Exploration 4

     I think the story that affected me the most in Rebirth, was the story of Ling Young. It struck me because she was caught in the fire from the explosions of the plane hitting. She had said in the very first part that she was thrown from one side to the other ( of the building). She had also said that she didn't know how long she was unconscious, but when she got up her glasses were covered in blood. She then said "I cleaned off my glasses very carefully, and I put it back on and I look around. I see nothing but people laying down." This eluded to me that is was very possible that she alone survived out of all the people around her. That alone made her stand out to me. She was in the chaos of it all. Nick, Tanya, and Brian all were affected in some ways, and Tim was in the rescue, but Ling was in the thick of it all. She may have suffered severe burns and injuries, but she survived the madness. Ling seemed very upset by the second year, seemed like she was having troubles coping with it after so many unsuccessful surgeries, but she was resilient and kept going. By 2006, she had some good surgeries, and an attempt at a plastic joint which failed. She talked about how the burn conference really changed her point of view. That seeing so many other burn victims showed her how lucky she really was. She livened up much more after that. In the following years, she developed a sense of humor that one would not expect from someone who had been through what she had. It seemed to me she had found solace in the fact she was among the living. By the end of the documentary, and after having gone through over 40 surgeries, she decided she was done with the surgeries and decided to be happy with the fact she was alive.
     I think the time lapse structure of the film was a good way of showing how people cope and deal with tragedy. It helped show that over time wounds can heal, and you can overcome grief and sorrow. But it also showed that it does take time. It showed that even after the time has passed and a person has healed there will be a scar that reminds us that it happened. In my opinion, that can be both a strength and weakness to the film. It shows how people adapt and grow, but it also shows how human we are.
     The most important thing I took away from those stories was to cherish what you've got. At any minute, everything you have ever held dear could be taken from you. I also felt that it was important that it showed that even if something dear is taken from you, in time, you can heal.