They say that a picture tells a thousand words. With the rise of social media and technology, photos are now in abundance, especially on Facebook and Twitter. Heck, it’s not even a new thing; ever since the methods were introduced people have been taking selfies of themselves and whoring them about to their friends (if you’ve ever sat through a slideshow during the nineties, you’ll know this). The reason pictures tell a thousand words is because they hold some of our most important memories. And the viewer could come up with their own tales, fill in the blanks around this snippet of life, and a lot of imagery. With brilliance, Butter Lamp evocatively tells the tales of the people behind the camera.
Butter Lamp is completely exquisite to look at. The comparison between the Tibetan families that live in the country on little resources (happily at times) against the backdrops ranging from palaces to different landscapes is imaginative and intriguing building up to the village reveal. Is it necessary to pop them against these lavish screens? The starkness of it is haunting yet redolent, pouring countless amounts of questions through the screen as you ponder more on the subjects and their lives long after viewing.
Speaking of which, what the film does impeccably is introduce some amazing characters to your lives. It is an astute and glorious studies on diversity within Tibet and how these traditional characters still thrive within the country. The film does wonders by focusing on the culture through the words of the subjects on the screen. It never over complicates the message and allows it to flow through the people, as it should be done. Wei’s Butter Lamp is a marvellous fifteen minute short that engages you immediately.
Already boasting 70 awards and hotly tipped for the Oscar nomination tomorrow, this is a perfect example of how to utilise the stories around you and those untold. And how photographs can speak volumes.
If you see this on at a festival, make sure you check it out!