Rubik's Cube

In deciding which process to document, it was largely the sound and specifically its offbeat qualities that drew both of us to the Rubik’s Cube. Without context, hearing the pace of the rotations wasn’t obviously mechanical at first but instead more organic, like the crunching of leaves. This lack of transparency is what initially made it of more interest. With the dialogue overlaying the Rubik’s cube, there is a lessened ambiguity surrounding the process. With these elements combined, we found a beauty in the process that surpasses the ending result of simply the colored block.

Apart from the mere interest of sound, we were drawn to this documentation of the Rubik’s Cube being solved because of the story behind it. Camilla, Laurel’s roommate, was taught how to solve the Rubik’s Cube by her ex-boyfriend. While they were dating, they would sit on the couch and race to see who could finish it the fastest. After they broke up, she continued to learn new techniques and strategies to become even faster. Her purpose for solving it became more personal and more focussed as she remained determined to pursue this hobby of hers. Rather than letting it drift away from her after a time, she decided to dedicate the time and the effort to this skill. For her, the joy was found through the mistakes and improvements she had made along the way.

To document this process, we wanted the recorder to be as close to Camilla’s hands as possible so as to emphasize the intricacies of the mechanical process. Much like the film Five by Mercandente, the focus on the hands reveals the subject’s mindful care in the process which brings them to their valuable result. The children representing five various religions display their own processes of worship. They meticulously take into care each step of the process, from their wardrobe to their body language. Yes, there is a difference between spiritual worship and intellectual growth, but what is had in common is the mutual time and mind commitment. Camilla doesn’t solve the Rubik’s Cube without thought or even practice. She had to learn and relearn processes in which to apply and test herself as the children in Five represent well.

Apart from recorder placement, we wanted to keep our process observational so any dialogue and diegetic sound could be more natural rather than influenced by the presence of the filmmaker. We did this by allowing Camilla and the other roommates to be where they wanted to be in the livingroom and to say/not say what they wanted. There was no formal indication from us of when to begin or end the solving process; we just let Camilla follow her usual routine and we later trimmed where we needed to from the beginning.

There are many instances where the actual process becomes more valuable than the end result. One such case is the example of Forrest Gump. In the movie, Forrest is constantly experiencing how unfair life can be. At one point he decides to propose to his childhood love, Jenny. When Jenny declines, Forrest decides to start running, and he decides not to stop. He runs and runs with no destination in mind. Along the way come supporters and marathoners, friends and bandwagoners. Forrest starts a movement that inspires many people to try things they have never done before. The beauty was found in the process as change was discovered along the way. Although a minute audio clip of a Rubik’s cube is a simple example, there is a profound message that teaches us that even the daily processes we experience can bring us the joy of a new talent, personal growth, or a new challenge to overcome.