Daily routines. Almost every living being has them, but how does one truly reflect on that routine? If one does reflect or even dares to examine that routine, does that disrupt the natural pulse of living or does it add texture or a self-formulated rhythm to that pulse?
There is no solid answer to those questions but this enthralling short film ‘My Friend Kills Time’ by Norwegian filmmaker Jakob Rørvik, depicts the journey of a young man whose self-imposed exile in rural Britain has taken dominion over his quiet life. The film is a course of handsome natural settings partnered with frantic camera motions and film noir style still shots that serve as a representation of the subject’s urgency to follow his routine and the mental and physical dependence on it. Smoking, eating, sleeping and collecting wood gives the young man feelings of accomplishment when the routine is followed exactly as it should be. At the same time this routine is not perfect and failure does cast its shadow upon the subject. He does not perish at the failure. He simply tries harder to perfect it.
But can one truly perfect a daily routine, if the routine is the only purpose of the day? Of course, because like the film notes “there’s morning and evening but everything else is the same.” So even if the routine fails it still remains the same. The young man allows himself the bare essentials. Which leads to the question – have we as a world culture and community desensitized ourselves to the bare bones of living? Quick fixes and instant everything have caused many to ignore the beauty in exhaustion and working towards not only living fully but perfecting the act of living on a personal level. Finally after removing all forms of connection with others, the subject begins to question his path and current form of existence through a series of questions imposed upon the filmmaker. He questions being unrecognizable not only to others but himself as well. Only being able to be viewed from afar. This leads to the last and final question, is the young man killing time, or is time killing him?
NOWNESS Presents – My Friend Kills Time
Directed, Produced and Written by: Jakob Rørvik
Starring and Co-written by: Thomas Daggan
Editor: Michael Aaglund
Cinematographer: Annika Summerson
Composer: Knut Jonas Sellevoid
Sound Designer: Dario Swade
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