‘Look At Us Now’ opens with Vee Rodriguez (Vee The Vision), a writer, filmmaker, poet and musician from New York City. We learn about how comic books taught him empathy and inspired him own heroism when he was bullied as a child. This short documentary, filmed in black and white, introduces us to 6 other self-proclaimed comic book “geeks” or “nerds” and the publications that shaped them.
Vee’s poetic (rap) talent is spectacular, fittingly introduced during the opening title: “The plot and tone has stopped and grown and made us the heroes of this story”. The use of black and white imagery throughout is additionally poetic – the “colour” shines solely from the collective passion.
This short film isn’t just a love letter to comic books, we learn about the shaping of friendships, determination to succeed and how these stories showcase humanities flaws and strengths. Described as a modern-day mythology and therapeutic, it is easy to see the impact it has had on society and this film certainly brings attention to this.
‘Look At Us Now’ is a real treat for comic book lovers. It takes an important step to highlight female views of the genre – breaking down the mans-world perception. “We were the few men and women who would use them to visit our true deposition of reality. Now we’re the troops with a vision of harmony”. A low budget short that deserves high praise.
