If Happiness Were a Color
Colors are mysterious things; they express emotions and indicate preferences.
For example, when you say red, some people might feel more motivated.
However, it is not uncommon for others to associate it with anger or explosions.
And if it were blue, some might think of a clear sky and find it soothing, while others might associate it with a feeling of depression.
Thinking about it this way, colors are not universal; perhaps they should be called an expression of individuality filtered through our vision.
In relation to color, I would like to introduce this work.
The Japanese title is "Maudie: Painting Love."
Incidentally, the original title is "MAUDIE."
This work is based on a true story.
The protagonist, Maud, is played by the renowned and talented actress Sally Hawkins.
Her co-star, playing Maud's husband Everett, is the equally talented actor Ethan Hawke.
To give a brief synopsis, Maud, who has suffered from juvenile rheumatoid arthritis since childhood in a town in eastern Canada, has been treated as a burden by her family.
Living with her aunt, Maud considers leaving home and finds a flyer for a housekeeper position at a local shop.
When Maud visits the address, she arrives at the home of Everett, who runs a fish peddling business.
Maud moves in and takes care of the household chores.
However, Maud is not exactly dexterous, and it was not rare for Everett to scold her.
Despite her clumsiness, Maud had one redeeming quality.
That was painting.
At home, Everett was taciturn and conversation with Maud was almost non-existent, but upon seeing the works Maud painted, Everett was impressed.
Eventually, the two became one in heart and got married.
It was by no means a life in a blessed environment, but even though they were poor, their feelings for each other were bright.
To begin with, although their upbringings were different, both were lonely and had no one to rely on.
Perhaps it was because of this background that they were both awkward.
Whether in social interactions or in the emotion of trust, such as caring for another person.
Maud became absorbed in her work and continued to paint.
Everett, her husband, who understood her talent better than anyone, began to handle the household chores that his wife was not good at.
As Maud's work gained customers, orders poured in, and her work became known to many people over time.
If I were to name the strengths of this work, it would be "strength" and "bonds."
Before they met, both lived awkwardly and had built walls against interpersonal relationships on their own.
Because of that, they were likely forcing themselves to live in a shell without ever liberating themselves.
In fact, since there is no clear record of the story of Maud Lewis's success, it is unclear how much of it is factually accurate.
And because memories remained buried until Maud Lewis's work was appreciated, director Aisling Walsh likely drew it carefully while groping based on rough records.
For that reason, only a few photographs of Maud Lewis remain.
It is thought that the people involved in this film carefully digested this limited information and performed as freely as the works Maud Lewis painted.
The image above is one of the few of Maud Lewis herself.
Looking at this smile, although the words might not be appropriate, it does not look like the expression of someone who has overcome hardship.
She looks very lively, her expression itself is young, and above all, I feel that she lived a fulfilling life.
The works she left behind also reflect Maud Lewis's personality.
The motifs of her works are centered on things in daily life.
Perhaps because they are simple yet soothing just to look at, I find myself smiling naturally before I realize it.
Many people have a strong tendency to stretch themselves to look bigger and cover things up with heavy makeup.
Actually, such things are nothing more than useless pride, and if you delete even the unnecessary things, you might notice your true colors.
Through this work, these kinds of thoughts naturally welled up in me♪
Wow!