The Strange Saga Continues

The lost roll
So do you remember this post from January? It concerned a viral video about a roll of film lost in a snowy park in Brooklyn and found by a skier and budding filmmaker, who then embarked on a stated mission to find the owners of the lost pictures. He develops the film, finds the pictures are all pretty good, and so forth.

A number of people (and some pretty major media outlets) found the whole thing convincing; I didn't believe it. I could be wrong, of course, but it just didn't quite have the ring of truth to me.

Well, there's either been a wonderful resolution to the saga, or else a savvy continuation of the fiction, however you decide to look at it. The filmmaker heads to Europe, stays with a bunch of new friends he met on the internet, and at last encounters the person he's seeking.

I'm still not buying into all this, but quite possibly that's just me. And you might enjoy the saga anyway.

Here's the latest installment.

Mike
(Thanks to Scott F. and a number of other readers)

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Original contents copyright 2011 by Michael C. Johnston and/or the bylined author. All Rights Reserved.

Comments

[Dalen Muster]

I was open minded on the first post in Jan. After seeing the continuation I'm not very convinced. You don't "go in search for" a person who's contacted you and said, "that's my film and here's the proof and my address."

[John MacKechnie]

At this point, Rachel Maddow would exclaim, "bullpucky!"

[ImNotBuyingIt]

Wait, Im getting my boots, this story is getting even deeper. Better call the guy who found Vivian Maier negatives to get some advice on how to best proceed.

[Boglev]

Well, while I liked the photos shown in the first movie, it is very hard for me to buy the story behind the second one. BTW, the map of Europe shown in the second movie is way to old...

[James Bullard]

It is performance art. I'm 90% certain the whole thing was staged. Shooting the photos and leaving the film is the clincher for me. It's a YouTube era "Griffin & Sabine" story.

[Paul in Az.]

I think he created the story and is setting this up for sale as a movie script for a chick flick.

[Bryce Lee in Burlington Ontario Canada]

A note in a bottle, cast adrift on the waves of the sea, to be discovered, maybe by somebody holding an image recording device.
The device records images as digital only, the chip is lost and then processed by somebody else elsewhere.
Is the chip returned as were the processed strip of plastic filled with
negative images of somebody's positive
event.
Strange how some minds appear to equate items lost with adventure in their boring lives. And for those so inclined raveling
a story to fit the particular situation.

Our world is not ours until we so wish.

[Erez]

Wasn't convinced than and even less convinced now.
The second movie is also slightly less interesting. Maybe because I know the end ?

[Ken Tanaka]

I must be getting old and crotchety. Or perhaps I'm just too involved with other matters right now. But I just don't give a damn if it's true or not.

It's not even slightly interesting to me. Sorry.

[charlie]

I don't buy a second of it.

[Poagao]

Surely people lose and find film rolls all the time; what's so special about this particular instance? I really don't get it. The photos themselves are so unremarkable that if I were the photographer, I'd say, "Yeah, thanks, man" if someone returned them to me, but I wouldn't lose any sleep over them.

[Edie Howe]

I could care less if it's real or not. I'm happy to suspend disbelief in such a delicious presentation.

In short, it made me feel good, and that's what I appreciate.

[Dennis Huteson]

Fake.

The guy goes to five countries to get to one cafe.....more likely it's a compilation of his European holiday vids.

[Stan B.]

You aint either, Ken. And it aint interesting...

[Sam]

He didn't need help from the other people in Europe. They offered to help, so he decided to go contact them while he was vacationing in Europe with his girlfriend so he'll have some place to stay and hang out.

[Peter Barnes]

I am as cynical and sceptical as the rest of you grumpy old blokes, but there is nothing here setting off my BS detector. And no Dalen, I didn't hear him say he was off to Europe in search of the owner. He states in the intro that he had earlier that day returned the film to its owner in Paris. He did say that he had been searching for the owner before being contacted by her.

And do I care if it is true or not? Yes. It is a nice little true story, but as fiction, well, why bother?

[Louis]

The point is this thread. Well done I say.

[The Lazy Aussie]

I found a fuji digital in the hire car today. It had 50 pictures of taps, drains, bare paddocks and closeups of concrete fittings.

[Roger Bradbury]

I'm not sure or even particularly bothered if this is a true story or not, but it is interesting and entertaining.

[charlie]

Um, where are all the interviews in the media?

Why do we get only a first person narrative in the second video, with no questions real interaction among the persons (actors) involved.

I potentially like it as short film and he certainly has my attention but it just didn't happen as he said.

Nice try.

[David Boyce]

The romantic in me wants to believe ......