows us to discover the new possibilities of how the team can be and how the festival may be shaped.

A moment that left an impression on me was when a fellow board member once spoke out during a film review to state their opinion. The film regarded a social issue which we all agreed was important and its acute angle was something to be talked about; however, the fellow member expressed their concerns on the narrative framing of the film, and the framing was something to be noticed due to their authentic, raw experience. The concern was, essentially, the subtle and passive antagonization of one group in favor of another group the film hoped to represent.

A casual remark like this sparks a chain of questions that reveal the value of organizing this event.

Whose voice is present? Whose is not? What opportunities are missed as a result of the omission? When we say “social issues” and “justice,” how do we define those? Who are we to define them? In the broad term of art, what is the attitude we seek in the form?

“Every film we place in the program is a statement, and every film we leave out is one too. This awareness does not paralyze us, but rather, it sharpens our intentions and deepens our sense of responsibility to get it right, or at the very least, to be honest about why we made the choices we did.”

These questions rarely lead to clear answers. However, they hold us accountable. We are intensely aware that the selection we make will not be neutral. Our choices will highlight some stories over others, and we need to be able to justify them to ourselves.

Every film we place in the program is a statement, and every film we leave out is one too. This awareness does not paralyze us, but rather, it sharpens our intentions and deepens our sense of responsibility to get it right, or at the very least, to be honest about why we made the choices we did.

As the snow continues to melt and the festival draws closer, we carry these conversations with us as the very foundation of what makes this work meaningful. We hope that when you join us, you will have something worthy of speaking as well.