My Favourite Film of 1897.

Film How often do you feel angry these days? Not just low level sighing, but full on righteous indignation? For various reasons, at a certain point, happiness became something of a luxury in the world, something which happens sometimes when we least expect it, but for much of the time, we’re in a complete state of shock and awe about something.

There’ll probably be a few of you who’ll look at that and see it as a gross generalisation and that may be. For the most part, helped in no small measure by my anxiety tablets, I’ve shifted into a state of blasé disbelief, of watching the news and having realised that I have little or no control over what’s happened, decided to simply let it all wash over me.

There’s plenty to be angry about, you know the reasons, and if you are able to do something directly that’s fine, channel that anger, do something about it. But most of the rest of us can only simply get on with things and hope that everything will be alright in the end. But stay informed in case there is a way we can join the effort.

Which isn’t to say I’m not resisting. Keeping my own council, voicing my own beliefs and being unafraid to have them is a form of resistance. Argue your case with intelligence and logic whenever possible even in the face of evil and ignorance. Because there is a lot of evil and ignorance in the world and evil people. We meet them every day. Walk past them in the street.

Ultimately we’re all in this pillow fight together and even if, like the feathers flying about in this short film (produced by Siegmund Lubin), such things as facts and empathy simply end up floating in the air rather than attaching themselves to their target, we need to keep swinging against the persecution complex of a majority which feels oh so threatened by the smallest, long overdue changes in society.

Which is why, even though for the first time in years I shouldn’t be feeling positive for the future, I still have hope. Even though the world seemed to change so quickly last year, there’s nothing to say it won’t head back on track just as quickly. The universe is not without a sense of humour. Even if I don’t particularly believe in a god, I believe that.