Lots of Cake! is a series by Laura Curran about family structure and how celebrations can be used as a mode of escapism. I like this series because it is a narrative about a somewhat normal event, but it brings out the oddities that inevitably occur in a family. While it's about one collective experience, it is also about each individual's contribution and how that shapes the entire experience. Laura's work amplifies the way it feels to be there, at a party, with those people that you've known your entire life while focusing on the host--her mother.
In her statement she mentions Tzvetan Todorov's narrative theory in which he suggests that the inevitable cycle of the mundane is interrupted by snippets of beauty, lifting your gaze from the endeavor to the finale and the inherent splendor within. She states that these family parties are a reoccurring cycle, where the decorations and props are put away only to await the next event. Some people, like her mother, turn holidays into extravagant events in which she plays a role in creating memorable moments. This series started out as documentation but turned into a "revelation" about her mother's character and imagination.