Saturday, February 14, 2015

"Destino" by Dali & Disney


 I don't usually post much about my personal life on this blog. However, this Valentine's Day marked a special event for me. It was the first anniversary for my girlfriend & I. We are both fairly non-conformist & individualistic people, so it's funny that we have such a cliche day to celebrate a relationship. It was when we had our first date, after being very close friends for many years.

Despite dating some wonderful women in my life, this is the first serious relationship I've had in a long time. I was never one to just settle or grasp onto another person just because I was lonely or felt societal pressure. Even as my 30's were passing me by, I was resigned to the fact that I'd rather be alone than be in a situation that I didn't find fulfilling.

Thankfully, my patience and honesty with myself has paid off. I've found someone who I feel completes me and is everything I've been looking for in a companion. After a year, we have continued to grow closer & deeper in our understanding of each other. We share an interest in deep issues and the infinite knowledge available in the Universe.

We've talked recently about the issues of destiny and impermanence.

• Is there such a thing as "destiny"? How does this relate to free will vs. determinism?
• Is "beauty" something that is transcendental & permanent, or is it meaningful because it is fleeting & impermanent?

These are some of the things that I was thinking of when I shared this animated masterpiece with her for Valentine's Day. It is called "Destino" a collaboration by one of my favorite artists, Salvadore Dali, and Walt Disney.




"Destino" (which means 'destiny' in Spanish) was originally started in 1945. It is full of Dali's dreamlike & bizarre imagery, and there are some aspects of the soundtrack that are very reminiscent of Disney movies. Most of the animation was completed between 1999-2003, with the use of traditional animation & some computer graphics.

The finished product is definitely "Dali-esque," with the haunting feeling of the beautiful, ephemeral, and often strange nature of life & love.

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