This past Friday we watched a movie called Fire.
It was eerie watching a movie that depicts reality so close up. I had to avert my gaze many times not because any scenes were explicit, but because they were so poignant and different in their form of loneliness. This wasn’t the western idea of loneliness, that I find often presented bounded by romantic, social, work etc lines, but a cohesive, consuming one.
The want to be desired isn’t just a romantic want, but an innate human need to feel valued. Not delegated to carnal desires, but the desire to be valued for anything: work, effort, or intention. Instead, if a person is constantly berated and treated like a second class citizen it can lead to a fire, one providing a slate for a new beginning.
I think what you’ve said here about how “the want to be desired isn’t just a romantic want, but an innate human need to feel valued” is an incredibly thought-provoking statement. I didn’t have the chance to catch this movie, but from what I saw, it seemed to really focus on the importance of validity and mutual appreciation in relationships. Obviously, this was framed within the context of other cultural, religious, and interpersonal factors, but I think the powerful thing about a movie like Fire is its ability to connect with everyone’s innate desire to be valued by others – a movie can have all the great plot points in the world, but this ability to bond with the viewer really makes a film worth watching, and I think everyone needs a reminder in today’s context that we’re all really just seeking someone else’s approval.