No matter where on earth you live, if you have access to Netflix you can now watch OtherLife, the film Kelley wrote, based on her novel Solitaire. The film is not only smart and emotionally true, it has a fascinating science fictional premise: if you can live a whole other life in the blink of an eye, and that other life feels indistinguishable from reality, how will you resist its allure? It’s lusciously filmed, with rich sound, gorgeous cityscapes and stunning outdoors sequences—rock climbing, snowboarding, skydiving, scuba diving. There’s also a harrowing sequence involving virtual solitary confinement—because anything people can invent they can abuse.
Essentially, though, OtherLife is beautiful: the human heart will win, real life will find a way. Go watch it. And then chortle, as I did, to see Kelley’s name not once but twice in the end credits. This film would not exist if not for Kelley and her amazing writing: first the novel, then the screenplay. Yes, it takes a village to make a movie—it’s far more of a team effort than a novel—the origins lie with Kelley. Kelley’s heart, Kelley’s mind, Kelley’s hard work.
I am very proud.
TV screenshots by Guillermo Castro
Image description: Side-by-side photos of film/screen credits in white typeface on mostly-blue backgrounds. On the left, “Based on the novel SOLITAIRE by Kelley Eskridge; story by Gregory Widen.” On the right, “screenplay by Gregory Widen and Kelley Eskridge & Ben Lucas.”
But don’t take my word for it. Go read Kelley’s post: 10 reasons to watch OtherLife.
Nicola Griffith 
Sounds amazing!
I think you two are terrific. I’ll watch it tonight.
Today I watched a video piece by a religious organization that felt and sounded like a public service announcement. It dealt with “Propaganda and Advertising”. It was about 25 minutes long and defined both by giving historical uses of the two processes. It seemed that the word propaganda was appropriate where you were on the receiving end of the communication. It is harmless advertising when “your” message is being touted. The consanguinity of the two words was clearly shown by the study by Hitler & Goebbels of American advertising, made a profession of by Madison Avenue advertisers and PR firms. It seemed like half of the story was covered well and at the end, it amazed me with its unconscious use of the very techniques it decried as propaganda when used by those they disagreed with. The piece seems incomplete the closing credits closed with “think for yourself”. That closing message made manifest their laying our the use of simplistic phrases which most people can agree with precisely because the phrase contains so little information and can be adulterated by the preconceived thoughts of the receiver.
The knowledge that one is being manipulated does not seem to have a significant shielding effect for most people. Even when we know this significant repetition can and often does result in changes caused by the advertising/propaganda. Here I am making some generalizations that I do not think are always so but rather usually so.
Much if not most of what we learn is by sound and sight in discussions with others. Each and every one of us is a teacher and a learner. We make progress in our learning about the cosmos (anything) in the discussions we have with one another through speech, writing, art, movies, et al. Our successes and failures in learning are dependent on our learned skills at receiving this learning from others as their’s is in our teachings. Our whole civilization is the result of this constant learning and indeed it is what our civilization is at the root. Our deepest meaning is the gestalt of the whole race of Homo.
When I discovered the uses of the computer and its cloud I determined that I could still be active in this percolation of learning by transferring some of what I know to others and they to me, in spite of physical limitations I now suffer from. In fact, my limitations have resulted in opening new opportunities for learning. Not less but different. I have made a personal decision to try to communicate my piece as frequently as appears sane to me and to be scrupulously honest as that is most conducive to the is growing cloud of human knowledge. It seems to me that a fairly muscular exchange of information is the more compatible way of purpose and that is what I am attempting. Trying to use data-driven analysis to make smaller our emotions when making political and ultimately what may be cosmic decisions.
I am just like you in the fact that I’m doing what I can and probably have no choice in the matter. Please be patient with me as I will try to be with you. I may step on your toes because we are different but I do not see it as good that we should withdraw from one another to avoid ruffling our feathers.
Michael
On Mon, Oct 16, 2017 at 1:03 PM, Nicola Griffith wrote:
> Nicola Griffith posted: “No matter where on earth you live, if you have > access to Netflix you can now watch OtherLife, the film Kelley wrote, based > on her novel Solitaire. The film is not only smart and emotionally true, it > has a fascinating science fictional premise: if you can ” >
Excellent news! I’m looking forward to watching it. I’ve read the novel two or three times now and get something new from it with each reread.
Cool. I wondered what this was about. Glad the premiere went well. That was your SD trip?
I suppose you’ve tried electric scooters for day-to-day mobility? I ask because I see a local guy “walking” his dogs with one at an all-access bluff-top trail nearby. He looks young, maybe your age, though I’ve never asked him why he needs the thing. Kind of an all-terrain model.
Just put SOLITAIRE on my TBR list.
Daily morale-booster:
Cheers — Pete Tillman
I’ve just watched it and really enjoyed it. Top quality SF.