Merry Twixmas!
Does anyone know what day it is?
Once again, we find ourselves adrift in the void between Christmas and New Year’s - a no-man’s-land for conventional time, a black hole that defies everything we know about space and reason. The only solid, provable facts being: 1) Christmas has passed, and 2) New Year’s is coming (at some point…). I recently learned that this peculiar stretch is called Twixmas. How whimsical! It sounds like a cross between a Twix bar and the Witching Hour, which, honestly, is pretty spot on.
If you’re in London like I am, Twixmas feels particularly drab, with winter’s tendrils curled tightly around the city. Everyone’s big coats are out, and the weather reports claim that the sun is rising at 8am - although no one’s seen the so-called “sun” for weeks. If you’re somewhere warm for Twixmas - South Africa, Sri Lanka, Kenya, etc. - like so many people I know are, then I’m sure your time has been delightful and gorgeous and please, keep it to yourself.
However! Despite the drab-ity of my Twixmas, I thought I would share a special review with you all - a little Twixmas gift if you will. Recently, one of my gorgeous and talented friends made a short film starring another gorgeous and talented friend. Giorgi (friend number one) is so good at getting out there, following her interests, and turning them into something special, and she’s done just that with Picture of Calvin.
Picture of Calvin is a two-minute short film featuring Calvin (friend number two), a runner and member of the Peckham Pacers Run Club. Shot entirely in black and white, it’s moody, rhythmic, and touchingly sincere.
The film opens on a frigid February night. The runners’ breaths bloom in the cold air as they stretch and chat. Calvin’s voice drifts in over the scene and gently draws you in: What’s it worth? he asks. Spending all this time running?
It’s a deceptively simple question, and one I’ve certainly asked myself before. For Calvin, the answer is threefold. First, it’s the connection to your body - the harsh pounding of feet on pavement that reminds us of our physicality. Then there’s the connection to others: that brimming and beautiful sense of community that comes from pushing yourself alongside people you might not have otherwise met. Lastly, it’s the trying - the refusal to stop putting one foot in front of the other, especially when those around you are doing the same.
Three seemingly simple things, and yet, as we get older, they can feel increasingly hard to come by. The older I get, the fewer new people I meet, the fewer community-based activities I’m part of, and the shorter the list of sports, hobbies, and pursuits I regularly return to. Running is special for many reasons, but one of them is that it’s FREE — in London? Unheard of. Accessible, community-based, and physical: a simple, beautiful trifecta that, I think, gets to the heart of what keeps people coming back.
Whenever I go to support a friend running a race, I’m somehow always on the brink of tears. Seeing people cheer for strangers, encourage the man who’s struggling, high-five the woman who’s running for someone she loves — it’s so emotional. Why isn’t everyone crying? Once again, it reminds me of how transformative the simple act of running can be.
So please, give yourself a Twixmas tweat and take two minutes out of this timeless void to watch Picture of Calvin. Even if you don’t like running, there’s something there for everyone. And if you take anything away from it, let it be this: running isn’t about being the fittest or the fastest, or even about how far you go. What it’s really about is the flat white you have at the end.
The End! Merry Twixmas to one and to all xx
The film is available to watch here:
