“I highly recommend the original melodies, wry humor, and filmic intelligence embedded in the irresistible narratives” - Craig Baldwin

“Becker teases out profound gems of wisdom from the dark, murky corners of human psychology…learning tools for progressive young minds and contemporary ballads for aging punks.” - Shapeshifters Cinema

“Becker’s pieces sift through contemporary sites of existential malaise with indefatigable humor and a touch of world-weary wisdom.” - Steve Polta, SF Cinematheque

CH.1 An out of breath man struggles to complete his weekend to-do list as Black Friday shoppers find themselves trapped in their frenzy. Weapons discharge in the solitude of nature as a boy's day dream becomes an epiphany revealing a catastrophe of convenience.

CH.2 An elephant escapes from the circus and begins a rampage down a city street. His trunk tosses aside everything in his path. We cheer for him. Why? A man sits on an alligator and attempts to tie his mouth shut. The alligator contorts his body, throwing the man off before turning to bite. We are unsympathetic. Why? A life force is being held against its will or once again running wild through the streets. The moment the lion lunges at the tamer we understand his motives. We relate viscerally to his oppression as we connect to the soul of its being.

CH.3 The lemon, often utilized by famed still-life painters was rarely the focus of a composition. More typically, it was being abused for its compositional qualities. Its ovoid form of highly saturated yellow was used to balance the more dominant piling of apples, oranges and pears. The lemon, I felt, never got its day in the sun. This video is a visual lesson plan and my tribute to the lemon. Special thanks to Daniel, Austin, Chris, Camille, Jaime, Gustavo, Miguel, Tayanna, Nic, Ramon, Julia, Zane & Dante and everyone in my Art 9 class for their fervent chanting!

CH.4 We know the importance of our physical body to our being, but there are also those invisible, external elements that sustain life that we know nothing about and others that we recognize, but are in the process of destroying. Symbiosis is the mutually advantageous relationship between two organisms that live in close association with one another.

CH.5 The term “pain-body” was introduced by philosopher and author Eckhart Tolle in his book A New Earth. The Pain-body is the collective manifestation of all the pain, misery, and sorrow a person has ever experienced in their life. This lingering energy field of pain can be triggered when we encounter fear, anger, and anxiety in our daily lives. The truly tragic state of David Banner is his high, almost enlightened level of self-awareness but his inability to subvert the outcomes of his pain-body. A huge thanks to participating students: Oscar, Jake, Hugo, Sean, Marlon, Veronica, Daniella, Asha, Miguel, Rae, Josh & Others!! 

CH.6 Prelude & Song for Awe & Dread is a contemporary take on the vanitas paintings of the 17th century and an investigation into the emotional duality of our existence. It is AWEsome to be human and to be alive, but the evolution of human intelligence has also burdened our species with a self-awareness of life’s impermanence. The Danish philosopher Søren Kierkegaard called these two uniquely human emotions, awe, and dread. Through its symbolic meditation on mortality, this work attempts to find meaning between the fleeting flavors of bubblegum and cultural programming that entrenches us in our denial of death.

CH.7 Love for the cinema. Love for others.