Thursday 27 September 2012

Seen from a Train

In Romania in June, waiting
to leave Arad station, I watched this play without words.

First the central character emerges onto the stage:


Is she expecting someone else:


If so, it's not him:
 She dashes (oh all right, hobbles) away as soon as she spots him:

Ah, there he is at last, the one she's after:
What are they to each other? What has brought him to this state? She seems to want to help him:




It's no good, he leaves:





She stands on the platform looking after him - but apparently unsuccessful in her attempt to look after him:
That was the last I saw.

6 comments:

  1. What a lovely and poignant scene to capture!

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    1. 'lovely' might be overdoing it, but yes.

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  2. Well, she looks like her life isn't crash hot, yet she's so overtly showing concern for his.

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    1. Oh true, I was thinking more of the graffiti encrustations et cetera

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  3. To me this very interesting exchange is so likely to be culture-bound that it could mean any of a dozen different things. It could mean a maternal interest in the injured young man to do with his welfare, or it could be something she's seeking for herself - maybe information or a connection she believes he might be able to help her with.

    She may have the privilege of age that comes with traditional societies or she may be asking questions meaningless to him and he just wants to escape.

    Fascinating possibilities!

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    1. I really don't think she was seeking anything for herself. They obviously knew each other and she was clearly solicitous. He seemed almost persuaded that she might be able to help him or had good advice he ought to take or something. and then, abruptly, he appeared to lose hope or got frightened or something. When she put out her hand to him, it seemed rather moving to me. He looked like a real outsider who didn't usually have anyone showing any kindness to him.

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