Tarnation

It was as if an angel had touched the screen in the cinema. Pictures of pain, loss, forgiveness and hope. All of them. At once. Tarnation, by Jonathan Caouette a young (31) actor and film-maker, is telling his personal, very private story of growing up in a dysfunctional family in Houston, TX. His mother was sent from one mental hospital to another for many years, so he was actually raised by his grandparents. He started filming when he was 11 years old after getting his first camera.

Tarnation is a hell of a movie! Literally... It plunges into the very personal stories of Jon, his mum Renee and his grandparents. It lets you feel desolate though still hope for a chance of getting better. When Jon starts crying at 5 am in the restroom you want to turn off the camera yourself and just hold him tight because you know he is in pain because of who he might become. And because he loves.

I wanted to see the film since it opened in the US last year however wasn't able to do so till now. (Thanks identities for bringing it to Vienna!) See it, if you dare.
It also triggered a journey of my own. (I have to look onto our family footage to see what kind of teenager I have been.) I was thinking of my family. How my life was till now. Steady as a beating drumm, I suppose. Calmness before the storm? Maybe...

I have also found out how much I love my family. Especially my brother. And how much I actually care for him. Thanks for being the Best brother I could wish for! :) I love you.



P.S. For the fans of Tarnation: the great minimalistic original music by Max Avery Lichtenstein can be found at the website of Tin Drum Recordings.