Ever heard of the saying “If a tree fell in a forest did it make a sound?” I have always been curious as to what that phrase meant and what it was intended for. There are so many trees in a forest how can we be sure that we heard one, or multiple trees falling. As I continued to analyze this phrase (which my dad says to me ALL the time) I started to think about our studies of autobiography, and more importantly the biographies of marginalized people.

I recently watched the movie 12 Years as a Slave, such an incredible story. If you haven’t already watched it, I highly recommend it.

This movie in brief, is about Solomon Northup and his story as a free black man who was kidnapped back into slavery in pre-civil war America. This autobiographical film is based on both secret letters he wrote during time as a slave and also his own personal memoir. His writings became an important piece of public history for both the USA and for the identities of the black community and their history. This film reaffirmed my understanding of the significance and implications archival material have on collective and societal memory. We have to then wonder… if Solomon’s writings were never discovered, persevered and shared for the public to hear, how would that affect the social memory? If his story is the tree that fell in the forest, did it make a sound? If so, how did we come to hear it? This is where I look to media and in particular the film industry as exposing the sound of the fallen tree.

Watching 12 Years as a Slave has sparked my interest to further delve into the film world of autobiography. I first look to movies as a main source of media and with reading week coming up this seems like the perfect time to binge. One movie in particular I am looking forward to watch is “Once Were Warriors” which exhibits the struggles of the aboriginal people of New Zealand (Maori) which perhaps may relate to issues closer to home such as our First Nations community. The film makers and script writers who are a part of the process of creating such films also play a careful role in making these stories heard. Although, we must recognize that most things in the Hollywood industry may not always be true, we can still appreciate the exposure gained for stories like Soloman’s.

Relating all this back to my “tree” saying, there are so many trees in forests, and when a tree does fall… of course it makes a sound! It will always make a sound. It all depends who heard it. The media industry not only gives sound to these stories but also amplifies the sound for a global audience to hear. However, this notion is not limited to films. I look at what we are currently studying in ASTU by revisiting our studies in the Truth and Reconciliation of the First Nations people in Canada. The ways in which the TRC is the media that is exposing the “fallen trees” or testimonies of the marginalized, making sure these sounds are heard.

On an end note, with February being Black History Month, this is a time to recognize not only the black community but to also reflect and educate ourselves of other marginalized communities such as First Nations, Asian, Latin etc. within our own home, Canada.