yet another weekend gone by...
Day 4 into the annual film fest and I've only caught 3 films. Two of them, I fell asleep at some point... I think I should hire myself out as a test audience.
First was Il Vangelo secondo Matteo (The Gospel According to Matthew) by Pier Pablo Pasolini
hm. I don't know. I just didn't get it. Maybe you have to be Christian to appreciate the film. Yes, I fell asleep. Somehow I just couldn't quite get into it. I felt very detached, sitting there, thinking about the distracting (but enjoyable) bluesy music. There was also alot of classical music which brought me to Champ-Elysees rather than Jerusalem. Also thinking 'hmm, jump cuts...' Godard's done that. That Jesus was the first ever celebrity to walk the earth, with adoring crowds chasing him about, waiting to be blessed with a touch of his hand. Was it a reverential film? Or was it a sarcastic film? I can't tell!!! I like the parts best when there was no dialogue - think the opening scene was pretty good.
I guess in the end, what I find more interesting are the stories about the director, I think his poetry could be worth checking out, the context in which he made his films (I mean, pls. Italy, 1960s, film about Jesus...), when you surf around and try to read about him, the things highlighted tend to be that he was at some point or another, a Marxist, an atheist, a homosexual who got murdered by a prostitute, burnt and mangled on a beach, and it comes with a conspiracy theory angle too. Sounds like the stuff that films are made of...
Film Fest #2: The Sweatbox by Trudie Styler, John-Paul Davidson
A neatly, tied-up doko about the process of making an animated film which was finally released as 'The Emperor's New Groove'. Overall it was enjoyable, reminded me of how much I enjoy being part of that process, part of the team that creates something from a bunch of ideas floating around in the air. It was a good overview, but personally I feel it's not a true representation of the film making business. I suppose the film had to sugar-coated in order to satisfy those at Disney - the one big happy family deal. Though on the other hand, perhaps.. maybe... Disney has refined its recruitment (and 're-education') process so well, that people actually do work like that in there. Right... hahaha.
I liked Sting alot though. I think he showed a lot of integrity as an artist - questioning the maestros when he felt things weren't quite right and offering his opinion while saying that he did not know crap about filmmaking and would pull out if they felt he was wrong. However, haha.. the film was by his wife, so one could say the point-of-view might have been skewed. I wondered how many apartments he has. The people involved were all quite funny and entertaining. Eartha Kitt was pretty amazing... she might have aged, but that voice just gets better and better.
Meanwhile, on a personal note, while watching the 1 minute worth of screen time that was given to the marketing people... I was thinking 'oh go away... let's get back to the real story.'... They felt so wrong and inane in that place. I feel a sense of dis-ease at my reaction since I keep saying that I'd be ok in marketing and distribution/programming and can give up production cos I'm sick of the hours and lousy pay... I'm rather disturbed.
Film Fest #3: Manzan Benigaki (Red Persimmons) by Ogawa Shinsuke, Peng Xiaolian
From the fest site: "Using film footage and composition notes left behind by the late director Ogawa Shinsuke, Chinese director Peng Xiaolian completes this documentary recording a disappearing Japanese way of life. Red Persimmons colourfully yet elegantly depicts the manufacturing process of the Kaminoyama red persimmon, featuring fascinating portraits of the people in the persimmon trade and illustrating the world of this small but strangely charming fruit and of the people who continue to live in the area of Kaminoyama."
Yet another Japanese/Chinese production that could have used a little bit more editing - too many lingering shots, some unusable footage!!! and a way too long section about the peeling machine (ya, guess where I fell asleep). The most entertaining bit in this doko was an old man who walked by them filming and started chatting with them and telling cute little stories - like the 'true' story of how persimmons came to be.
Joyce and Lai went away to Nepal and Tibet on Saturday, so while I'm wild with envy, I'm also rejoicing in the fact that I can enjoy Lai-freedom for two weeks. YIPPEEE! And oh ya.. bumped into Mabes at the last film, she was volunteering for the film fest - I haven't seen her since we did Liang Po Po: The Movie! What a coincidence.. hehe of course my head is spinning... is it a sign? is it a sign??? hahahhaha.
Also, finally got the gang to go down to my favourite Japanese restaurant ever. I'm very paranoid about this place, because it's so hidden away, so value-for-money, I'm concerned that one day it will close down and I cannot enjoy those delicious meals ever again.... so I keep bringing new groups of people there to eat... hehe. Their set meals are fantastic, usually about $15-18, and rather filling. The menu depends on what they have that day. I usually go for the sashimi because it's always so fresh. Anyway, blatant advertising for them - they are at Market Street (the part that's opposite Starbucks & Burger King on Robinson Road, not the SGX side), same building as the 7-11, hidden away behind a super-retro looking barber shop. The name's Fujiya. Now if someone will open a Kyoto-style Japanese restaurant here, I'll just spend my time shuttling between those two... hehe.
Back to becoming an aware consumer of cosmetic and skincare products, thanks to 'The Beauty Bible' from astropup (who amazingly I've not seen online for over 24 hours... I assume you had a glamourous night of drunkenness and are desperately trying to remember what you did and btw, I need trillian pro again... my version's screwed for good.)
First was Il Vangelo secondo Matteo (The Gospel According to Matthew) by Pier Pablo Pasolini
hm. I don't know. I just didn't get it. Maybe you have to be Christian to appreciate the film. Yes, I fell asleep. Somehow I just couldn't quite get into it. I felt very detached, sitting there, thinking about the distracting (but enjoyable) bluesy music. There was also alot of classical music which brought me to Champ-Elysees rather than Jerusalem. Also thinking 'hmm, jump cuts...' Godard's done that. That Jesus was the first ever celebrity to walk the earth, with adoring crowds chasing him about, waiting to be blessed with a touch of his hand. Was it a reverential film? Or was it a sarcastic film? I can't tell!!! I like the parts best when there was no dialogue - think the opening scene was pretty good.
I guess in the end, what I find more interesting are the stories about the director, I think his poetry could be worth checking out, the context in which he made his films (I mean, pls. Italy, 1960s, film about Jesus...), when you surf around and try to read about him, the things highlighted tend to be that he was at some point or another, a Marxist, an atheist, a homosexual who got murdered by a prostitute, burnt and mangled on a beach, and it comes with a conspiracy theory angle too. Sounds like the stuff that films are made of...
Film Fest #2: The Sweatbox by Trudie Styler, John-Paul Davidson
A neatly, tied-up doko about the process of making an animated film which was finally released as 'The Emperor's New Groove'. Overall it was enjoyable, reminded me of how much I enjoy being part of that process, part of the team that creates something from a bunch of ideas floating around in the air. It was a good overview, but personally I feel it's not a true representation of the film making business. I suppose the film had to sugar-coated in order to satisfy those at Disney - the one big happy family deal. Though on the other hand, perhaps.. maybe... Disney has refined its recruitment (and 're-education') process so well, that people actually do work like that in there. Right... hahaha.
I liked Sting alot though. I think he showed a lot of integrity as an artist - questioning the maestros when he felt things weren't quite right and offering his opinion while saying that he did not know crap about filmmaking and would pull out if they felt he was wrong. However, haha.. the film was by his wife, so one could say the point-of-view might have been skewed. I wondered how many apartments he has. The people involved were all quite funny and entertaining. Eartha Kitt was pretty amazing... she might have aged, but that voice just gets better and better.
Meanwhile, on a personal note, while watching the 1 minute worth of screen time that was given to the marketing people... I was thinking 'oh go away... let's get back to the real story.'... They felt so wrong and inane in that place. I feel a sense of dis-ease at my reaction since I keep saying that I'd be ok in marketing and distribution/programming and can give up production cos I'm sick of the hours and lousy pay... I'm rather disturbed.
Film Fest #3: Manzan Benigaki (Red Persimmons) by Ogawa Shinsuke, Peng Xiaolian
From the fest site: "Using film footage and composition notes left behind by the late director Ogawa Shinsuke, Chinese director Peng Xiaolian completes this documentary recording a disappearing Japanese way of life. Red Persimmons colourfully yet elegantly depicts the manufacturing process of the Kaminoyama red persimmon, featuring fascinating portraits of the people in the persimmon trade and illustrating the world of this small but strangely charming fruit and of the people who continue to live in the area of Kaminoyama."
Yet another Japanese/Chinese production that could have used a little bit more editing - too many lingering shots, some unusable footage!!! and a way too long section about the peeling machine (ya, guess where I fell asleep). The most entertaining bit in this doko was an old man who walked by them filming and started chatting with them and telling cute little stories - like the 'true' story of how persimmons came to be.
Joyce and Lai went away to Nepal and Tibet on Saturday, so while I'm wild with envy, I'm also rejoicing in the fact that I can enjoy Lai-freedom for two weeks. YIPPEEE! And oh ya.. bumped into Mabes at the last film, she was volunteering for the film fest - I haven't seen her since we did Liang Po Po: The Movie! What a coincidence.. hehe of course my head is spinning... is it a sign? is it a sign??? hahahhaha.
Also, finally got the gang to go down to my favourite Japanese restaurant ever. I'm very paranoid about this place, because it's so hidden away, so value-for-money, I'm concerned that one day it will close down and I cannot enjoy those delicious meals ever again.... so I keep bringing new groups of people there to eat... hehe. Their set meals are fantastic, usually about $15-18, and rather filling. The menu depends on what they have that day. I usually go for the sashimi because it's always so fresh. Anyway, blatant advertising for them - they are at Market Street (the part that's opposite Starbucks & Burger King on Robinson Road, not the SGX side), same building as the 7-11, hidden away behind a super-retro looking barber shop. The name's Fujiya. Now if someone will open a Kyoto-style Japanese restaurant here, I'll just spend my time shuttling between those two... hehe.
Back to becoming an aware consumer of cosmetic and skincare products, thanks to 'The Beauty Bible' from astropup (who amazingly I've not seen online for over 24 hours... I assume you had a glamourous night of drunkenness and are desperately trying to remember what you did and btw, I need trillian pro again... my version's screwed for good.)