One Day in the Desert
Sun Mar 06, 2005 20:04 (UTC -5)Hello, I’m back from the 24-hour fast, and I’ve got the documentary to prove it. I was able to throw it together faster than I thought I would. The only reason I didn’t post it sooner is that I was having problems with my Internet connection.
As for the fast itself, I thought it wouldn’t be so great at first, but it ended up being pretty good. There wasn’t a lot of free time at the retreat; it was like one big long youth group meeting. The hunger didn’t kill me, though. It didn’t bother me much at times.
One Day in the Desert: A Documentary (Windows Media Player, ~7.1 MB, 7:36)
[Update -- Sat Jul 22, 2006 17:01 EST (UTC-5): The above link has been dead for a long time. See the new version of the video: One Day in the Desert: Special Director's Cut. You can read about it here.]
For those of you who don’t have Windows (or would rather read a book than watch TV), here’s a transcript of the film. You’re really not missing that much, trust me.
8:59 A.M.
JORDON: Food. We love it. We can’t live without it. But tonight, I’m gonna try. ‘Cause I’m going on a religious retreat in which I will drink nothing but juice and water and eat nothing for 24 hours. So today I have to prepare, but here’s the kicker. Today is a day of abstinence in the Catholic Church, and that means no meat. So not only do I have to prepare myself for this 24-hour fast, but I’ve got to stuff myself while being a vegetarian, and… well, I’m gonna die. Well, we’re just gonna have to see how it goes, so keep watching.
The World of Stuff Presents
A Jordon Kalilich Film
One Day in the Desert
A Documentary
The main purpose of this
retreat is to show solidarity
with the world’s hungry…
Just so you know.
5:43 P.M.
JORDON: ‘Ello, we’re back. And, uh, we’re on our way to the fast now, and, uh, I really got ready for this because at about three o’clock I just basically pigged out on spaghetti. Actually it was more like three to three-thirty. And, uh, the place is about, like, one second away, so we’ll be there in about one second.
5:48 P.M.
JORDON: Here we are. Here we are. I told you it would be a few minutes. Yep. Goin’ in to the parish hall, or whatever they call it.
6:20 P.M.
JORDON: I’m in the bathroom right now. It’s so boring. None of my friends are here, the only people here are some weird people who I don’t like and have never liked. And there’s not even gonna be that much fun, it’s gonna be all like soliciting donations for some charity. It’s gonna be horrible, I just played Go Fish with some guys ’cause it was the only card game — card game we all knew. They were my cards and they were real cheap and they, like, fell apart — they were brand new. At least from the shrinkwrap, anyway. Gosh, this is gonna stink. Oh, also, there are two women’s bathrooms and only one men’s.
6:48 P.M.
JORDON: First drink of juice. Mmm. Oh, that’s so good. How does everybody like their juice? [No response.] Yeah, that’s what I thought, real good.
WENDY: Isn’t this won — we should have said grace before our juice.
9:07 P.M.
JORDON: We’re now going to have a vigil in which we march down the sidewalk outside with candles, and we’re gonna be silent. It’s supposed to commemorate hungry people.
[Footage of walking down the sidewalk with candles.]
11:44 P.M.
JORDON: I’ve done some more stuff. It’s getting pretty late, so it’s almost time to sleep. Finally. The hunger is hurting me, it’s gettin’ real bad. And I started getting tired really early, around sevenish, I’d say. I can’t keep my eyes open. I couldn’t then, I can’t now. But tomorrow’s a new day, so we’ll just have to see how it goes. Good night.
Saturday, March 5, 2005
6:24 A.M.
[In bathroom]
JORDON: Good morning, heh heh. Went to bed at one, it was lights out. Now, woke up before seven. That’s not enough sleep. Oh well, people are waiting to use this, and we’ve got religious things to get to, so till later.
10:01 A.M.
JORDON: We’re goin’ to a supermarket now, and the point of this is to see how much food really costs to all the homeless people who have no money. And, of course…
KELLI: We’re so hungry!
JORDON: I feel like I got punched in the stomach and the chest.
MIKE: Just wait till tonight.
[Footage of a long aisle of soft drink bottles.]
KELLI: Here we go. 24 slices for $3.99, we save, like, 50 cents.
JORDON: Very good.
[Footage of two guys racing down the sidewalk in those old people grocery scooters.]
11:56 A.M.
JORDON: [playing guitar and singing]
My knees are weak
My arms are tired
I can’t even sleep
‘Cause I’m so… hungry
I got the No Food Blues
I’ve got the No Food Blues
I’ve got the No Food Blues…
2:23 P.M.
[People are lying on the floor with their blankets and pillows -- some are even sleeping -- as MEGHAN speaks.]
MEGHAN: …don’t have food to eat.
SOMEONE: Wake up.
JARIAN: Just let her sleep.
3:21 P.M.
JORDON: Yeah, everybody’s been pretty tired. But you know what, it’s been almost twenty-four whole hours now for my own personal fasting ’cause I finally stopped eating spaghetti at three-thirty. And, um, well, pretty soon we’re gonna have a cookout. We’re celebrating Mass at six, and we’re going to have a cookout where we can eat, eat, and eat some more, to our heart’s content. I can’t wait because it’s not really the hunger that’s gettin’ to me, it’s the weakness.
4:12 P.M.
JORDON: What do you think of this, uh, do you think you’ve had a good time fasting?
KATHERINE: Yeah. I’ve done it before, so it’s nothing new.
JORDON: Oh. Cool.
KRISTEN: It’s not as hard as it seems, like, we’re not insanely hungry.
KEVIN: Yeah. We are.
KELLI: But…
KRISTEN: It’s not like the hunger gets worse.
KEVIN: Yeah, we are.
KRISTEN: Okay, I’m being interviewed.
KELLI: But being cooped up in a building for 24 hours and thinking about food, you get a headache.
JORDON: You know, I thought that this would be kind of hard too, but actually it’s turned out to be rather fun. And, uh, even though, you know, starvation doesn’t really sound like fun, I realized that, well, starving yourself takes longer than a day. And, uh, I have a newfound respect for the people who are hungry in this world.
5:43 P.M.
[At the park]
JORDON: Food. We love it. We can’t live without it. And now, since I’m allowed to eat before the Mass starts, it’s time to break the fast. Thank God. [Begins munching on chips] Mmm. So good. [Chats and continues eating to fadeout]
Directed and produced by: Jordon Kalilich
Featuring (in order of appearance): Jordon Kalilich, Wendy Bourgault, Kelli Lewandowski, Mike Bourgault, Meghan Orrell, Jarian Martinez, Katherine Gloria, Kristen Kalilich, Kevin Gurley
Loser who gives Jordon bunny ears in Scene 10: Maurice Charles
Camera: Jordon Kalilich
Edited by: Jordon Kalilich
All trademarks contained herein are property of their respective owners. Not me.
“Henry David Thoreau”
by Funktifyno
Recorded live March 5, 2004
http://www.funktifyno.com
Stock images by Johnny Magnusson
http://www.logodesignweb.com/stockphoto
Copyright © 2005 Jordon Kalilich. Some rights reserved. For details see http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/1.0/
http://www.theworldofstuff.com
4 comments
#1 by Scotto: Mon Mar 07, 2005 00:55 (UTC -5)
Nice little bit of pseudo-dylan at the end there!
#2 by kevin: Tue Mar 08, 2005 16:01 (UTC -5)
lmao Jordon, that rocks! the video is so good lol, it basically sums up the whole retreat. you should show mrs. bourgault it.
#3 by Tom: Tue Mar 08, 2005 16:14 (UTC -5)
That was pretty good.
#4 by Wendy: Wed Jan 18, 2006 15:20 (UTC -5)
finally saw this!! Still can’t get the video and I’d love to see it!