chico

Strella - GREECE/2009/111 min.

2011-10-11T14:06:00.001+03:00

This is the story of Giorgos, an ex-convict who has spent more than fifteen years in prison, sentenced for a crime of honor, and Strella, a transsexual call girl. The opening scene, as Giorgos kisses good-bye his cellmate, is when the viewer is prepared for macho-looking Giorgos' sexual orientations or –if you want- his upcoming "tolerance" to the fact that Strella is not a common girl. Giorgos wouldn't possibly react the way Fergus reacted in Neil Jordan's "Crying Game". As Giorgos is set free to "live his myth" in the dirty city, walking among the human and the urban garbage, one can smell the urine in the narrow mean streets, downtown Athens. Soon, as Giorgos attempts to find more about the whereabouts of his long lost son, one suspects that the film is intended to be a modern version of a Greek tragedy, except it will not be, because Strella knows better! Fortunately, "deus ex machina" will not be required. Humans ought to deal with their issues by themselves, this time. The supporting characters are never becoming grotesque despite the fact that they are queer and that Death is flirting with them throughout the film. Even Strella's impersonation of Maria Callas in its falseness has a bizarre dignity and proves to be a successful tightrope walking mainly –in my opinion- because it has nothing in common and at any time with any of the Almodόvar's transvestite characters. All in all, "Strella" is a worth seeing film and one of those every so often moments the Greek cinematography surprises pleasantly.

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The Secret in their Eyes - ARGENTINA/2009/129 min.

2011-10-11T14:03:00.003+03:00

"The Secret in Their Eyes" opens with the meeting, after many years, of Benjamin (Ricardo Darin) and Irene (Soledad Villamil). She is a judge. He is a retired criminal investigator. They are just a little too happy to see each other. Twenty-five years ago, when she was assistant to a judge and he was an investigator under her, they were involved in a brutal case of rape and murder. Benjamin visited the crime scene, and the dead woman's corpse spoke eloquently of the crime's brutality. Two workmen were arrested and convicted. Benjamin was never convinced of their guilt. Now he tells Irene that on his own time he wants to write about the case.

This commences an absorbing back and forth journey through time, between Buenos Aires in 1974 and 2000, which reopens both the crime and the unacknowledged feeling that has remained all these years between Irene and Benjamin. That's where their personal appeal comes into play. The actress Soledad Villamil is, forgive me, my idea of a woman. Grown-up, tallish, healthy, brunette, sane and perhaps she was cast for her eyes, because the film contains a lot of closeups, and they're required to conceal secrets. Think of Anne Archer. Playing Irene at ages 25 years apart, she is never too young or too old, but standing right there.

Ricardo Darin makes her worthy partner as Benjamin. His rank was too low, his pay too small, her presence too assured for him to trust the signals he must have known she was sending. He's one of those men on whom a beard seems inevitable. There is a sadness about him. He has never stopped thinking about the murder case, and we understand -- although the movie is indirect about this -- that the investigation was mishandled at the time because of Argentina's diseased right-wing politics.

Without being too obvious about it, the film reassembles the strands of two stories, the murder case and the unfinished emotions between Benjamin and Irene. It is filled with vivid characters. Sandoval (Guillermo Francella) is Benjamin's alcoholic assistant in the investigation, one of those drunks who may be incompetent but is not useless. He and Benjamin, and all the legal-side workers, engage in the droll formality of addressing one another by fanciful titles. Morales (Pablo Rago) is the husband of the dead woman, still obsessed with her death. Gomez (Javier Godino) has always been Benjamin's real suspect, and there is a scene involving him in a soccer stadium that I have no idea how it could have been filmed, special effects or not.

Juan Jose Campanella is the writer-director, and here is a man who creates a complete, engrossing, lovingly crafted film. He is filled with his stories. "The Secret in Their Eyes" is a rebuke to formula screenplays. We grow to know the characters, and the story pays due respect to their complexities and needs. There is always the sense that they exist in the now and not at some point along a predetermined continuum. Sometimes I watch a film unspool like a tape measure, and I can sense how far we are from the end. Sometimes my imagination is led to live right along with it.

"The Secret in Their Eyes" surprised many by winning the 2010 Academy Award for best foreign-language film. Michael Haneke's "The White Ribbon," another considerable film, was thought to be the front-runner. The academy did a good thing when it reformed the foreign-language film voting, requiring all voters to see all five finalists. In 2009, with the Japanese winner "Departures," and again in 2010, the voters had an advantage over the rest of us. Who is to say if they were right? They voted as they felt, and in today's unhappy distribution scene, the Oscar means your chances of seeing this film are much increased. You won't regret it. This is a real movie, the kind they literally don't make very much anymore.

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Moolade - SENEGAL/2004/124 min.

2011-10-11T13:59:00.003+03:00

One of legendary Senagalese director Ousmane Sembene's defining films. A fascinating study of the clash between pragmatic modern thinking and staunch religious traditionalism in Senegal. The film focuses on the controversial procedure of 'purification', in which young girls are forced to undergo genital mutilation to supposedly make them better, more faithful, wives in the future. When six young girls flee the process, four of them seek refuge with a well-known woman, Collé (Fatoumata Coulibaly), who is viewed with suspicion in the community for her stubborn refusal to adhere to all the societal 'norms'. Collé offers the girls protection (moolaadé), a spell which can only be broken if she herself utters the words which will end the moolaadé. Collé herself had refused to let her daughter be 'purified' and her actions prove to be inflammatory, causing the elders to become increasingly nervy about her failure to conform. As their control mechanism is slowly eroded they lash out and the community takes on alarming animalistic tendencies. Although the film ends in a rather idealistic fashion, Sembene's work is both moving and engaging. His stance on the core debate is clear but the views of the various community members are not so. In this way he is able to explore ideas of male hegemony while simultaneously studying the difficulties faced by the patriarch in striving towards accepted constructions of masculinity. Sembene understands the quirks of this society and his representations of these offer both light relief and food for thought. Ultimately the film swings back to the debate at its core - the battle between old and new. The modern approach is symbolised by the women's radios (and the knowledge acquired from them) and by the chief's French-educated son, who becomes the first to turn his back on the male elders. Religious traditionalism manifests itself through a ruthless and outdated male hegemony and it is clear that Sembene sees feminism as a crucial means by which modernisation can be achieved. His film provides an insight into an under-represented part of the world. It is a beautifully told story which offers a multi-layered yet concise analysis of ongoing issues which are relevant to us all.

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Alamar - MEXICO/2009/73 min.

2011-10-11T13:54:00.003+03:00

Nature smiles upon Alamar, just as it did on the simple, unfussy charms of The Black Stallion some 30 years ago. This quiet, swift movie—destined to be appreciated by thoughtful kids (and G-rated, appropriately)—starts with a rift in the man-made world, a divorce. In plain images, we briefly see the rise and fall of an idyllic marriage, from beach-blanket caresses to isolated stares. A small hand is held, that of five-year-old Natan (Machado Palombini), who, before moving to Rome with his Italian mother, will travel with his sinewy Mexican dad (Machado) to coastal Banco Chinchorro in the Caribbean, where he’ll have a crash course in the life of a fisherman.

Are we watching a documentary? Settling into a small hut on stilts surrounded by turquoise water, Alamar casts an uncommonly realistic spell, father bonding with son as they pull wriggling snappers from the depths alongside a grinning grandpa. All of these actors share the names of their characters; this was once an actual family, and director Pedro González-Rubio (shooting his own footage) respects their space. Warm breezes blow away any psychobabble—we never hear talk about “being strong” or the vagaries of love. The boy grows up fast.

Don’t lean too hard on the movie’s subtext; it can’t bear the freight. Generally speaking, Alamar is about the possibilities of parenting, and to attach a tragic component to it would be too leading. Rather, relish in the adventure. A white bird steps gingerly into the living room; they befriend it, and it eventually flies on. A message is placed in a bottle, its destination unknown. Against all odds, the film has drama enough.

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Jack Goes Boating - USA/2010/91 min.

2011-10-11T13:52:00.002+03:00

Philip Seymour Hoffman has never been an actor to shy away from using his physicality in the service of a role. Pasty and mesomorphic, he often embodies social awkwardness, hesitancy and almost pathological low self-esteem. To make such a character palatable, to unearth its empathic, human core, is his true talent, one rarely displayed as vividly as in "Jack Goes Boating."

"Jack," which Hoffman also directed, from Robert Glaudini's play, is a familiar indie-film genre: the fumbling attempts at romance by the kind of ordinary, imperfect folks you don't normally see in movies. From 1955's "Marty" to Joe Swanberg's mumblecore melodramas, it's not a unique narrative, but it is a perfect skeleton on which to hang perceptive screenwriting, smartly observed characters and quietly powerful performances, with which this film abounds.

In addition to Hoffman, who excels in the title role of a solitary limo driver, there's John Ortiz as Clyde, his co-worker and best friend, who sets Jack up on a blind date with Connie (Amy Ryan), a colleague of his wife, Lucy (Daphne Rubin-Vega). Connie inspires Jack to better himself, while their tentative relationship exposes cracks in Clyde and Lucy's marriage. It's the kind of story that can look pedestrian on paper, but when brought to life this skillfully, proves to be genuinely inspiring.

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Dancing Dreams - GERMANY/PERFORMANCE/2010/92 min.

2011-09-16T18:57:00.001+03:00

A ballet film that captures the hearts of the dancers themselves, Dancing Dreams celebrates the work of world-famous, visionary choreographer Pina Bausch. Bausch selected 40 teenagers to be part of her dance piece Contact Zone. Dancing Dreams follows them through ten months of challenging rehearsals, from their first attempts at expressing themselves in movement through to the long-awaited Opening Night. Pina Bausch died shortly after the film was completed, making it a testament to the genius of one of ballet's greats.

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Millennium Mambo - TAIWAN/2001/119 min.

2011-09-16T18:47:00.002+03:00

Hsiao Hsien's independent mambo derives a swaying emotion and a texture of images brimmed with poetry no matter how many neon lights appear.There should have been a more "undercover" mystery in all this,it's an obvious fact this girl's loneliness pushes her endorsed senses. The 2000's is a new era for Taiwanese cinema and Hsien.

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Memories of Underdevelopment - CUBA/1968/97 min.

2011-09-16T18:41:00.003+03:00

Inspired by French nouvelle vague and Italian neorealism, Gutierrez Alea tells a picaresque and penetrating character study of a Cuban bourgeois trying to find his identity among the people living in the recently established socialist regime of Fidel Castro. A look on the underdeveloped Latin America that is deep down inside quite bitter, corrosive and deprived of hope.

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South of the Border - USA/DOCUMENTARY/2009/78 min.

2011-09-16T18:37:00.002+03:00

In January 2009, Oliver Stone travelled to Venezuela to interview President Hugo Chavez, and examine the way Chavez has been portrayed in the U.S. media. Was Chavez really the “anti-American” force the media claimed he was? Once the journey began, however, Stone and his crew found themselves going beyond Venezuela to several other countries, and interviewing seven Presidents in the region, telling a larger and even more compelling story. In casual conversation, Stone sits down with Presidents Chavez, Evo Morales (Bolivia), Lula da Silva (Brazil), Cristina Kirchner (Argentina), as well as her husband and ex-President Nestor Kirchner, Fernando Lugo (Paraguay), Rafael Correa (Ecuador), and Raul Castro (Cuba).

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Enter The Void - FRANCE/2009/161 min.

2011-08-23T14:06:00.002+03:00

Nathaniel Brown and Paz de la Huerta star in the visceral journey set against the thumping, neon club scene of Tokyo, which hurls the viewer into an astonishing trip through life, death, and the universally wonderful and horrible moments between.

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The Sun - RUSSIA-JAPAN/2005/110 min.

2011-08-23T14:01:00.003+03:00

Another part of Sokurov's "totalitarian" sequence, this is devoted to Japanese WW II-time Emperor Hirohito and his farewell to the old good times of imperial Japan and painful entry into new after-war realities of defeated Japan rising to "democracy" and subject to America's "civilizing".

Compared to the dictators previously depicted by Sokurov (Hitler and Lenin), Hirohito appears the least dictatorial: he sometimes is felt like a "hostage" of the desire to defend the country's own pass of development against the "corroding" influx of Western "plebeian" culture, the desire which led Japan into the fascist "axis" and determined its defeat when the old traditions of relying on the soldiers' spirit and honour and not technical power, and despising non-Japanese as barbarians did not justify themselves.

The film is a hard viewing even for art-house fans because of obscure (probably psychologically justified) coloring and virtually no exterior action. All the action is psychological depicting the way the Emperor comes to reality and to realizing (and publicly declaring) that he is a man, not God, and taking the disgrace of defeat on himself to save his country.

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The Brute - MEXICO/1953/81 min.

2011-08-23T13:57:00.003+03:00

Perhaps hardcore Bunuel fans won't like El Bruto that much. It doesn't contain much of his surrealism. It is a lot like many of his other Mexican films: dark, melodramatic, brutal, and tragic. El Bruto is mostly a social melodrama, with a wealthy man trying to evict a group of poor residents from some slums that he owns. To intimidate these rebellious residents, he hires a giant thug, nicknamed El Bruto. El Bruto is big and dumb and he follows orders well. But he's not a bad guy. He can be tough and mean, but, deep down, he's a gentle giant. The script is excellent, with some good (if a bit predictable) twists. I think that those who haven't "gotten" Bunuel yet might want to see this one. It's probably his most easily understood film. It may not be exclusively Bunuelian, but El Bruto ranks with Luis' best films.

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Taxi to the Dark Side - USA/DOCUMENTARY/2007/106 min.

2011-08-23T13:55:00.002+03:00

Taxi to the Darkside, the latest prize-winning documentary from Oscar-nominee Alex Gibney, confirms his standing as one of the foremost non-fiction filmmakers working today. A stunning inquiry into the suspicious death of an Afghani taxi driver at Bagram air base in 2002, the film is a fastidiously assembled, uncommonly well-researched examination of how an innocent civilian was apprehended, imprisoned, tortured, and ultimately murdered by the greatest democracy on earth. Intermingling documents and records of the incident with candid testimony from eyewitnesses and participants, the film uncovers an inescapable link between the tragic incidents that unfolded in Bagram and the policies made at the very highest level of the United States government in Washington, D.C. Combining the cool detachment of a forensic expert with the heated indignation of a proud American who holds his country to a high standard, Gibney’s film reveals how the Bush administration has systematically betrayed the very ideals it professes to uphold.

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The Way Back - USA/2010/133 min.

2011-08-23T13:53:00.001+03:00

When they escape a Siberian labor camp in 1940 seven courageous multi-national prisoners discover the true meaning of friendship as their epic journey takes them across thousands of miles of hostile terrain en-route to India and their freedom.

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Coco Chanel & Igor Stravinsky - FRANCE/2009/119 min.

2011-08-23T13:52:00.002+03:00

Coco Chanel & Igor Stravinsky is set in 1920's Paris where Coco Chanel has established herself in the world of fashion and Igor Stravinsky, displaced by the Russian Revolution, is living destitute in Paris with his family and suffering from a disastrous reaction to an early production of his ballet. The pair is introduced and the attraction is immediate - the two embark on a passionate affair, which results in a period of great artistic achievement for both artists.

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Inside Job - USA/Documentary/2010/120 min.

2011-08-23T13:45:00.003+03:00

Inside Job is the first film to expose the shocking truth behind the economic crisis of 2008. The global financial meltdown, at a cost of over $20 trillion, resulted in millions of people losing their homes and jobs. Through extensive research and interviews with major financial insiders, politicians and journalists, Inside Job traces the rise of a rogue industry and unveils the corrosive relationships which have corrupted politics, regulation and academia.

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Exit Through the Gift Shop - USA/Documentary/2010/87 min.

2011-03-28T14:58:00.002+03:00

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The Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day - USA/2009/118 min.

2011-03-28T14:57:00.002+03:00

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Jean-Michel Basquiat: The Radiant Child - Documentary/2010/88 min.

2011-03-28T14:55:00.002+03:00

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Map of the Sounds of Tokyo - Spain-Japan/2009/109 min.

2011-03-28T14:54:00.001+03:00

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12 Angry Lebanese: The Documentary - Lebanon/Documentary/2010/78 min.

2011-03-28T14:52:00.001+03:00

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Howl - USA/Biography/2010/84 min.

2011-03-28T14:51:00.002+03:00

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The Maid - Chile/2009/95 min.

2011-03-28T14:43:00.003+03:00

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Samson and Delilah - Australia/2009/101 min.

2011-03-28T14:42:00.003+03:00

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Discovery Atlas - Documentary/2006/4 dvds

2011-03-28T14:41:00.002+03:00

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Les amours imaginaires - France/2010/95 min.

2011-03-28T14:40:00.003+03:00

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Hamlet

2011-02-25T18:55:00.002+02:00

We have 8 versions.
Hamlet (1948)
Hamlet (1964)
Hamlet, Prince of Denmark (1980)
Hamlet Goes Business (1987)
Hamlet (1990)
Hamlet (1996)
Hamlet (2000)
The Tragedy of Hamlet (2002)

The things we experience

2011-02-12T23:33:00.001+02:00

Actually happened yesterday @ Chico...

Two guys walk into the shop and (in all seriousness) ask: "Wein fee ma7all dvd hon?"

The Bridge - Documentary/USA/2006/94 min.

2011-02-09T01:22:00.004+02:00

The stories of people who committed, or attempted, suicide from the Golden Gate bridge in San Francisco.
Touching stories, wonderful photography and actual incidences caught on film intertwine and leave their marks.

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You, The Living - Sweden/2007/95 min.

2011-02-09T01:20:00.002+02:00

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Silent Light - Mexico/2007/145 min.

2011-02-09T01:08:00.001+02:00

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Women in Love - United Kingdom/1969/131 min.

2011-02-09T01:04:00.001+02:00

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The Germanic Tribes - Documentary/2008/209 min.

2011-02-09T01:02:00.003+02:00

Produced for German TV, this documentary explores just how influential and far-reaching these "Barbarians" tribes actually were. Making use of both history and archeology, this four-part series sheds some interesting new lights.

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L'armée Du Crime - France/2009/139 min.

2011-02-09T00:57:00.002+02:00

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Antichrist - Denmark/2009/108 min.

2011-02-09T00:53:00.002+02:00

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Olympia (Leni Riefenstahl) - Documentary/Germany/1938/2 discs/217 min.

2011-02-09T00:46:00.004+02:00

more here
and here

I Am Love - Italy/2009/120 min.

2011-02-09T00:38:00.001+02:00

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Apologies

2010-11-18T13:23:00.002+02:00

Sorry for this prolonged absence, due to moving house.
This doesn't mean we haven't been busy doing our job: see below

peace

d

M.C. Escher: Metamorphose - Documentary/Netherlands/1998/60 min.

2010-11-18T13:18:00.003+02:00

A wonderful documentary on the life and works of Dutch graphic artist Maurits Cornelis Escher (17 June 1898 – 27 March 1972). Great stuff for fans (such as myself) and a good initiation for those unfamiliar with this man's art.

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and here

Lemonade - Documentary/USA/2009/36 min.

2010-11-18T13:16:00.002+02:00

One day you're a big cheese in a big cheese creative department. The next day you're not.
What do you do?
Here's some stories...

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The Baader-Meinhoff Complex - Germany/2008/150 min.

2010-11-18T13:12:00.001+02:00

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The Ascent of Money - Documentary/USA/2009/240 min.

2010-11-18T13:09:00.002+02:00

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Helmut Newton: Frames from the Edge - Documentary/USA/2009/100 min.

2010-11-18T13:07:00.001+02:00

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Annie Leibovitz: Life through a Lens - Documentary/USA/2008/83 min.

2010-11-18T13:04:00.003+02:00

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The Happiness of the Katakuris - Japan/2001/113 min.

2010-11-18T13:00:00.003+02:00

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Pope Joan - Germany/Historical/2009/149 min.

2010-11-18T12:58:00.001+02:00

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Dark Side of the Moon - Documentary/France/2002/52 min.

2010-11-18T12:56:00.001+02:00

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Palestine Blues - Documentary/Palestine/2006/80 min.

2010-11-18T12:52:00.002+02:00

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Art & Copy - Documentary/USA/2009/89 min.

2010-09-09T17:02:00.002+03:00

Really cool documentary on the astonishing development of advertising, from the 'revolution' of the creative process in the 60s to the present day.

Including interviews with the movers and shakers of said revolution, as well as a behind the scenes look at the development of slogans like 'just do it' and 'I heart NY', Art & Copy is essential viewing for everyone - seeing that we're supposedly bombarded with an average of 5,000 ads per day.
Yes.
5,000.
Five Thousand.

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Four Minutes - Germany/2009/112 min.

2010-09-09T14:54:00.003+03:00

The story of an old piano teacher, Frau Krueger, who discovers the astonishing talent of teenage Jenny, in prison for murder. Deciding to take her under her wing, their lives and pasts unravel as they prepare for a competition, where Jenny will have four minutes to... well, watch it.

A film about broken lives and redemption in music. Nothing new on the face of it. But Four Minutes unfolds beautifully, aided by superb acting, and culminates in a finale that left me breathless. And teary eyed.

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New Releases

2010-09-08T17:40:00.003+03:00

Shutter Island - Martin Scorsese/USA/2010/138 min.

Cinema 16: World Short Films - 2 discs/303 min.

Once Upon a Time, Cinema - Mohsen Makhmalbaf/Iran/1992/90 min.

Art & Copy - Documentary/USA/2009/89 min.

Book of Eli - Hughes Brothers/USA/2010/118 min.

Clash of the Titans - Louis Leterrier/USA/2010/106 min.

Green Zone - Paul Greengrass/USA/2010/115 min.

Man on Wire - Documentary/UK/2008/94 min.

2010-09-08T17:22:00.003+03:00

Based on the book by Philippe Petit, daredevil tightrope walker. Well, tightrope walkers are daredevils by default, but Petit takes the biscuit!

The film briefly documents Petit's various exploits, including footage of his stunt at Notre Dame in Paris. Then it moves on to reconstruct the ultimate feat: Tightrope walking between the roofs of the World Trade Center. This was illegal of course, so the telling of the stunt takes the form of a thriller. Using actual footage, photography and re-enactment, in addition to interviews with the protagonists, this little jewel is entertaining, touching and beautiful to watch.

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Helvetica - Documentary/UK/2007/80 min.

2010-08-27T18:01:00.003+03:00

Ok, an 80 minute documentary about... a font?
Aah, but what a trippy 80 minutes, even for the layman.
Chronicling the 'invention' of Helvetica, director Gary Hustwit goes on to interview experts in the field, spanning continents and generations. At times funny, and always highly entertaining, you will never look at text in the same way again...

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New Releases

2010-08-26T12:50:00.003+03:00

Lisbon Story - Wim Wenders/Germany-Portugal/1994/100 min.

Una Giornata Particolare - Ettore Scola/Italy/1977/110 min.

Helvetica - Gary Hustwit/UK/2007/80 min.

Salt of This Sea - Annemarie Jacir/Palestine/2008/109 min.

A Serious Man - Coen Brothers/USA/2009/106 min.

Maradona by Kusturica - Emir Kusturica/Spain/2008/90 min.

Three Monkeys - Turkey/2008/109 min.

2010-08-26T12:35:00.002+03:00

A politician up for re-election accidentally kills a person in an auto accident and convinces his chauffeur to take the rap for him - in exchange for a large wad of cash. While in prison, said politician has an affair with the chauffeur's wife. Finding them out, the chauffeur's teenage son says nothing to his imprisoned father. Upon release, the family is swimming in loot but all broken up, until...

I can tell you that watching this movie, without any idea of what to expect, was an exceptional surprise. Ceylan creates unbelievable tension, and sets it against some of the most wonderful cinematography I have seen in a long time. Brilliant to look and AND experience, Three monkeys is unmissable.

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The Wolfman - USA/2010/103 min.

2010-08-07T11:20:00.003+03:00

Watch this movie only if you're in the mood for watching an anthology of every cliche on celluloid...

more (here)

Chico Recommends #1

2010-08-06T00:02:00.004+03:00

BEING THERE - USA/1979/130 min.

This is the first installment of a list of films I think everyone should watch.

Being There is a sublime satire on the idiocy of the system in the USA, specially the political one. Peter Sellers puts on a knockout performance as Chance, an extremely simple gardener who - by pure 'chance' - makes it into the sphere of the President of the USA, influencing his decisions on State matters.

A gem, as valid today as it was 31 years ago.

more (here)

The White Ribbon - Germany/2009/144 min.

2010-08-05T23:49:00.002+03:00

The latest installment of Michael Haneke, that master of evil-analysis. The White Ribbon is a beautifully downplayed look at an environment that harbors seeds of malice, in this case a rural German village in the years leading up to WWI. Shot in glorious black and white, the film has a frightening and morose authenticity.

Not an easy movie to watch, but well worth it.

More (here)

T-Marbouta August Cycle

2010-07-30T14:35:00.004+03:00

Join us at T-Marbouta for our Maghrebi cycle.

August 02: Ali Zaoua (info)
August 09: Le Grand Voyage (info)
August 16: Bab El-Oued City (info)
August 23: Viva Laldjerie (info)
August 30: Bab "Aziz (info)

We Live In Public - documentary/2009/90 min.

2010-07-29T12:58:00.005+03:00

Director Ondi Timoner chronicles the rise of dot.com visionary Josh Harris, who helped pave the way for our current internet experiences and networking behavior.

Harris gained notoriety for his experiment involving 100 people living for one month in an underground New York bunker on the eve of Y2K. Everything they did (everything), was filmed and simultaneously broadcast within the bunker. The experience was ultimately busted up by the police, but not before some very valid and scary points were made: Our lust for recognition and 'living in public' will only lead to more alienation and loneliness, and our lives will become a commodity to be exploited and traded.

Very poignant given the current issues regarding our relationship to the internet, We Live In Public is essentially uncomfortable viewing.

More info here.

Manufactured Landscapes - documentary/2006/90 min.

2010-07-29T01:32:00.006+03:00

A brilliant documentary on the work of photographer Edward Burtynsky.

Set mostly in China, Burtynsky aims to capture the sheer scale of man-made landscapes. Starting with a seemingly endless factory leading up to the opening credits, the film mixes photographs and video to construct a mind-boggling and ultimately frightening look at the costs of maintaining the world we've come to live in. Burtynsky repeats his claim that he never intends to pass judgment on what he's photographing, leaving it to the viewers to judge what they see for themselves.

There's some awesome (no, seriously awesome) footage on the construction of the Three-Gorges-Dam.

A must-see, for its fantastic photography, and for its thought provoking nature.

More info here.