Wide Awake
by phill
photo credit: ArneCoomans
SBS, if you
aren’t aware, is one of the three channels on public access (and, in my humble opinion, paid access) television worth watching. This is proved again, and again, and again by the quality programs that they bring to the living room. I was recently confirmed again in this belief by the excellent documentary ‘Wide Awake’ written, directed, and starring Alan Berliner; a director by trade and a life-long insomniac.
Berliner’s story is an interesting one. Ever since childhood he has been an insomniac, but as with many childhood conditions, he believed it to be normal. It wasn’t until his affliction began to take a toll on his working life that he started to take control of it. His method of doing so was to start going to bed later and later, eventually throwing his body-clock completely out of phase with the rest of the world’s. This would be interesting enough situation to see on film; a director directing himself as the main character in an exploration of the processes of the creative mind that only comes out in the night time. But Berliner has taken it one step further and placed himself in his natural context, including family members and the incoming arrival of a baby to examine the influences of family and responsibilities on the ability to function as a creative person.
The end result is a uniquely well-realised glimpse into a way of life that is absolutely fascinating to observe. Berliner doesn’t revile his condition, he revels in it. He lives for the moments when the whole world is sleeping and he can get on with his work. I really enjoyed the sections of the film that explained this love; like a million other Physics students, I’ve had my share of late night study sessions. It’s a powerful feeling, to be to all intents and purposes the only person who is aware and thinking in your environment. Aside from academic work, some of my best creative writing has come in the early hours of the morning when my brain simply cannot shut down.
It’s a very interestingly presented story, and a touching one through the introduction of family that simultaneously cares for Alan and loves to hate the inconvenience of his condition. He also takes every opportunity to make fun of himself, a very refreshing thing coming from an American. You can watch a preview of the documentary here.
Bonus question: What are your experiences with creativity and the late night? Was your ability enhanced, was it a conscious decision, when do you prefer to create? etc.
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Ask Mel the last time she remembers me coming to bed. I thrive at night, and I hope that in my particular niche of the discipline I can find a job that lets me work the night shift all the time. An ideal workday for me would start by waking at about 1600 and going to bed at 0800. I know Mel has said that she would like this schedule as well, so I guess it wouldn’t influence her as much as it would, say, my family.
As for the creativity side of things? I would say that I can only write creative, interesting things at nighttime. Hell, I have never written ANY Dungeons and Dragons campaign material during daylight hours; it just does not happen. My most recent was two nights ago, at about 0330, when I came up with an awesome character/world concept: Angels who look just like humans, except they have this constant bright glow about them; only they have these small silver machines that strap onto their backs that focus the aura into a coherant series of beams that shine out into the skies – LASERWINGS!
Alright, so that one is a little left field, but I really like it :P
Always more creative at night.. but always to the detriment of my own thoughts. The 3am blogs are always the utterly desolate ones – clearly rather than revelling in the fact that you are alone in doing what you do at that time, I start to get all existentially. But you knew that already. ;)
Got a notebook next to the bed anyway, just incase ideas hit me just as I’m mulling over reality.
Awesome suggestion, thanks! I’m going to queue it up now, it’s on Monday here.
And to answer your 2nd question, go crack my “book” and find “Same Old Song And Dance” – that is a direct example. I always liked that piece. I don’t think it’s on DA anymore.
Half that fuckin book was written at 3am actually…but the above example is more direct. Strangely, I kind of revel in insomnia too, though it is the hours of 4:30 plus that really excite me; those crazy early hours before dawn, because those are the sleepiest for many, the sludgiest for blue collar workers and execs and housewives, and the most magical for creators. Try it sometime, it’s true. Even if you get sleep before, 4:30 is the magic elf rainbow time.
Ok, I need to qualify I mean that in a hetero way.
ah shit it’s July not June when it’s on. I’ll forget by then.
just saw Wide Awake on HBO after my sleep cycle hit it’s 3:15 am alarm (my nightly event after falling asleep at midnight). Discovered that I might need to try the media fast/O’Day correction on my biological sleep clock because as a former lark (morning person), this decade longs journey down insomnia road is a path I wish I had not taken.
Once a stunning beauty, I am now 75 lbs overweight; once extremely optimistic, kind and witty, I am now cranky, mean and bitterly sarcastic; once easily employed and creatively blessed, I am now unemployed and quite frankly, tired of interacting with the human race.
So in one last attempt at rejoining the human condition (my exceptional gift to the world was optimistic motivator of young people), I’m gonna try to reset my clock–starting this morning. As soon as the sun is fully up, I’m going to go out into it and revel in it’s beauty. Then later tonight (about 9 pm), I’m going into a dark room and attempting to sleep through the night. Failing that, I will get up, do my daily job search work and get back into the sun of day as soon as possible.
If it works, I’ll get back to you. If it doesn’t, I’ll probably forget (since that is the number worst side effect of my sleep deprivation–I feel as though I’m getting early onset alzheimer’s disease).
BTW: Did Alan Berliner ever study Michael Jackson and his decades long battle with sleep deprivation? Despite his highly commercialized life, I think that would make a better documentary than commercial flick.
Hi RB,
Thanks for checking out my little review. Your plight sounds like it is one echoed across the world; our modern lifestyle has introduced a great many conditions, not the least of which is the ease with which we can slip out of synch with our sleeping patterns.
I’d be eager to follow your progress. In fact, perhaps making your journey public domain would be therapeutic? You could start up a blog to keep track of your successes and struggles, and perhaps develop a following and create an example for others to witness. Just a thought, but it also seems to me that half of the purpose of the documentary was to prompt Alan into staying in a schedule, to see himself as he truly was as he slowly turned his clock back.
I’m not aware of any Michael Jackson links, but perhaps that was because MJ’s stardom and more facts about his personal life have come into the fore with his death. Perhaps research such as this would help focus you and keep you awake when you might otherwise falter? Again, just a thought, but you could compend a study of various stars’ problems with sleep and insomnia.
In any case, I wish you the best of luck.