If there were a list of films that any audience member should view at least once in their movie-viewing careers, “Life in a Day” would be found on that list. It is from a strong personal belief that I say this film’s message can be perceived differently by every single viewer. Directed by Kevin Macdonald and edited by Joe Walker, “Life in a Day” is exactly what the title expresses: a twenty-four hour global depiction of people around the world living their daily lives on Saturday, July 24th, 2010. Whether the meaning of this film is clear or completely undefinable, it still takes great strength to pry your eyes away from the screen. What could be the reason for this?
“Life in a Day,” as mentioned earlier, is a global depiction. Countries from all over the world were included in this film. From the first world country luxuries to the third world country austerities, the cultural differences found in unfamiliar regions of the world are mentally and visually appealing to the average human being. Think of it this way: as citizens of a first world country, it was quite obvious that we found the laborious activities of third world countries to be unbelievable. People in 2010 were still living in such conditions that first world citizens were not used to. Vice versa, the people of third world countries would be mesmerized by some of the luxuries that can be found within first world countries, such as the Lamborghini shown in the film. When one claims that it is a small world, reflect on that question. Is it really such a small world when certain countries are so many worlds apart from one another?
As an Indie/documentary deemed film, “Life in a Day” portrays a theme that celebrates life itself with a concentration in the thought that “life goes on.” As the viewers could see, life never stops. It is continuous. The self-directed film asked for submissions of anything and everything that could grasp the concept of a typical day throughout all regions of the globe. With the MPAA rating of PG-13, it is a wonder how this rating came to be finalized. It is ironic that an average day could be considered inappropriate to certain age groups. The irony is that if this is daily life, does that mean that life itself does not allow for an appropriate environment for all of those living? For instance, the little boy who shines the shoes – is it right for him to work so hard in addition to experiencing the inner workings of an adult environment? Personally, he should be in school, learning more from books than an old laptop, or playing with others his own age. Unfortunately, that is life. It goes on, no matter what may be occurring in the world or whatever opinions may be expressed.
By implementing the aspects of the sociological theory and the use of semiotics, “Life in a Day” has done more than just depict an average global portrayal of daily life activity. It has attempted to unite a world that is constantly being torn apart or bombarded with atrocities or concerns that are ever-mounting. It is appealing and somewhat reassuring to see that everyone plays a role, no matter what that role may be. What differentiates a first world country from a third world country is irrelevant in the scope of reflecting upon life. “Life in a Day” was not only enlightening, but also empowering. It opens the eyes of all those who were fortunate to either view the film or even participate in the submission of videos. The purpose of the film was to exert a message that even though every human is different and comes from various regions, we are all here doing one thing – living life from day-to-day on earth. What is more enlightening than proving we are all here fulfilling the same purpose?
