Directed by Nich L. Perez, Letters: The Art of Grieving explores the power of art to transform grief. The documentary short follows the creative processes of Natalie, whose mother died of brain cancer; Alexis, who paints in memory of her 9-week-old son; and Joan, who lost her husband to dementia. Each woman narrates her own loss; in Letters, the reliving of these tragedies is concomitant with painting, writing, and designing.
All three women make art that is inextricably tied to their loved ones, but Joan’s poems particularly resonate. In looking through old pictures of her husband, her own voiceover ruminates on the effects of grief on her life. “A hello can reverberate and shock…My hope is to rest. Then the rules change.” Even as Joan reads her poems about the difficulty of moving on without her husband, she concludes with a stirring thought of herself as an adventurer who manages to “escape the safety of the bed.” Addressing how one fills the void left by losing a loved one, she reflects, “You can’t change it. So, you might as well wallow in beauty.”
It’s an apt encapsulation of what Letters is about: the fuller experience of immersing oneself in beauty while grieving. Through the act of creating, Natalie, Alexis, and Joan reclaim trauma and, in turn, come to know themselves better. In the art pieces, the expressed tragedy is no less horrible in its depiction, but something beautiful is made out of it. As the title depicts, their works act as love letters to the ones who left them behind—a form of communication that speaks sometimes with more clarity than words.
The most affecting piece of the documentary is the art itself, which captures feelings more intelligibly than the women’s vague attempts to explain how art has helped their healing process. A documentary is hardly necessary to explain solely the self-explanatory; a fuller exploration of their pieces and some discussion from professionals on art therapy would have lent needed substance to the film.
There’s no doubt the art here and the sentiments expressed are beautiful, but the overarching theme, albeit powerful, is one-dimensional. Lyrical and emotive, Letters: The Art of Grieving is recommended for those with an interest in art therapy. A strong optional purchase for public libraries or academic libraries for art majors. Aud: H, C, P.
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