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Once again we have Su Friedrich (Gut Renovation, Sink or Swim) turning the camera on her life, and the life around her. Her forte is telling personal films, and in Today, she starts the film by saying to herself “Try to pay attention to the moment". From here Friedrich takes us on a journey over six years documenting moments from her neighborhood in Brooklyn, her relationship with her partner Cathy, the Pandemic, the death of a close friend, and a myriad of very small moments.

Friedrich has always been an inventive filmmaker, giving us multiple ways into her stories. There is a section where we see protestors from PETA demonstrating outside the last performances of Ringling Brothers, but inside the camera brings us into the world of the circus. Friedrich lingers for a while, paying attention to the moment and asking us to look closer and take it all in.

There are long takes on moments where there is no sound; typed narration shows up on the screen to move us along. The use of sound is wonderful; music, children laughing, concerts, traffic, everyday sounds. There are a few scenes where we are outside and the wind is blowing hard, but Friedrich leaves all that wind sound in the footage; enabling us to experience the moment not just visually, but the natural diegetic sounds serve as anchors to keep us in the moment.

This film is about listening and paying attention, but it is also about community and the small moments we share that connect us. The smallest moment can have the deepest meaning.

This is a short film, roughly one hour and due to the personal nature of documenting the moment, this film would serve well in Film Studies, especially documentary and experimental film work. She is a strong queer female which makes her perfect for Women’s Studies, LGBTQ and Creative Writing Programs.

Awards:
World Premiere, American Fringe Festival 2022, Paris; USA Premiere, DCTV Firehouse Cinema for Documentary Film; FrauenFilmFestival Dortmund, Germany 2023

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