Komagome with 1980s Olympux XA with Kodak 400TX B+W 35mm film

[you can click to see larger]

Ozu, the mundane and simple

for those feeling down these days, you may like to rest your mind on these mundane mise-en-scenes from Yasujiro Ozu's films. (you can click on them to see them larger.)

his last one is from Tokyo Story. Here Setsuko Hara ("Noriko") serves tea to her in-laws who have come for a visit.

Hafu - mixed-race realities in Japan

A socially-important documentary about half-
Japanese humans (mainly in Tokyo). 
trailer: http://youtu.be/6j_wQQZY-OE
official website: http://hafufilm.com/en

smack!

"Chal-SSAK!" = “smack" in Korean. I have seen so many dark-humor chal-ssaks! in recent Korean films.  Here´s one from Kim Ki-duk´s Pieta (2012)--a tough movie to watch.

Secular Teaching Missions, 1st Republic Spain

commecial short review Linda Linda Linda

"Feminism is anti-sexism. [. . . ] We have created no schools founded on feminist [anti-sexist] principles for girls and boys, for women and men. By failing to create a mass-based educational movement to teach everyone about feminism [anti-sexism] we allow mainstream patriarchal mass media to remain the primary place where folks learn about feminism, and most of what they learn is negative." -- bell hooks, Feminism is for Everybody

Director Nobuhiro Yamashita, Japan 2005.

Linda Linda Linda relates the endearing and humorous story of a group of four high school girls who put their hearts into performing as a rock band at their high school’s festival.

With talented actresses and a simple storyline, director Nobuhiro Yamashita creates an innocent, tender, and feminist [anti-sexist] reality in which social prejudices, high school cliques, and vanity are nonexistent. It could be considered a “girl power” film or subtly a “gender-bender” one, in the sense that, it is what life, or at least high school, would look like if "girls could be girls."

Driven by friendship and dedication, and undeterred by their imperfect music skills, the four unpretentious girls are determined to perform together as a band. Practicing incessantly and under time pressure, each band member has charm in her own humble way. Bae Doona in particular, the school’s foreign exchange student from Korea and lanky-legged wide-eyed vocalist, overcomes her initial foreign language and singing insecurities to add color to the otherwise quiet and mundane suburban high school. Messy hair, scuffed knees and no make-up--the band surpasses the passive kawaii Japanese school-girl stereotype. Unlike most high school stories in which the girls try to secure a boyfriend, or deal with teenage awkwardness, or win first place or top grades in something, these protagonists put their energy and emotions into simply making a rock band work as a team. A commendable goal, in my opinion.

The film manages to be a "feel good" one without the cheesy Hollywood ending. After you view the it you might have a smile on your face and the songs in your head. And if you're like me, you'll be wishing your high school had been like this one!

soloblokus

things to do in Grinnell, Iowa on a friday night:

por ti, mi globo rojo (post dissertation defense)

libre libre libre como un globo sin cuerda

free free free like a balloon without a string

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Le voyage du ballon rouge (hou, 2007) in the beautiful and warm open-air patio of the CCCB

symbols

the red balloon is optimism. it´s always bopping around around nearby when we look for it.

juliet binoche is the postmodern woman with too much on her plate. she´s also the depressed frenchperson who takes pleasure in gazing out windows while piano notes linger in the background. also, she reads out loud remarkably well.

song is the robot slave. she´s actually not a real person, but a robot. she´s secretly in love with juliet, and will do anything for juliet in hope of receiving 2 seconds of her attention.

the little boy is a poorly directed and an unrealistically dressed actor. (how could a 6 year old be dressed so fashionably if his father is in belgium and his mother is always busy?)

the blind piano tuner is the mortal incarnation of the red balloon. he´s also the hero of the movie. one day he will pop, and the red balloon will send us a replacement to populate the earth.

the parisian neighborhood is the one that always gets represented.

unlearning numbers II

"Researchers estimated that as a result of the war, about 655,000 people in a country of about 27 million have died above the number expected to have died without war, Bernham said. that means 2.5 percent of the Iraqi population has died because of the invasion and ensuing strife, he said.

At a White House news conference Bush said, "I don't consider it a credible report. Neither does General (George) Casey (top U.S. commander in Iraq) and neither do Iraqi officials."

Casey, at a separate Pentagon briefing, said he had not seen the study but the 650,000 number "seems way, way beyond any number that I have seen. I've not seen a number higher than 50,000. And so I don't give it that much credibility at all."

Bush said, "I do know that a lot of innocent people have died, and that troubles me. And it grieves me." But he called the study's methodology "pretty well discredited." Last December, Bush estimated 30,000 Iraqis had died in the war.

Iraqi government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh told Reuters, "The report is unbelievable. These numbers are exaggerated and not precise." Iraqi government officials put the total Iraqi death toll since the war started at 40,000."

--"Study sees 655,000 Iraqi war deaths; Bush disputes" (Reuters, 11 October 2006)

A slow conversation between Ferdinand and Marianne in a car. Ferdinand, with a cigarette hanging from his mouth, is calmly driving. It is night. We know they're in the city because of the colored lights that repetively flash over the windshield. A line from the radio breaks the silence:

Radio: Garrison massacred by the Viet Cong who lost 115 men.

Marianne: Awful, isn't it? So anonymous...

Fernindand: What is?

Marianne: They say "115 guerrillas" and it doesn't mean a thing to us.

[Pause]

Marianne: Yet each one is a man, and we don't even know who he is. We don't know if he loves his wife, if he has kids, if he prefers movies or plays. We don't know anything. All they say is "115 killed." It's like photographs. They've always fascinated me. You see a snapshot of a guy with a caption underneath. He was a coward maybe, or a nice guy. But at the time when it was taken no one can say exactly when he was thinking about. His wife? His mistress? The past? The future? A basketball game? Nobody will ever know.

Ferdinand: That's life for you.

Marianne: Yes...that's what makes me sad: life is so different from books. I wish it were the same: clear logical organized... Only it isn't.

Ferdinand: Yes it is... a lot more than people think.

Marianne: No, it isn't, Pierrot.

[Pause.]

Ferdinand: My name's Ferdinand.

-- Pierrot le fou, 1965, director Jean-Luc Godard.

un cortitometraje de veraneo

some of my happiest solo moments were the fortunate weekends when after the midday meal i would take a bike out and go riding through the little towns around fontclara...

the air was so fresh!

i recently discovered a very-easy movie making program on my computer called ¨windows movie maker¨ and in about 30 minutes i put together this 1-minute piece of clips i shot with a digital camera in 2005.

if you could have been there!

PS- a friend recommended i change the title from "fontclara en bici" to "siesta" or "nap time." those titles would suggest contrast and explain the absence of people, but "fontclara en bici" is more simple and carefree, what i felt when i was riding... what do you think?
i suppose it´s irrelevant in the greater scheme of things...