let's host a movie night!

this time, an intentional one.

Two weeks ago, I was hosting a movie in which I and 12 others watched tick, tick…BOOM! (highly recommend!)

As a sucker for musical theater, my level of enthusiasm was hitting not just the roof but probably up in the ozone layer. I was planning this and that and these and those (my love language is over-delivering thanks (?) to my Capricorn rising).

Amidst the planning, I shared with a friend about the activities that all of us would be doing. And their reactions were a mixture of amazement and confusion: “That’s a lot of dedication. It’s just a movie night”.

I agreed that I had invested a little bit more than necessary, given the way I neglected other parts of my life just to host a movie night. At the same time, it was annoyingly inexplicable for me to know why I couldn’t help but keep on digging deeper.

Then across the table, anh

Ngụy

made a sentence that helped me understand this odd excessive care for just one small private event:

To her, it’s not just a movie night

He was right. To me, it was not just a movie night. And it will never be.

It’s not just a Movie Night. It’s 一期一会 !

一期一会 (ichi-go ichi-e) means One Time One Meeting. And it has been my favorite mantra (it’s magical how one of the friends going to the movie night has this as her tattoo, written gracefully in Sino-Vietnamese!).

I first came across this concept reading The Art Of Gathering by Priya Parker (also highly recommend!).

一期一会 teaches me how each of the moments that we meet can only happen once. No one swims twice in the same river kinda vibe. None of these moments can be replicated (even when it’s the same people we’re meeting), thus all of them are sacred and unique.

After learning 一期一会, I believe more in the power of intentional gatherings. I’ve facilitated some and witnessed some. The common thing between them is that they are all very transformative.

A good gathering should bring the same effect of a good book or a good movie — It should transport us to a place where we are more awake, more hopeful, wiser, kinder, and ___ [insert an adjective representing what you want to manifest in life].

So yes, I walked into this movie night knowing it’s not just a movie night. It’s a collection of nonrecurring moments in which I get to see these friends, and in which I get to introduce the movie that I’ve adored and its creators to them. Therefore, I didn’t want to take this too lightly. Also, if I treat this as merely a movie night, I honestly think it’s better to watch it on our laptops at home.

I walked into the movie hoping we would be transported to a different possibility of living.

I love the concept so much that I made powerpoint slides to introduce it to colleagues at UWC Vietnam Short Course.

So that is the first and the most important step of hosting a movie night (or hosting anything, honestly):

❏ Step 1: Change your belief in gatherings to change the way we honor and facilitate them.

The movie is the main juice 🍋🍸

The name Movie Night is quite self-explanatory. It’s a night when we watch a movie together.

That makes the movie the main juice, whether you want it to or not. Therefore, it’s essential to be super duper intentional in the type of movie you pick. It should be one that:

• Represents the common hopes, needs, and/or struggles of the group.

• Speaks to you deeply (yes, you have to love it)

Picked tick, tick…BOOM! because it’s the semi-autobiography of Jonathan Larson, a once-struggled musical songWRITER. And guess who I invited to the party - a group of friends who met each other from a writing course at MỞ. We may be nowhere near the talent of Jonathan Larson, but he has the wins that we’re so ready to cheer for and the struggles that leave us nodding along. I watched the movie twice, but only with this group of friends we laughed and sighed and cried at the same scenes.

And yes, this movie speaks to me deeply. I have a great interest in musical theater. So much that my dream is to be reincarnated into a theater kid my next life, a happy one if possible. Not just that, I see parts of Jonathan Larson in me. I admire his mentor Stephen Sondheim who is mentioned in the movie, and very close to worship his “descendant” Lin-Manuel Miranda who directed the movie. In short, I’M IN LOVE!

The movie has to be something you love because passion is contagious. The movie may not be Grammy-worthy or digestible (I hosted a Hamilton movie night), but it has to fill you with so much passion to a point that every one of your body cells radiates it. That’s how you transform others.

❏ Step 2: Pick the movie intentionally (remember, it’s 一期一会). Prioritize the ones you love!

You are the Bartender 🍸🍋

Yes the movie is the juice. Despite getting a good ingredient as the first start, how to elevate the taste of it is the job of the host.

What I love to do is to bring in:

1. The reason(s) I believe the movie can offer many values for the group — Participants will often appreciate the movie more when they resonate with its message. Here’s an example:

2. The creators behind the movie — For this, I gathered information about Jonathan Larson, a human figure that may seem unfamiliar to my non-theater friends, and elaborated on his influence on the musical theater industry.

3. The filmmaking techniques/easter eggs/analogy/symbolism — I often do this after we all finish watching. You’ll be surprised to see how much people get so interested in things like the kind of angle of the cameras, the lighting, the intentions of the writer(s),…

4. The questions/wonders I have for the movie — I often do this by taking notes during the movie. This will often be used for post-movie discussions.

5. Discussion activities - One pro tip for movie night is to assign your guest with one of the characters, and let them share their thoughts on that character after watching. This helps guests become more attentive while watching and makes it easier to prompt them to share later.

   Another favorite activity is to pinpoint the movie’s theme, and ask your guests one question related to the theme. In tick, tick…BOOM! the main character faces a panic attack as he’s reaching his 30th birthday while failing at life. So I asked my friends their thoughts on approaching their 30s.

❏ Step 3: Research. Add cool insights. Make fun & meaningful activities.

Wait, what about the logistics?

Ah yes, the logistics, the address, the arrival time and date, the food, the who to contact, and how to get there.

It’s important, indeed! Planning it well helps ease the burdens of the participants, and welcomes them in with a more spacious mind and open heart.

But I truly think we can just google it and we’ll be provided with a thorough list. What is more difficult and what makes a difference is how we set our intentions and boldly stick to what feels good to bring a transformative experience.

💞

How to host a movie night an intentional, meaningful and transformative movie night:

❏ Step 1: Change your belief in gatherings to change the way we honor and facilitate them. Mantra: 一期一会 Ichi-go Ichi-e // One Time One Meeting.

❏ Step 2: Pick the movie intentionally. Prioritize the ones you love!

❏ Step 3: Research. Add cool insights. Make fun & meaningful activities.

❏ Note: Logistics is solvable. Ask Google & friends for help. Save energy for setting the vibes.

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Bài viết thuộc thử thách Viết Đều và Hay của Writing On The Net Alumni. #wotn #vietdeuvahay

Cảm ơn chị Hân, anh Nguỵ, chị Mai Hương, Há Nà, Phương Anh, Pio, Duy, Gia Hoa, anh Thong Vong, My, Thảo Dương, Thanh, Mủi vì đã tới đã xem và đã trò chuyện. Iu mọi ngườiii!!

We feel you, Jonathan Larson!