What We Wanted to Be

In the midst of a bustling movie theater, amidst the whispers of strangers hushed to avoid spoilers, the fate of two strangers was about to intertwine, forever altering the course of their lives. What We Wanted to Be is an impossible love story that commences in the very place where dreams and reality are intertwined – a sanctuary where escapism reigns supreme. Lena and Max, two souls destined to tread the divergent paths of life, met outside the silver screen, where the allure of cinema has the power to transcend the confines of reality. They crossed paths in a crowded lobby, their initial encounter an ephemeral moment of time, a serendipitous encounter of chance and circumstance. Yet, the sparks that flew between them ignited a flame that would forever redefine their existence. As their relationship begins to blossom, we find ourselves transported to a quaint café, where the sounds of espresso machines and murmurs of intimate conversation serve as the sonic backdrop to a tale of impossible love. It is here, in this intimate setting, where Lena and Max first begin to open up about the lives they desired, those they were destined to live, but never quite felt free to explore. United by their passion for cinema, they confide in each other, sharing their fantasies and aspirations – hopes and dreams that would soon find themselves intertwined, as if the boundaries between reality and fantasy began to blur. Lena, an aspiring artist struggling to break free from the shackles of convention, dreams of a life unfettered by the strictures of societal expectation. She envisions herself as a free spirit, untethered and unencumbered, with the freedom to create without constraint or fear of retribution. Max, on the other hand, is trapped in a dead-end job, a soul slowly suffocating beneath the weight of a reality that he never quite chose. His desire is to shed the skin of monotony and to live a life of adventure and excitement, one infused with the unpredictability of the human experience. Their love, forged in the unlikeliest of circumstances, blossoms amidst the vibrant tapestry of their collective imagination. In a series of encounters, they retreat to a world of their own creation, one where their dreams are the only guiding principle and reality takes a tentative step back. Together, they dance, hands clasped, in the swirling dance of possibility, as they surrender to the intoxicating allure of imagination. Their escapades become a testament to the enduring power of cinema, a medium that transcends the confines of the screen and seeps into every aspect of their being. They live vicariously through the movies that they watch, identifying with characters and their journeys, seeking inspiration in the stories that transport them to realms hitherto unknown. It is here, in this sanctuary of celluloid fantasies, that they find solace and escape from the harsh realities of their mundane lives. Yet, reality, with its unforgiving weight and unyielding demands, refuses to yield completely. The lines between fantasy and reality begin to blur, and the façade of their perfect world starts to crack. As the pressures of everyday life assert themselves, the fragile equilibrium of their relationship is put to the test. They face the harsh realities of their destinies, with all its attendant disappointments and disillusionments. As the journey unfolds, what We Wanted to Be becomes an poignant exploration of the human condition, a nuanced portrayal of the tension that exists between our desires and the lives we are forced to lead. It poses the question, can we ever truly live the lives we want, or are we forever bound by the constraints of a world that refuses to conform to our ideals? The answer, much like the cinematic narratives that serve as the backdrop to their story, remains ambiguous and open-ended, leaving the audience to ponder the complexities of the human experience. Ultimately, it is this tension that serves as the emotional core of the narrative, a reminder that, despite our best efforts, we are forever bound by the chains of reality. Yet, it is also this very same tension that provides us with hope, a glimmer of possibility that perhaps, through the power of our collective imagination, we can shape the reality of our own lives, even if it means retreating to a world of our own creation, a world where What We Wanted to Be becomes the only truth that truly matters.