Monday, July 2nd, 2007...9:14 pm

Home Movies of Princess Diana

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I watched the very touching tribute concert for the late Princess Diana yesterday, along with 63,000 people in attendance and an estimated 1 billion people watching via TV and the Internet. Two things stood out to me – did you notice them too?

First, when the TV cameras panned the audience, a good number of the people in attendance were recording the event on their camera phones and digital cameras. It never ceases to amaze me. With digital technology,  just about everything in life is now being recorded and shared.

And second, as a powerful and highly emotional way to end the concert, William and Harry showed old home movie footage of Diana as a child on the giant screens onstage. Watch video of their closing comments and their family’s priceless collection of home movies of their mother’s childhood.

The movies were kind of poignant, I thought, since it was from a time when she was being filmed innocently by people she loved, vs. recorded by the paparazzi, who had a role in her death. And it was clear that this was a time when the lens being pointed at her didn’t bother her, but gave her a chance to exhibit her fun side.

Could there be any better illustration of how the times have changed in the 10 years she has been gone than the electronics used not only to record the occasion but to present it as well? I don’t know what format the family films were shot in originally, but they had been transferred to excellent digital quality and included footage from her first birthday party, some rather impressive pool dives, and an especially funny moment when she was just clowning around on the lawn.

Despite the solid performances from all the singers and celebrities during the concert, I think the home movies were the best touch for bringing back her memory, and the few moments during the event where you really felt something, a human connection to Diana.

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