Nic Askew

Soul Biographies pitches itself as “a short film series about the experience of being human.”  That seemed to me to be a tall order to assign to any piece of art, yet that is exactly what it is.  The press material that accompanied the DVD I received advised me to prepare myself for laughter, tears, and deep introspection.  Within two minutes of watching, I was already there.  Filmmaker and self-proclaimed storyteller Nic Askew has created a phenomenal project with the creation of Soul Biographies that I can only hope will quickly spread far and wide.  The DVD release contains 12 short films, each running between five to ten minutes, and each showcasing a different individual’s story — people from all different countries and cultures, people with varying degrees of education and resource, but in the end, all people with a significant story to tell and lessons to share concerning the human condition.

We see a woman with head thrown back in laughter — the most beautiful smile you could ever imagine.  Her story?  Simply the experience of finding something to smile about each and every day.    Olu discusses her desire, or rather her need to find a smile in everything.  She lives her life with the understanding that nothing is ever promised, and thus she knows the joy that is inherent in waking each day with the gift of life.  “Here I am again.  I have the chance again.  I have a chance to create something.”  Her story is a simple one, but deeply moving.

We are also treated to Carlos Enrique, whose eyes and smile are stunning from first glance, and then heartbreaking as he goes on to discuss how he lost a son in a motorcycle accident years ago.  Carlos’s story is about the power of forgiveness, the power of family, and the influence of your life when you choose to look beyond the series of events, to “choose to be free from the events of your life.”

Olubunmi Ogunyankin from 'Soul Biographies'

David Roche, a man with severe facial deformities, discusses his journey toward feeling truly beautiful.  Carlos Cabbarus spent time humbly working with autistic patients, yet tells us how their transformations and their light made him the more changed man.  A lovely young woman named Maria, who spends time teaching and guiding poverty-stricken villages, describes herself as “this scared little girl meeting other scared little boys and girls, and somehow, hopefully, finding a connection.”

Askew interjects slides of his own perspective, written concisely yet beautifully, with a touch of poetry flowing through.  Each film is accompanied by delicate guitar strumming, courtesy of the filmmaker himself.  Askew has collected the perfect balance of simple, no-nonsense stories mixed with profound and life-changing tales.  He sets up an acoustic platform that immediately takes the viewer to a place of self-reflection.  Yet, what I was most touched by in the series was the eyes.  Askew has perfectly captured the eyes of his subjects — so much joy, pain, beauty, and sorrow can be seen simply by looking into these people’s eyes.

Nic Askew accompanies his DVD of  Soul Biographies with two other projects, including the Short Words series and Thunk! Similarly, these projects are meant to make the viewer (or reader) consider the way in which they are leading their lives and to question whether or not there might be changes — powerful changes — that could be made.

In his work, Askew seeks to ask the questions “What does it mean to be human?” and “What is art, and what role can it play in our lives?”  Many of his works are available to view for free on his website, along with sneak peeks into other works, and an overview in general of Askew’s own story and what lead him to begin the project.

Lisa Evans from 'Soul Biographies'

“Once I started working with the film, I realized the most useful thing I could do is to really see people with nothing in the way — especially strangers.”

I believe Soul Biographies is a must-see for everyone. The stories portrayed and emotions evoked are applicable to anyone with a beating heart and pumping lungs.   It is simple to watch; there is no educational or emotional pre-requisite for viewers — nothing but a willingness to show up and be touched.  Askew closes the series on DVD with the question “how hard does life have to shake us until we take notice and change course?”  Perhaps there is a little room in everyone’s life to be “shaken.”  And perhaps Soul Biographies is exactly the film to do it.