Look at Us Now by Vee Rodriguez
The ability to really inspire others through film is a challenge that even the most talented and experienced of filmmakers might fail at achieving, but what artist “Vee Rodriguez” aka “ Vee the Vision” did was more than just inspire he was able to really create a motivational connection with “others” who share his passion, as the closing statement in the film clearly states: “ You are not alone, look at us now”
From the very first scene, it was very clear that the work presented reflected real maturity and understanding of the art of documentary writing from the writer “Vee Rodriguez” and mirrored his talent and passion to the world of hip-hop and comics. The carefully selected words and the way they smoothly flow and resonate within the viewers are again perfect examples of a huge talent.
Technically, this film stands out for the clever choice done by director “Rodriguez” to go for black and white without any touch of colors thus sending out a semantic message implying that although things might look colorless thus lifeless but there is always hope and this hope is what we make of it and it is the drive that keeps us going, lighting wise it is never an easy task to be able to correctly light up such work since lighting for black and white is totally different from your everyday lighting, it needs a real vision and a true cinematic eye to be able to fulfill what this piece of work has given us. The pace of editing is also to be commended as it orients the viewers to the general purpose of what is being transmitted within each and every part. The music fits perfectly as it goes hand in hand with every single word or moment used and is an added value to the aesthetics of the film.
Finally, one cannot but salute the courage and professionalism of the writer/director “Rodriguez” who obviously was not only able to overcome his own dilemma of being out casted and bullied but also proved to the world that when properly channeled anyone can fulfill their purpose in life and lead a more than a bright career. This documentary is highly recommended as a motivational piece of work that could really help those who are in need to be able to pick up themselves and carry on in life in order to accomplish whatever they desire.
N.Khouri Ph.D
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About Vee
Vee Rodriguez, also known by his stage name Vee The Vision, is a Dominican-American writer, musician and filmmaker from Washington Heights, New York City. From an early age, Vee was astonished by the visual aesthetics found in film, as well as the writing in comic books. This eventually led to a merge of passions. His writing eventually evolved into poems, which then evolved into Rap. At the age of 25, Vee started a vlog series on Instagram called “Geek Mythology”, which had an urban-documentary flare and revolved around Comic Book and Hip-Hop culture. The vlog gained over 10,000 followers. In early 2020, Vee released his first official single, “If You Want It”, which featured several comic book and film references. The 1990’s Rap-inspired single became available on all streaming platforms and garnered positive reviews from fans. During the COVID-19 Pandemic, Vee released a poem titled “SHADES”, which was a response to police brutality and injustice to people of color. His latest poem “INKED BLADE” is in response to media manipulation towards society following a series of riots. In January of 2021, Vee adapted “INKED BLADE” into a short documentary. The film received general acclaim, as well as an official selection in the Venice Shorts Film Festival. Vee continues to write and plans to adapt more poetry to film. His next film, “LOOK AT US NOW”, is set to release soon.
