Plot: Seyyed Hassan, a young seminary student, is preparing to don the clerical attire. While the other students are also busy with similar preparations, Seyyed Hassan's supplies are stolen by a small boy. To identify the culprit, Seyyed Hassan sets out for the suburban area where he meets people who have never met a cleric and know nothing about the clerical profession. Under such unfamiliar circumstances, Seyyed Hassan acquires a new understanding of society and human beings.
Monday 29 March 2010
1st of April: Under the Moonlight [Iran, 2001]
“Under the Moonlight” is an Iranian film directed and written by Reza Mir-Karimi.
Plot: Seyyed Hassan, a young seminary student, is preparing to don the clerical attire. While the other students are also busy with similar preparations, Seyyed Hassan's supplies are stolen by a small boy. To identify the culprit, Seyyed Hassan sets out for the suburban area where he meets people who have never met a cleric and know nothing about the clerical profession. Under such unfamiliar circumstances, Seyyed Hassan acquires a new understanding of society and human beings.
http://www.imdb.com/media/rm2188942592/tt0278159
Plot: Seyyed Hassan, a young seminary student, is preparing to don the clerical attire. While the other students are also busy with similar preparations, Seyyed Hassan's supplies are stolen by a small boy. To identify the culprit, Seyyed Hassan sets out for the suburban area where he meets people who have never met a cleric and know nothing about the clerical profession. Under such unfamiliar circumstances, Seyyed Hassan acquires a new understanding of society and human beings.
25th of March "Memories of Underdevelopment"
Memorias del subdesarrollo (1968) [Memories of Underdevelopment]
Plot: Sergio, a wealthy bourgeois aspiring writer, decides to stay in Cuba even though his wife and friends flee to Miami. Sergio looks back over the changes in Cuba from the Castro revolution to the Cuban missile crisis, the effect of living in an underdeveloped country, and his relations with his girlfriends Elena and Hanna.
Plot: Sergio, a wealthy bourgeois aspiring writer, decides to stay in Cuba even though his wife and friends flee to Miami. Sergio looks back over the changes in Cuba from the Castro revolution to the Cuban missile crisis, the effect of living in an underdeveloped country, and his relations with his girlfriends Elena and Hanna.
Tuesday 23 March 2010
March 18. Forklitf Driver Klaus, Attack on the Bakery and Lift
Last Thursday, March 18, we had a session dedicated to preparing the program for the next season, watching some short films and having some food.
Thanks to all the people that brought food and thanks to all the people that stayed after the films and enjoyed it with us.
The program of films for the next few weeks is nearly ready. Beatriz will shortly be emailing it to everybody in the newsgroup. We are very impressed with the interest of our regulars in the suggestion of films and their willingness in hosting future sessions for them. It's all good!!
The short films watched last Thursday were:
Forklift Driver Klaus by Jorg Wagner and Stefan Prehn. Germany 2000.
A mix between a gore/horror movie and a health & safety training video (in German!) that delivered both laughter and perplexity between our audience, who, no wonder, is not quite used to this kind of cinematic genre.
Attack on a Bakery by Naoto Yamakawa. Japan 1982
Two hungry and pennyless flatmates intoxicated by existentialist and post-modernist thoughts decide to take their angst and craving on the local bakery, only to find that they can eat all the pies if they are prepared to listen to a whole opera of Wagner. A pretty bizarre, quixotesque, satirical piece of japanese 80s cinema, or whatever that means (?!).
By the way do not try this at Greggs unless you can cope with musicals.
Lift by Mark Isaacs. UK 2001
A wannabe film maker gets himself in the lift of a highflat somewhere in the 78th ring of London and records the ups and downs of its neighbors. Not surprisingly he encounters a myriad of interesting characters who are more than willing to tell him all sorts of staff, from the most mundane to the most private and from the most lucid to the most...
All in all a good depiction of the recipient's of life in the cosmopolitan and glamorous suburbs of the Republic of London. It must be said that the film is clearly embedded with reminiscences of Victorian anthropology, isn't it?
Thanks to all the people that brought food and thanks to all the people that stayed after the films and enjoyed it with us.
The program of films for the next few weeks is nearly ready. Beatriz will shortly be emailing it to everybody in the newsgroup. We are very impressed with the interest of our regulars in the suggestion of films and their willingness in hosting future sessions for them. It's all good!!
The short films watched last Thursday were:
Forklift Driver Klaus by Jorg Wagner and Stefan Prehn. Germany 2000.
A mix between a gore/horror movie and a health & safety training video (in German!) that delivered both laughter and perplexity between our audience, who, no wonder, is not quite used to this kind of cinematic genre.
Attack on a Bakery by Naoto Yamakawa. Japan 1982
Two hungry and pennyless flatmates intoxicated by existentialist and post-modernist thoughts decide to take their angst and craving on the local bakery, only to find that they can eat all the pies if they are prepared to listen to a whole opera of Wagner. A pretty bizarre, quixotesque, satirical piece of japanese 80s cinema, or whatever that means (?!).
By the way do not try this at Greggs unless you can cope with musicals.
Lift by Mark Isaacs. UK 2001
A wannabe film maker gets himself in the lift of a highflat somewhere in the 78th ring of London and records the ups and downs of its neighbors. Not surprisingly he encounters a myriad of interesting characters who are more than willing to tell him all sorts of staff, from the most mundane to the most private and from the most lucid to the most...
All in all a good depiction of the recipient's of life in the cosmopolitan and glamorous suburbs of the Republic of London. It must be said that the film is clearly embedded with reminiscences of Victorian anthropology, isn't it?
Tuesday 16 March 2010
18th of March "Lift"
This week we have an exclusive programme. We are going to watch a short film from Britain. "Lift" for 25 minutes.
Marc Isaacs / UK / 2001 Filmmaker Marc Isaacs sets himself up in a London tower block lift. The residents come to trust him and reveal the things that matter to them ...
Earlier on I mean from 5'30 we will make the new programme for next months, so bring your ideas and suggestions!
6'30: We will be showing the short film and having a chat at the end
8'00: snack! so please bring some food and drinks to share!
Marc Isaacs / UK / 2001 Filmmaker Marc Isaacs sets himself up in a London tower block lift. The residents come to trust him and reveal the things that matter to them ...
Earlier on I mean from 5'30 we will make the new programme for next months, so bring your ideas and suggestions!
6'30: We will be showing the short film and having a chat at the end
8'00: snack! so please bring some food and drinks to share!
Wednesday 10 March 2010
11th of March "Whiskey"
Whiskey is an Argentine-German-Spanish-Uruguayan tragicomedy film directed by Juan Pablo Rebella and Pablo Stoll and released in 2004. The film stars Andrés Pazos, Mirella Pascual, Jorge Bolani, Ana Katz, and Daniel Hendler. It has very sparse dialogue and the three principal actors play very straight roles showing little emotion. It was premiered at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival where it won a Regard Original Award.
Plot: On the first anniversary of his mother's death, Jacobo (Andres Pazos), the owner of a small and struggling sock factory, asks one of his attentive employees, Marta (Mirella Pascual), to spend a few days at his home pretending to be his wife because his brother, Herman (Jorge Bolani), is arriving for a visit.
Jacobo and Marta's lives are very dull and repetitious. It takes some time to realize that Jacobo asks Marta because he has no one else to ask. Why Marta agrees is another matter.
Jacobo is aware that his brother has become more successful since moving away and possibly resents the time that he had to devote to nursing their dying mother, rather than working on his own business.
Herman's visit is initially an uneasy time for the two brothers who clearly have little in common, however, shortly before he is due to return home, Herman asks Jacobo and Marta to accompany him on a visit to a resort where they spent time as children with their parents. Marta is keen to go and Jacobo reluctantly agrees.
During the holiday Marta and Herman become closer and the suggestion develops that they may actually have feelings for each other. Jacobo remains cold and unemotional towards both the other characters and seems keen for the experience to end.
Just before he is due to go home Herman gives Jacobo a sum of money as compensation for the time that he lost by having to care for their mother. Jacobo is initially unwilling to accept it, but takes the money after witnessing Herman sing a love song towards Marta in a Karaoke restaurant that the three visit.
Later that night Jacobo goes alone to a casino, placing all the money on Black 24 in a game of roulette and wins. He keeps some of the money, but wraps the larger part up as a present.
As they say goodbye to Herman, Marta presses a note into his hand telling him to read it on the plane. When they get back home, Jacobo calls a taxi for Marta and gives her the cash present which she is last seen holding in the back of the cab. The following morning she does not turn up for work, although Jacobo goes through the same routine as always.
Jacobo and Marta's lives are very dull and repetitious. It takes some time to realize that Jacobo asks Marta because he has no one else to ask. Why Marta agrees is another matter.
Jacobo is aware that his brother has become more successful since moving away and possibly resents the time that he had to devote to nursing their dying mother, rather than working on his own business.
Herman's visit is initially an uneasy time for the two brothers who clearly have little in common, however, shortly before he is due to return home, Herman asks Jacobo and Marta to accompany him on a visit to a resort where they spent time as children with their parents. Marta is keen to go and Jacobo reluctantly agrees.
During the holiday Marta and Herman become closer and the suggestion develops that they may actually have feelings for each other. Jacobo remains cold and unemotional towards both the other characters and seems keen for the experience to end.
Just before he is due to go home Herman gives Jacobo a sum of money as compensation for the time that he lost by having to care for their mother. Jacobo is initially unwilling to accept it, but takes the money after witnessing Herman sing a love song towards Marta in a Karaoke restaurant that the three visit.
Later that night Jacobo goes alone to a casino, placing all the money on Black 24 in a game of roulette and wins. He keeps some of the money, but wraps the larger part up as a present.
As they say goodbye to Herman, Marta presses a note into his hand telling him to read it on the plane. When they get back home, Jacobo calls a taxi for Marta and gives her the cash present which she is last seen holding in the back of the cab. The following morning she does not turn up for work, although Jacobo goes through the same routine as always.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
