Link to Ciaran's Substack! (@coduffwrites) This series, Film Objects of Interest, is a project I’ve had on the back burner for a very long time. It comes from my difficulty forming opinions on whole films and tendency to focus on particularities. The artistry of numerous films goes unrecognized because popular criticism revolves around the work as a whole, rather than its many parts. Specific moments are what I’m here to write about. Individual scenes, esoteric performances,

This past Saturday night, I attended Gala, the annual performance showcase hosted by Hamilton High School’s Academy of Music and Performing Arts (AMPA). As a Gala newbie, I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect. The event’s name alone has always evoked a sense of prestige and mystery for me. Preceded by a dinner (which I did not attend) and comprising a large cast of students and staff, it’s likely the most ambitious event AMPA puts on each year. Across nearly three hours of pe

Collections and trinkets insulate my room, filling the mind with a comforting sort of white noise. This background hum helps drown out the doubt. It acts as an anchor: I am tightly held within a patchwork of myself, unable to float away. If my space were drained of its cluttered character, would I be whole anymore? I’m not sure. Nearly every person holds a subconscious, or in my case, conscious preoccupation with the material. We all wish to see ourselves through a certain le