‘Momo’ is a magical film about our fear of losing time. Although it was made in 1986, this subject is still just asrelevant as it was back then. In fact, it’s probably safe to say that Michael Ende (who wrote the novel which the film is based on, as well as ‘The Neverending Story’) couldn’t have guessed that twenty-nine years on his wisdom would be needed now more than ever before. As a society we are obsessed with ‘saving time’.
Think of the countless apps and technologies which have been designed to help us manage time. We count the minutes that we work, exercise – even meditate! We can instantly communicate with people who live on the other side of the world. We can pop food in a microwave and eat it five minutes later. And yet, who feels that they have more time? If anything, we feel we have less than we ever did. If you do too, then Momo is a must-see film.
Momo starts off as any typical children’s film would – innocent and sweetly fanciful. We meet the heroine, Momo, when she is discovered hiding away in a hole by the side of the road, on the outskirts of an unnamed Italian city, by a kindly road sweeper. She is quickly accepted into the lively community there, and they build her a home. While the people around her get caught up in anger, doubt and arguments – like we all do – she brings a sense of calm wherever she goes.
She is the embodiment of mindfulness: compassionate, non-judgemental and perfectly present. Her curious nature brings joy to everyone, and it seems that everything is wonderful… until the Men in Grey arrive.
This is where the sweet children’s film takes an all-too-grown-up turn. We instantly recognise these sinister Grey Gentlemen from the ‘Timesavings Bank’, who start advising the townspeople on how they could spend their time more efficiently – for how many of us have our own internal Grey Gentlemen? They analyse the time the people spend on sitting with friends or gazing out of the window reflecting on their day, and tell them how they are wasting valuable seconds here, there and everywhere. They are very convincing, and it’s not long before the people start acting differently; they become rushed, agitated, unfriendly. They no longer do things for the enjoyment of it, but for how much money they can make and how much time they think they can save. And this means they no longer have time for the free-spirited Momo. Even the kindly road sweeper says he has to work a late shift, “just this once”…. However, it doesn’t end there. I won’t spoil the film for you, but let’s just say I didn’t call Momo the heroine of the story for no reason!
Perhaps the most prominent lesson of the film is to take time to appreciate all the little moments of life. Unlike the Grey Gentlemen, who frantically try to ‘save’ time by rushing, Momo notices, and therefore appreciates, everything around her. Many of us have certainly fallen into the trap of thinking that we never have enough time. And yet, practicing mindfulness helps us to see that this simply isn’t true.
The ‘Three Step Breathing Space’ approach can help us re-centre when we get caught in a mental rush. This works firstly by becoming aware of our experience in the moment; what are our current thoughts, feelings and bodily sensations? Next, we redirect and focus our attention on the physical sensations of breathing. This way we can use the breath as an anchor, bringing us back to the present moment. We’ll probably find that our mind wants to wander, but we can gently keep bringing our focus back to the breath.
Lastly, we expand our attention to our whole body, feeling the sense of our attention encompassing our whole being. This helps us acknowledge and accept everything that we are experiencing in the moment. By doing this practice regularly, we can notice more and more quickly when our attention is on rushing, rather than appreciating what’s around us. Like Momo, we can start to take more joy in the birds singing in the trees, the sun and the clouds in the sky, or the breeze on our faces. Far from being a ‘waste’ of time, noticing these seemingly small moment are what makes life worthwhile.
ohannes Schaaf does a wonderful job directing this film, and Radost Bokel plays the part of Momo totally convincingly. The Grey Gentlemen are genuinely creepy, not just because we may recognise their plan to account for every second of every day within our own lives – they’re also pretty creepy to look at! There are also truly heart-touching and insightful moments where the film expresses mindfulness teachings we may already be familiar with, but have probably never seen portrayed in such a creative way. Momo is a special film, and is bound to leave you with a refreshed sense of how time should really be spent.
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