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.
Friday, 26 February 2010
4th of March "Tony Takitani" from Japan
Tony Takitani (2004) Japanese movie directed by Jun Ichikawa.
Summery: Due to his Western name, Tony was shunned by other kids and spent a solitary childhood. Though gifted as an artist, his drawings lacked feeling, so as an adult, he carved a career as a technical illustrator. Then in middle age, Tony suddenly falls for a pretty young woman, Eiko Konuma, who visits him one day on business. Eiko is like an angel in Tony's daily existence, and for the first time in his life, he feels connected to the outside world. However, Eiko does have one fault: she's a clothing shopaholic. Confusion also begins to develop when it appears that Eiko has a double. Written by Sujit R. Varma
Thursday, 18 February 2010
25th of Febuary "Man of Aran"
Man of Aran by Robert J. Felaherty (1934) Black and White
For the last 200 years the Aran Islands have exercised a powerfully romantic fascination on the outside world which is without equal anywhere else in the country. They were believed to contain the essence of the ancient Irish life, represented by a pure uncorrupted peasant existence centred around the struggle between man and his hostile but magnificent surroundings. This myth, strengthened by the writings of Yeats and especially Synge was hugely expanded by the release in 1934 of Man of Aran, a documentary on the life of the Island people. This film won international acclaim and explained in no small way why so many different nationalities walk the surface of Aran in their thousands between May and October each year.
The film was made by renowned American director Robert Flaherty who was already established at the time as having virtually founded the documentary film form. In 1923 he screened his Nanook of the North which was a portrait of the lives of the Eskimo peoples of the Belcher Islands off Canada. This film celebrated the primeval duel between man and Nature which was the central motif in all his later work. Find more ...
For the last 200 years the Aran Islands have exercised a powerfully romantic fascination on the outside world which is without equal anywhere else in the country. They were believed to contain the essence of the ancient Irish life, represented by a pure uncorrupted peasant existence centred around the struggle between man and his hostile but magnificent surroundings. This myth, strengthened by the writings of Yeats and especially Synge was hugely expanded by the release in 1934 of Man of Aran, a documentary on the life of the Island people. This film won international acclaim and explained in no small way why so many different nationalities walk the surface of Aran in their thousands between May and October each year.
Monday, 15 February 2010
18th of Febuary 2010 "When Father was Away on Business"
When Father was Away on Business (1985) Tito's break-up with Stalin in 1948 marked the beginning of not only confusing, but also very dangerous years for many hard-core Yugoslav communists. A careless remark about the newspaper cartoon is enough for Mesha to join many arrested unfortunates. His family is now forced to cope with the situation and wait for his release from prison. The story is told from the perspective of Malik, his young son who believes the mother's story about father being "away on business". Written by Dragan Antulov
11th of Febuary 2010 "Central Station" from Brazil
Central Station (1998)
Dora, a dour old woman, works at a Rio de Janeiro central station, writing letters for customers and mailing them. She hates customers and calls them 'trash'. Josue is a 9-year-old boy who never met his father. His mother is sending letters to his father through Dora. When she dies in a car accident, Dora takes Josue and takes a trip with him to find his father.
Dora, a dour old woman, works at a Rio de Janeiro central station, writing letters for customers and mailing them. She hates customers and calls them 'trash'. Josue is a 9-year-old boy who never met his father. His mother is sending letters to his father through Dora. When she dies in a car accident, Dora takes Josue and takes a trip with him to find his father.
We had a very interesting discussion after the film, especially by attendance of a Brazilian guy who was familiar with the socio-cultural background of the story. The main topics of debates were as followed:
Caring for others
Being positive and see the half full of the glass rather than to be negative and cynical
The relationship of being poor and religion
Comparing Brazil Central Station to Mumbei Rail Road
Thursday, 4 February 2010
04 Febuary 2010 "Jean de Florette"
"Jean de Florette" is a 1986 French historical drama film directed by Claude Berri, based on a novel by Marcel Pagnol. It is part of a duology, and is followed by Manon des Sources. The film takes place in rural Provence, where two local farmers scheme to trick a newcomer out of his newly inherited property. The movie starred three of France's most prominent actors – Gérard Depardieu, Daniel Auteuil, who won a BAFTA award for his performance, and Yves Montand in one of the last roles before his death.
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