What happens when you’re challenged to hug 61 strangers?
CK Goldiing is a writer and filmmaker from Sheffield, UK who got in touch with Documentary Weekly to submit his rivetingly feel-good first short film, ‘61 HUGS’. After helplessly falling for this gem of a film, we set out to speak to the man himself.
The film is black and white and self-shot in a video blog style from CK’s smartphone as he faces his fears and ventures out of his house to find those all-important 61 strangers.
As CK nervously narrates his first few hugs, you can’t help but feel your own anxiety build, but as his confidence grows and the people he meets show unblinking trust and kindness, the film begins to outgrow it’s amateur shooting style.
What starts as a freakish social experiment transforms into a powerful, uplifiting ode to the people of Sheffield. Time and time again CK is blown away by the uncomplicated and selfless character of the strangers he accosts, culminating in a truly moving pen-ultimate scene that is sure to bring out a few tears amongst the audience.
How did you overcome your fears and actually do it?
My advice to anyone who experiences crippling fear ahead of doing something new is to ask yourself, "what happened the last time I felt this fear but ploughed ahead anyway?" I'm 95% sure the answer will be "it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be."
This wasn't the first time I've produced content underpinned by my interactions with strangers, I've done it a few times now, and in each instance, the outcome has been joyous. I don't know why the outcome is always so positive, but it is, and there comes a point when you just have to put your trust in the system, the universe, and yourself.
Understand, however, that despite my previous experiences being positive, I was absolutely terrified about this one.
Despite a basic filming setup, the concept shines through and draws the viewer in - Why do you think that is?
I adore the challenge of figuring out how to hook someone into a story quickly, how to make them care, make them feel, make them think, make them laugh, make them cry, ultimately, making people feel all the best bits of being human is my only concern, and you'll never convince me that filmmaking equipment has anything to do with that.
Everything I have produced has been filmed on my phone, not necessarily out of choice but because when a moment of inspiration hits me, the only means I have of capturing it is in my pocket.
To my eternal joy, this results in my content being incredibly relatable - people can see themselves in my stories, even if they're not physically in it. I'm acutely aware of how relatable my content is, so I try to avoid excessive editing or production flourishes that will undermine that.
Conclusion? Filming equipment is nothing. Human condition is everything.
“Filming equipment is nothing. Human condition is everything.” - CK Goldiing
Were you surprised by some of the reactions you got? Which one was your favourite?
"Surprised" doesn't even cover it. Something inside me knew this film wouldn't be a total disaster, but equally, I wasn't expecting the remarkable warmth and openness I experienced, either. The two boys on the bikes, for example, what are the chances of that ever happening again? And the three friends in the penultimate scene [Jodie, Brooke & Josh] who took the film down an entirely unexpected path, wow.
To this day, that scene is a standout moment for me, and is the one that made it so difficult for me to edit this film. It choked me up the first time I watched it back.
What are some of the reactions you’ve had from viewers? Has anyone else taken up the challenge?
Additional to the beautiful comments, tweets and direct messages I continue to receive through social media, and the personal experiences the film has bought me, such as flying to San Diego for its US premiere and its screening at Sheffield Doc/Fest, one of the world's largest doc festivals, the stories I keep hearing are mind-boggling.
A barista recently told me that as a random customer paid for his coffee, he gave her double the price, inviting her to buy the next customer a coffee because he had watched '61 HUGS' the night before and wanted to participate in the majesty of human kindness. That story blew my little mind, I can’t lie.
If you visit 61hugs.com and click 'GLOBAL', you can see people in America, Australia and London taking-up the challenge.
What was it like to have your film shown at Sheffield Doc/Fest?
The highlight for me wasn't just seeing my face on their large cinema screen, it was seeing how people responded to the film. Audience reactions ranged from applause, to selfie requests, and my personal favourite... a woman called Giselle, who discovered the film online then dragged her family along to watch it at the festival because it made her feel "super good". Thank you, Giselle.
What’s next for CK Golding?
I've written a social experiment called 'The Train'. Set on the London Underground, it explores social culture and seeks to challenge the habitual behaviours of commuters in a way never before seen. I welcome London-based filmmakers & videographers to get in touch, I'd love to talk, because unlike my previous work, this will not be self-filmed, but it will showcase humans at their most remarkable.
Thanks so much for your time CK, you can watch the film in full for free on 61 HUGS’ official website.
You can explore CK’s other youtube content on his channel, here.
