OHS alum releases debut experimental film

Orcas High School alum Ella James BigBee co-directs and captures the cinematography of the wilderness in Western America. In her debut experimental film, WHEN BACKWARDS IS FORWARDS, Ella shadows her father Matthew’s journey, silently documenting and filming the process.

The film’s overall theme centers around her father willingly stepping into the repressed emotions of childhood. One is left to witness the inner conversations of the mind as Matthew finds a new voice inside himself. This voice, which he calls the “higher self,” guides him in a positive manner, showing him a way to heal.

In this avant-garde exploration of the mind, Matthew treks through fourteen National Parks and the forgotten backroads of America. It begins with him confronting things he has hidden from for so long. He goes back in time to find out how to move forward.

WHEN BACKWARDS IS FORWARDS presents an intimate audio experience as the audience follows a profoundly personal monologue. One is left to witness the inner conversations of the mind as Matthew finds a new voice inside himself. This voice of the higher self begins to coach and guide him in a positive manner. Holding his hand and showing a way towards self-love, this voice of wisdom and knowledge provides a path for healing.

The cinematography mirrors the internal world that Ella’s father is going through by visually capturing the stark contrasts in Western America’s landscapes. Matthew also wrote original songs centered around his transformation and composed the score for the film.

Ella describes how the film came together: “I was just getting out of high school, and there was, you know, like that COVID thing. Lockdowns were in full effect, and my dad was like, let’s make a film. Ever since I was little, I had a strong desire for landscapes and capturing their beauty. My goal in the project was to showcase the striking aspects of the natural world around my dad. As he worked on things inside his internal world, I aimed for the camera to be the loving eyes always looking upon him.”

“Unlike most documentary filming, which tries to be objective or even sometimes instigates an entertaining scene for the camera, my hands-off approach centered on my love for my dad and how I believed this healing within himself was possible. I mindfully wanted my love and support of him to transfer to the audience. Forget objectivity; this was about the power of love and how it affects art.”

Ella’s mother, Marie BigBee, helped produce the project. She had this to say about her involvement: “Simply put, I am passionate about the healing arts and what we can do to evolve humanity. I believed we could make something that would bring about a vulnerability in film, one that captures the intimate space of the mind. With faith and hard work, my mission in producing this film came from the goal to, first and foremost, heal the individual in the movie. I wanted to provide an opportunity for this man that I love so he could create an artistic expression centered around discovering and releasing repressed emotions.”

The Orcas Center will showcase the film on June 6 at 7 p.m., followed by a Q&A with the producers and directors. You can watch a trailer and get tickets for the event HERE.