A lot of other sites have reviewed this movie far more eloquently than I could, and I’m sure I wouldn’t be adding much to the praise already given to this short film. Publisher of Adrants and film participant Steve Hall summarizes:
“Lemonade is a 40 minute documentary about how people changed their lives for the better after having been laid off. In the film 16 people, including yours truly, tell their individual stories. There’s the guy who got laid off and posed nude Burt Reynolds-style to find a new job. There’s the woman who lost her job and launched a yoga business. There’s the guy who went to an interview and ended up in a truth campaign commercial. There’s the guy who lost his job and decided to change his gender. And there’s the guy who lost his job, got colon cancer and started a little blog called Adrants.
Each story is unique. Each story is heart warming. Each story illustrates the fact there is life after the pink slip.”
Before we get to the movie links: if you’re a creative-type like me currently looking for work, be sure to check out Please Feed the Animals. You can create a profile, search job listings, and read a blog chock-full of useful information. Film (and PFTA) creator Eric Prolux points out some ways that you can support Lemonade.
Watch the trailer here:
Catch the full version on Hulu here (not sure how long it will be available).
The story is inspiring to anyone watching- if you’re currently employed, or recently-separated from your job, you’ll find something valuable to take away from the film.
Me? I made some posters based on some of the quotes in the film (after the jump):
Make lemonade out of those lemons.
Timely post there, Joe.
I was working part time at a law firm to supplement my income from design projects. It was intellectually stimulating, white collar work, and my boss was well educated. The only problem was a general lack of organization on his part, which was exacerbated by his overbearing tone and demeanor. After twice getting yelled at over the phone on my day off for trivial, inconsequential things, I’d really had enough, and started talking back. So yesterday he goes:
“There’s been an attitude problem in here the past couple of weeks”
“I think there’s been an… Office problem around here… The past couple of years.”
That was pretty much all it took and I was out the door. Oh well! Chalk it up to irreconcilable ideological differences about the way I feel clients and employees need to be treated. Here’s hoping my business keeps buoying itself now that it has my full attention.
I’m also looking forward to the upcoming documentary about small-business, “Shine”, which was featured at last August’s Creative Freelancer Conference:
http://biznik.com/shine/trailers
When I heard the words, “Who knows, this may be the best thing that’s ever happened to you” come out of a 20-something year old female engineer’s mouth back in 1994, when I was first laid off, I wanted to slap her. I was a single mother at the time and that was NOT what I wanted to hear. LOL.
Little did I know how prophetic her words would become, but I had to go through yet another layoff, eight years later, (again) as a single mom.
My story continues five years later, and can be found on my web site.
Bottom line?
Being laid off is absolutely one of the best things that can ever happen to someone. It’s a matter of perspective and what you DO with this time in your life.
Don’t waste it – MAXIMIZE IT.
Don’t look around … look Up!
[...] Please Feed the Animals (from the creator of the film ‘Lemonade’) [...]