“I am sometimes asked, ‘Where is your homeland?
Lithuania?’ My answer is no, it’s culture. There came
a time when I crossed over from village life into
culture. My home is now culture.
They look at me, wink at each other and think
to themselves that I’m a joker. But, I’m serious.
I am only interested in culture. And, culture is
everywhere and nowhere.
But, then I started to have doubts about culture.
Then, I said, no, my home is film, poetry, art. And
now I’ve left even that. I am perhaps somewhere
now, but where that is I don’t know. I’ve neglected
everything. I dropped everything and let it go. And
now I’m not in any country.
_____
“I’m sitting here this evening, writing and thinking. To tell you the truth, I’m not even thinking. I’m not a thinking person. You won’t get too far with your head. I’m just sitting and listening to what is rising from the depth of space, trying to guess, and that is truly important. And I think I hear that in reality there is nothing important, that everything passes, that everything is equally important and that we are all just drops in the sea of the world and of life – just a tear on Fatima’s face – and that all of our heads and ideas and systems are nothing, only nothing. Nothing, compared to the heart, a gentle good word, a gentle touch, a kiss, a meeting between two people, encouraging the exchange of open words or friendship. Ah, all of those small human feelings, emotions, singing together or having a beer with someone, even crying on someone’s shoulder. Ah, all of this is important, more profound and important that all of the political and economic systems.”
____________
Jonas Mekas, Letters from Nowhere
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Ndoto Tamu. Jonas Mekas iš arčiau ir iš toliau |
Jonas Mekas Up Close and Far Away, 2019
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