Avatar

Last night I went to see Avatar with a group of friends. And, like almost everyone else, I felt compelled to blog about it afterwards. But I'm not going to write a long piece about it here because this entry on Kim's blog pretty much says it all.

It was the first movie I saw in 3D, so that was quite impressive (if a bit confusing at times because I didn't always know where to look). The movie didn't feel long at all that long to me; it passed quite quickly. I don't really enjoy long stretched out movies in a cinema, but I was quite engrossed in this one so the time flew by. It was visually stunning and beautiful. I love Sigourney Weaver, and her character was my favourite in the movie. I was a bit apprehensive that it would turn out to be Pocahontas in Space, but even though there are lots of similarities, it didn't take away from the message for me.

I don't just watch movies to pass the time; I watch movies because they always make me think about something, remind me of a lesson I'd learnt but forgotten, or offer me a different perspective. There's a lot to be taken from Avatar if you look beyond the action and the stunning cinematography, but what stayed with me the most was the Na'vi's greeting: "I see you." It doesn't simply mean that they physically see you, but it means that they understand you, that they see into you.

Isn't that a great way to greet someone? To not just acknowledge their physical presence with a simple "hello", but to let them know that you really see them, understand them and recognise their presence in your world and in life. I wish we as humans could learn to do that.

But it's a two-way street. We'll never be seen if we don't let ourselves be seen.