“All profound things and emotions of things are preceded and attended by Silence” Herman Melville

Team IPOS met yesterday to gaze into the forest together.

As director and editor Patrick Shen shared a quote with us before unveiling an early assembly of the film he said,

“first drafts are like shooting an arrow into the woods, subsequent drafts are journeying into the woods to discover where it landed. This isn’t even a shot in the woods to find the arrow just yet, but instead a standing at the edge of the woods to look in together.”

This vast forest of silence that team IPOS has been gazing at for more than 2 years hasn’t been a matter of not knowing which direction to go but a matter of letting silence lead the way.

I continue to be in awe of how silence has led this film; how in great humility, Patrick has gracefully stepped back to ensure silence is our guide. The expertise it takes to piece together something like this is beyond imagination because it is ultimately beyond words and a sense of grasping. Silence is…

Getting a front row seat to see Patrick walk behind silence as it leads us is an honor. Our whole team continues to follow silence into this vast forest, this inexhaustible ocean, this infinite space, and we’re reminded that there’s only one outcome: silence will tell it’s story. Our own practice of silence continues to ensure this is the best possible film it can be and we will strive to be true to this film, and true to what silence is.

To clothe silence in a film is a paradox, and we’re certainly reminded of this often; to speak of nothingness and at the same time to speak of everything, to show nothingness and everything, and so on. Silence quietly points to what it chooses to say and we patiently listen and see. Whatever you may feel silence is and means to you now, I encourage you (and myself) to consider it’s vastness in new spoken and unspoken ways. Silence is…

The team finished watching the rough assembly with 7 minutes of silence in our separate spaces, giving ourselves time to reflect and to listen. Before regrouping to talk about our thoughts we snapped this photo to share with you all.

Thank you for your unwavering support.
Cassidy for Team IPOS