The End

I cannot believe this intense journey is actually over. As soon as we landed in Sydney, we adopted the State Theater as our second home. The walk and bus drive from Broadway down to George Street became part of our daily routine. Even if we are probably the only group of students that has not seen a kangaroo yet, we can proudly say that instead we were immersed in twenty-two different stories, places, times, fantasies and realities. Moreover, the opportunity to mingle, listen, and learn from the diverse pool of talented people that were regulars at the festival was a unique learning experience that can hardly be duplicated. I can honestly say that I was successfully unleashed by the magic of these moving pictures.

Lecture with Paul Byrnes about Asian Cinema

Today we had a very interesting guest lecturer, Paul Byrnes. He gave us an overview of Asian cinema, specifically from Japan and the three Chinas (main land China, Taiwan, and Hong-Kong). I had not realized before the lecture that because countries were industrialized in very different spans of time, its influence and representation in art varies significantly. Thus, the same kind of nostalgia and hate against industrialization that is found in Western painting could be found in Asian films a hundred years later.

Moreover, because I have a lot of Chinese close friends, I have always noticed the big gap that we have regarding the way we both think and see the government. Coming from Venezuela, a country that for the past ten years has undergone significant political turmoil, I cannot imagine not feeling distrust and being critical toward the government. However, my Chinese friends have never criticized their government nor their repressions. Thus, I thought it was very interesting to find out that there are many Chinese and Asians that do not approve this, which is expressed through their artistic projects. However, because a word in Chinese can mean more than one thing, it is extremely difficult to notice such subtle criticisms in their films. In addition, it was quite shocking the story he related us about a Chinese director whose work was banned and three years later became the head of the Chinese film department.

Lecture with Judith Ehrlick, dir of The Most Dangerous Man In America

It is always rewarding to listen to directors and producers talk about their projects. Putting a face to the persons responsible for creating films that transport me to different places changes the whole experience. Moreover, since I have never being even remotely involved in the making of a film, such process seems extremely difficult, long, and almost impossible. Thus, it is great to listen and learn from those that are part of the crowed that proves that after all it is not impossible at all to make films.

I am very disappointed that I did not include The Most Dangerous Man in America among the films I selected to see during the festival. I would have liked it a lot if we were required to go see this movie instead of Red Hill or The Killer Inside Me because I felt I could have gotten and understood much more from the lecture if I had seen it. However, I am lucky that it is an American movie which I will probably be able to find on the Internet later on.

I thought it is great that a film can be able to change people’s actions, perceptions, and attitudes toward their realities and lives, and the special strength that documentaries have to do so. They are real life examples, icons, and models that people can truly look up to. As Ehrlick said, “if Daniel Ellsberg did it and made it through, you and others can do it too.”

Ehrlick’s theory and approach to non-violence action was very interesting and inspiring. There was something she said that stuck with me after the lecture: “being a pacifist is not being passive.” This was especially meaningful because I come from Venezuela, a country that for the last ten years has being undergoing different kinds of self-destructive events that seem not to have an end.

Lake Mungo, by Joel Anderson

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If it wasn’t for a classmate that asked whether it was a true story or not, I would still be thinking that Lake Mungo was a real documentary. Given the style, unrecognizable actors, and footage used, I took it for granted that it was one of those inexplicable real stories. The funny thing is that as more home videos appeared to build up the story, I began thinking it was very odd that a family would record so much of their lives. However, further than that, I did not question it.

I think that they were very smart at using good actors that were completely unrecognizable. Their acting did not seem as if they were reciting a script. In addition, the kind of home pictures and home videos they used looked legitimate. I was skeptical about the girl appearing in the footages of the house’s hallway. Based on other horror movies I have seen, I thought that a ghost would probably not look like that, and if it did, it could not be recorded on a video as a tangible object. However, because they revealed that the brother made up those images, some of my doubts went away. After they showed how easily images can be fabricated with computers, I did not buy the whole story even if I kept thinking it was a real documentary.

I have to admit that because the film felt real, the story stock with me after having seen it. I kept seen my reflection on the computer screen and remembering the strange pictures in which the image of the girl would appear.

My Teharn For Sale, by Granaz Moussavi

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What an inspiring, moving, and eye opening film. The ways Granaz Moussavi accepted and worked with Iranian restrictions as a creative tool to produce this film was exceptional. The story kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time. The film was extremely well acted. It was like the actors were truly living the lives they were embodying, making it possible to connect in a very deep level with the audience.

Because I am a very curious person by nature, I love films that revel and tell you the stories and realities that we usually do not have access to under public light. Therefore, I was very interested about seeing this portrait of Iran and its underground culture. It is interesting to see the vast amount of artistic expressions that spur from repression.

In addition, as a person who lives between two cultures, Moussavi was able to represent the Iranian and Australian culture with the realistic understanding of an insighter. However, these insights have a particular perspective given the fact that she is interpreting such cultures from a certain distance as well. In fact, she explained that living in this limbo-like territory is painful, “I have no place in Iran and I have no place in Australia either.” It is like being part of both countries but neither on its entirely. However, she was able to master this condition in the making of her film. Australia is seeing as a sought paradise for some, a land of lost dreams for others, and a substitutive repressive land yet for others. As she shows this different range of attitudes towards Australia, she was able to provide specific tokens that symbolize the vast variety of the Iranian population.

Newsfront, by Phillip Noyce

I thought this movie was great to see as someone who is not Australian and do not know a lot about its culture and history. They were able to show how Australian society was affected by important and newsworthy happenings through a fictional story. They were very good and cleaver at interrelating such story with the news in a way that looked real. Moreover, we could see the society’s attitudes towards political matters and the way they changed as the reactions of those reporting the news changed as well.

I especially liked that it provided pieces of many aspects of the Australian society of that decade: television, cars, politics, economics, religion, war, porn, racism, and Olympic games, among others. However, I did not like the fact that the film jumped back and forth between black and white and color shots. I was confused and could not understand at first the reasons behind this.

Gallipoli, by Peter Weir

This war film was a moving picture about World War II from the Australian’s point of view. Being used to American war movies, this one struck as odd because you do not see blood and battles until the end of the film. It is interesting how the Australian depiction of war in films is mostly concerned about the people that went to the battlefields instead of the bigger political causes. In fact, they did not drill on the reasons they were fighting for and did not focus much on those in power. In stead, they followed the lives of two unknowns who thought that going to war could be beneficial once they got back home. Because they focused on the lives of the soldiers, the scenes in which they die are much more sad and painful, which I thought was a smart approach to make a stand against war.

The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith, by Fred Schepisi

After learning that this film did not do well at the Australian cinemas because the population was not ready to see such a cruel depiction of their past, I grew curios to see it. I usually enjoy films that reveal untold stories and criticize their own society and past. The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith was in indeed a sad and harsh representation of the white world and their treatment towards the Aborigines. However, used to the history of America's conquest, where Natives were brutally wiped out from their lands, the treatment of whites toward Australian Aborigines seemed more civilized. In fact, because it was more a psychological violence, it reminded me a lot of the issues in the United States regarding racism and discrimination against African Americans.

After professor Fred pointed out in class, I realized the many symbols and visuals that were used to separate and identify the white world from the aboriginal world. For example, many of the shots from the white world were framed; we could glimpse to their world through doors or windows. However, once we entered the aboriginal world, we are overflowed by landscapes and extreme close-ups of animals and insects. Such vastness represented the freedom granted by Aborigines.

My Brilliant Carreat, by Gil Amstrong

I grew up in a very feminist family. Not only my dad has always supported my mom to surpass herself, but also most of my closest friends were raised by single women. Thus, the notion that women are naturally inferior to men has always seemed absurd. For this reason, I particularly enjoy films that empower women and criticize gender inequality.

I thought that My Brilliant Career made a strong statement for women not only because of the story it conveyed but also because it was entirely produced by women. Moreover, it was very nice to see influences of European art in the cinematography. In fact, some of the recurrent landscape shots resembled French impressionism.

Jeda, Charles Chauvel

I could not see this movie through the end because that day I had to leave early to catch Road, Movie. Even when I do not like a movie, I always like to see them entirely, which is why I was troubled when I learned that I had to leave before Jeda was over. However, I was able to get a good sense of what Jeda was about with the first half I got to see.

I was especially curious to see Jeda because it is the first film made in Australia from the Aboriginals’ point of view. The dialogues and the way Aboriginals were treated in the first part of the film were realistic yet significantly tuned down. However, this is understandable since the audience this film was meant for was not ready for a criticism of their past that was too cruel. I liked that they conveyed the idea that nature and history is engraved in people’s DNA, and thus, no matter if we are taken out of our natural context, such instincts will come to surface at some point. I thought they represented the way aboriginals’ laws operate and their behavior in a realistic way. However, I probably missed a lot because of my lack of knowledge about the traditions and stated rules of the different tribes.

In addition, they were really good at mastering lights and color shades; which is impressive given the fact that this was the first color movie made in Australia. I especially liked the night shots in which the blues and yellows played nicely on the screen.

The Sentimental Bloke, Raymond Longford

I enjoyed seeing how they managed to convey outdoors, indoors, night, day, and love in a black and white picture by coloring the shoots. In fact, I kept writing down the times they would change from blue to sepia, pink, white, and back to blue. I had not seen before a black and white film that made use of these techniques so intensively throughout the whole film. I also liked, and wasn’t expecting, the use of cinematographic tricks such as the juxtaposition of images and sequences of dreams.

However, I thought the film was extremely long and very episodic. Nevertheless, I thought that it might have being used to educate the population in a certain way. For example, they showed the complete theater performance of Romeo and Juliet. Thus, someone that did not know about this play gained knowledge about Shakespeare from watching The Sentimental Bloke. Bloke.

Not Quite Hollywood, by Mark Hartley

Not Quite Hollywood was a very interesting documentary to understand Australian cinema and its evolution over time. Each different genre were presented by people who were directly involved in the making of such films, making each story feel more real and confidential.

The documentary begins explaining the presence of sex in Australian movies. It was quite unexpected to realize that the kind of sex scenes that are shown in today’s porn movies were normal around the 60s and 70s. The artistic movements of this specific period are very intriguing for me since they echoed the determination of young people to push boundaries in order to generate change. Seeing nudity under such light, thus, provides a completely different interpretation of a simplistic porn movie. Rather than a sole sexual object, the naked body became the representation of society’s desire and need of stripping off norms, rules, war, and repression. I thought it was very interesting to see female actresses talk about such period with a certain pride since my first reaction was thinking they were being objectified for the pleasure of the male audience. It was also interesting the evolution of their thoughts and feelings about exposing themselves in front of cameras and audiences. They went from feeling proud of their nudity to feeling that the main object of rebellion had being diluted in the process.

Another interesting aspect that was shown in this documentary about Australian cinema was the way that directors and producers went against rules to make their movies. They would film very dangerous scenes such as motorcycles jumping off cliffs without any precaution or permit. I feel that nowadays we take for granted dangerous scenes as being made with special effects and computers. It is thus very shocking to realize that the dangerous scenes of many of those Australian films were actually real.

The Kids Are All Right, by Lisa Cholodenko

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I would not say this film was the best choice to close the festival, but it was definitely an interesting one. I thought they could have picked something more memorable and less commercial. However, I appreciated the fact that they decided to end the festival with a non-conventional comedy.

I thought that the acting was excellent. The gay couple was very realistic. In fact, only towards the end of the film was when it crossed my mind that those two women on the screen were straight in their real lives. Moreover, Mia Wasikowska was very good at her role. She could not have being more genuine in the final scene when she sees her family drive away. I also particularly liked how they showed the story line from the perspective of all those involved in it. You relate and sympathize with each one of them as the story evolves.

Creation, by Jon Amiel

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Creation was a film that provided an interesting twist to the Evolution Theory. It shed light on the life of the great mind behind the theory that revolutionized our understanding of the world. I am embarrassed to admit that during and after studying his theories at school, I never gave much thought about Darwin’s life and his battles against society and religion. Thus, it was quite eye opening to see the process he went through to develop his book. Moreover, I was impressed by the cinematography of the film. Amiel was able to convey brutal images of dying animals in a way that looked natural and essential for the cycle of life.

We were lucky that the screenwriter of the film, John Collee was there for an Q&A session which gave a lot of insights about the veracity and accuracy of the film. It turns out that Darwin was a very active writer; he would keep diaries and an active correspondence with his friends, colleagues, and family. Therefore, many of the most significant lines of the film were actually written by him. Such valuable materials made the whole film much more authentic, as if we were actually glancing into his life.

There was an interesting remark made by the screenwriter, he let slip that he had some conflicts with Amiel, the director, about the last scene of the film. Collee wanted the little girl to disappear as Darwin walked towards the house to provide some closure. However, Amiel preferred to shot this scene having her walk all the way along her father. It is interesting how screenwriters and directors may have clashing ideas. In fact, before I thought that either the writer was not involved during the process of shooting the film, or that the director and the writer were the same person. Thus, it was interesting to learn that they worked along side from the writing process of the first story line to shooting the last scene of the film.

Love in a Puff, by PANG Ho-Cheung

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This Chinese romantic comedy was a great film to take my head off things and laugh and relax for a while. Because I have many Chinese friends back in Boston, I wanted to go see a movie that seemed Chinese main stream and learn some more about their sense of comedy and love. The film was full of cute jokes and some cultural references such as the cell-phone generation, lots of make up, and of course, smoking. I liked the way it was filmed, even if it made me a little bit dizzy at times. They used a moving camera during close-ups and very short pace editing. In addition, they used a lot of soft focus to make the scenes look more romantic and dream like.

Wasted on the Young, by Ben C Lucas

This movie was a complete waste of time, I cannot believe it is part of the festival’s official competition and thus part of the films we were required to see. The only thing I liked of the entire film was the underwater shots of the swimming team; I thought they were the only original and interesting cinematography I was able to find in the movie. I don’t even know were to start. The story was pathetic, it was a combination of Gossip Girls with I know What You Did Last Summer, Step Brothers, and who knows what else. In a sense, it reminded me of the horror films from the 90s, which tried to scare and condemn young and irresponsible teenagers who got involved in drugs and sex. Was it trying to be a wake up call for parents? If it did, with such an unrealistic story line and poor acting it completely failed on doing so.

How I Ended This Summer, by Alexei Popogrebsky

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I did not particularly like this film because the pace of it was too slow for my taste. Moreover, I had some problems with the story line in general. To me, it did not make any sense that all of the sudden the two main characters wanted to kill each other; and as quickly as that, they became friends again. It was funny that the portion of the film in which the older man is chasing the young one to kill him reminded me a lot of the novel Frankenstein when the monster and master are trying to kill each other in the Antarctic.

Even though I did not feel connected or taken anywhere by this film, there was a specific scene that completely caught my attention. After the young man has contaminated the fish, he is looking through the window at the old man eating. We are watching, like the character, inside the house through the windows when, all of the sudden, the old man looks up and sees us spying on him. The fact that he looks directly to the camera was completely unexpected and took me into the action for a moment. It reminded me of Hitchcock’s film Rear Window in which the killer looks at the audience directly to the eyes before going for the kill.

Even though I did not love it, I thought that the photography of the film and the shots of the grandiose landscapes were beautiful.

Undertow, by Javier Fuentes-Leon

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Undertow, or Contracorriente, was by far my favorite film out of the twenty-two films I watched at the festival. Through an excellent script, story, acting, and cinematography, the film transported me into the lives of Miguel and Sebastian (main characters), making me fall in love, cry, and laugh along with them. I was very proud and happy that such an excellent film is Latin American, Peruvian and Colombian to be specific. In some extent, I felt very connected and represented by this film as a Venezuelan because the symbols and traditions depicted throughout the film were as familiar for me as they were foreign for the Australian audience, which I realized during the Q&A session.

The subject developed by Javier Fuentes-Leon is still a delicate matter in Latin America. Being a culture founded on the image of the ‘macho,’ gays and homosexuality are still not accepted by the general population. Therefore, I was surprised that he was brave enough to break the silence of such taboos by coming out with a film that talks so openly about the subject. The story follows the life of a homosexual fisherman who can only be with his lover in the shadows of secrecy and afterlife. Fuentes-Leon could not have put it into better words: “Santiago’s death was a beginning, a way to live their love openly and realize how their lives could have been.” They could be together in front of the community if Santiago was a ghost that could only be seen by Miguel. The acting of these two men was excellent. It is very refreshing to realize that these actors, known by their roles as gallant Latin lovers in popular soup-operas, were willing to take the risk of participating in a project that could eventually jeopardize their career in television.

I have to admit that after watching the trailer of the film, I was somewhat concerned that it would be a mediocre adaptation of Brokeback Mountain in Spanish. It has nothing to do with it apart from the fact that they both explore the subject of homosexuality and its taboos. I am very curious to find out how the movie will be perceived by Latin American audiences.

I know that I did not talk much about the film per se. Instead I decided to write about the industry and culture this film came out of because it is exiting to realize that such industry is growing-up, moving away from the overdramatic soup-operas, and becoming more mature and sound.

The Killer Inside Me, by Michael Winterbottom

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I did not understand why, with so many good films being offered by the festival, we were required to seat through this one.

There were many box office names in this movie such as Kate Hudson, Jessica Alba, and Casey Affleck, which is probably the reason behind such high expectations. I think they wanted to be part of an edgy production in which they could prove to be ‘real actors’ who take on real roles and risks. However, they completely failed at trying to achieve such goal. The acting was mediocre and the fake accent was painful to listen to. They proved to be only good at the kind of blockbuster films that made them famous in the first place. However, the acting was not the only problem. The story was very simple and predictable without real underneath suspense or plot, a must have for a serial killer film.

Women Without Men, by Shirin Neshat

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Both the photography and scenery of this film were beautifully composed. It represented a very hard and interesting approach to the Islamic life, tradition, and culture. Even though I have had Muslim friends, I could never get a realistic sense of their feelings towards their religion and family dynamic and cultural hierarchy. In fact, every time I see Islamic women on the streets, I wonder what is underneath their hijab, what goes on in their minds, and if their lives are as terribly repressed by men as I imagine them to be. Thus, it is eye opening to see films and artistic projects made by women that have come out of such male dominated culture and are meant to denounce a reality that many are oblivious about.

It was especially sad to see that no matter the different stratus of society, women are always subject to abuse and inferiority. I thought it was really interesting that they decided to show issues with anorexia and self-mutilation in the film. We are used to see this kind of issues as issues exclusively related to the western young females who are concerned about their weight. However, this kind of coping strategies are usually the result of a need for control over something in their lives. It was great to see this kind of similarity and relation between two very different cultures which, after all, deal with problem in similar ways. This woman who had become a prostitute, periodically raped by men could cope with her terrible conditions with the only thing she had control over: her body.

I cannot deny that I was extremely confused by the non-lineal and fantastic characteristics of the film. I was puzzled about what was real and what was the result of someone’s imagination and psyche. Nevertheless, after having let the film settle in my mind, the story became much more coherent. However, I am sure I missed the meaning of many things and symbols that only somebody who truly knows about Islamic culture and countries can catch. For example, if it wasn’t for Granaz Moussavi, I would have never known that the movie was filmed in Morocco because the director is not allowed into Iran.

The Last Train Home, by Lixin Fan

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It was a great perspective about different Chinese generations, their relationship and dynamics, and their vision and views and ways to deal with future. It is amazing to realize how many people migrate within China to try to make a better living for their families. The documentary was able to enter in a deep level inside the lives of this family, witnessing moments of extreme sadness and hated toward the situation they are in.

It was interesting to see this movie because, even if I grew up in a much different culture and country, I felt very identify with the characters. You can understand and feel exactly what the characters are going through and sympathy with all of them. Moreover, the extreme close-ups were able to make the audience share the living conditions with the characters.

Police, Advective, by Cornelicu Porumvoiu

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This film was the only one I have seeing in the festival so far in which I was about to get up and leave. It might have being that I was expecting something completely different from what I got. I had read that it was a hilarious comedy and after having seen I Whistle If I Want to Whistle, I was very curious about seeing a Romanian film that was completely different from it. However, it came out to be extremely similar to it and, in my opinion, it pushed too much the boundaries, coming out with a film that is extremely difficult to seat through. It seems to be two hours of nothing. The police is involved in a worthless case of teenager kids consuming drugs. There was a maximum of 20 minutes of dialogues all-together. There was barely any editing, in fact, the film was characterized by eye level, medium shots that would extend for about ten to fifteen minutes without anything happening more than the policeman eating or watching over a car.

However, I believe that this film is a significant objection to the politics of police offices and law making. The audience grows restless with the policeman, as he wastes time in a case that should not have as much importance as the one it was give.

Revolución, by Mariana Chenillo, Patricia Riggen, Fernando Eimbcke, Amat Escalante, Gael Garcia Bernal, Rodrigo Garcia, Diego Luna, Gerardo Naranjo..

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I was surprised to come across Latin American films among the official selection of the festival. I was especially interested in seeing this Mexican film because very few Latin American movies make it to the big screens in the U.S. Moreover, I wanted to get a taste of how this industry is developing and what kind of new experimental projects are being produced. This film seemed a perfect example of this new wave since it is composed by ten short films made by Mexican filmmakers based on the subject of the Mexican Revolution. I had seen and liked a number of films that were also composed by a collash of short films such as Paris, je t'aime, New York, I Love You, and Tokyo! Thus, I thought that it would be very interesting to see the different interpretations and time periods chosen by ten different filmmakers regarding such a delicate subject as the Mexican revolution.

In general, I thought that the ten short films did not have something that tied them together. They were supposed to be about different vantage points regarding the Mexican revolution, however, some seemed to have nothing to do with it. Even though I was confused and somewhat annoyed by these inconsistencies, I think this movie is a stepping-stone for Latin American films. It is a step away from the brainless telenovelas and closer to a more serious and thought provoking industry. It is great that it had an international exposure, even though it was probably possible only because Gael Garcia Bernal and Diego Luna were among the directors and producers of the film.

If I Want to Whistle, by Florin Serban

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This film was very interesting and intriguing. It left me perplex and confused, yet amused throughout its screening. Given the fact that my family lives in Italy, and my mother has being involved with immigrant communities, I knew about the hard conditions and difficulties that Romanians go through when they immigrate to Italy. There is a scary level of racism which is especially astonishing given the fact that it comes from a country that has such a large number of emigrant communities throughout the world. This xenophobia, which is being promoted by political propaganda, is quickly spreading throughout the population. Therefore, I appreciated seeing a film from a Romanian perspective that touched this subject. In fact, I thought that the producer’s respond about the criticism from a member of the audience about Romanian films only portraying and exporting a negative side of their society was brilliant. He explained that this film is an artistic expression meant to bring alive and transmit a sentiment and a reality, “it is not propaganda for a country by any means.”

I liked the fact that the film was very different from what we have come used to see at the cinema. The fact that there was no sound track made it much more realistic, it allowed me to form my own thoughts, feelings, and reactions about the scenes. I liked the fact that there were no leading soundtracks that force conclusions on the audiences. Moreover, a large amount of shots were very long, without cutting or editing between them. This editing and filming style made me feel uncomfortable and somewhat restless as the actors in the scene.

Moreover, learning about the process that went on in the making of this film was also really interesting. The fact that the inmates were cast from actual jails brought the story line, acting, and film to another level.

Exit Through the Gift Shop, by Banksy

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Going to watch this movie was a pleasant mistake. I was convinced that Exit Through the Gift Show was the American movie Please Give, which I had seen its trailer and read some positive reviews about it some time ago. However, as the lights of the theater went off, I soon realized that I was about to see another movie. Long time ago, I had come across the actual trailer of Exit Through the Gift Shop and I remember being very interested about it because it was a documentary about street art. I wanted to watch this movie because I have enjoyed urban art, such as break dancing and graffitis, for a long time. I love the rebellious spirit of this underground culture, the ways they go against rules to make critical statements and express themselves through cool paintings.

The documentary took a very interesting turn. It started showing the underground culture of street art. It features a French man, now known as Mr. Brain Wash, who immigrated to LA during the 90s. He loved walking around with his camera, filming barely each inch and minute of his life. He became involved in street art and would film and assist street artists during night as they created their installations and paintings. In the movie, there are well known artists such as Shepherd Fairey, which I had the pleasure of seeing one of his exhibitions in Boston. He is well known for making the world wide famous red and blue poster of Obama’s presidential campaign. It was thus really exciting to see him in action, wondering the streets and walls of LA. In addition, this documentary featured Banksy, a renowned British street artist who has being able to break into places such as the Louver without being caught. Even though during his statements he wore a hood to cover his face and microphones that distorted his voice, it was great to “see” this talented artist that has stayed in the shadows throughout his career.

Apart from featuring such well-known artists, I thought it was a successful documentary because it made a strong statement about the lack of critical thinking in our society. It showed how this French man, who is no more than a good businessman with a great sense of smell for money, was able to make about a million dollars from the trendy and hipster people that live in LA. He called himself an artist, contracted a large group of builders and graphic designers, and gave them tasks to alter some paintings and posters. Such posters, which seemed copycats of other pop artists, were sold for thousands of dollars. It is sad to see that also this urban artistic expressions have entered the capitalist world, which is only ruled by money and meaningless trends.

Boy, by Taika Waititi

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I left the movie theater with some mixed feelings about this film. I particularly liked the opening scene in which Boy talks directly to the camera. The dialogues in this opening are particularly funny. I enjoy this kind of corky comedies. However, I had such a hard time understanding some dialogues given the heavy accent of the actors.

The way Boy was filmed made the movie look more real. The resolution of the images was not polished like typical Hollywood films, providing a rustic quality that matched the reality that was portrayed. It is always interesting to see the influence that American culture and icons have in remote places of the world. However, I felt that I did not get anything in specific from this movie. I did not walk away thinking about any social or economical commentary that the movie could have made.

The Tree, by Julie Bertucelli

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I had some really high expectations for this movie given the fact that it was selected as the closing night in Cannes. The story was not what I was expecting, however, I really enjoyed it. Not only it was touching, but it was also exquisitely acted and filmed. The extreme close-ups of the tree were able to convey the fact that it was not an object but a living organism. In fact, from time to time they even made me feel or wish that the father was truly inside the tree. The combination of those close-ups with the use of shallow focus provided a right amount of fantasy and dream-like atmosphere to the film.

In addition, I thought that the acting of the little girl was phenomenal. She was really talented on staying in character and transmitting to the audience what Simone, her character, was going through.

Cairo Time, by Prod Daniel Iron

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Cairo Time is the perfect movie for those moments when we go to the movies merely to seat down, enjoy, and forget about our day with a story that does not require much thought. The movie was well acted and the story was simple and straightforward. It is about a woman that visits her husband in Egypt and falls in love with his assistant. However, they do not pursue their mutual love. I thought the film should have dug deeper on the local culture. However, the footages of the pyramids and Mecca were stunning.

Le Dance – The Paris Opera Ballet, by Prod Francoise Gazjo

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This documentary about the Paris Opera Ballet gave interesting insights about the industry by showing the process by which such amazing presentations come into being. The dancers were amazing, especially when they showed the actual presentations in set with costumes and lights.

It was great to see how a piece goes from the fist clumsy and un-choreographed steps, which are strongly criticized by the choreographers, to amazing performances on stage. In addition, as a business major, it was interesting to see the managerial side of this industry such as understanding how they treat their new choreographers, their dancers, and investors.

However, I thought that as a documentary about the Paris Opera Ballet, they missed the most important testimonies: the dancers. We can see choreographers and managers talk, however, we never get to know how the dancers feel about subjects that affect them directly such as early retirement, fatigue, strict hierarchy, and constant criticism. I have always thought that it is amazing when people are brave enough to dedicate themselves to do something they really love even if it is extremely difficult to succeed and it has a short life span. Therefore, I was wishing to learn about certain insights of the life of these dancers. Given the lack of this information, I thought that the movie was too long. It was filled with things that could have being cut and made the movie more light and easy to seat through.

Red Hill, by Prod Patrick Hughes

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Red Hill had some interesting and beautiful photograph of the landscape. However, apart from this number of scenes, I did not enjoy the movie whatsoever. As I was watching the movie, I felt as if I had seen it before. I thought the writer/director just smashed together a number of horror movies such as Jack the Ripper and No Country for Old Man. He even said that he first thought about the movie as a man who came out of jail looking for vengeance. That has being done a thousand times. How original.

I also had a hard time with some scenes that were just too cliché. For example, when Jimmy was looking for the “good” policeman under the bridge, there is an extreme low angle shot in which they show Jimmy looking down, full moon behind him. The combination of the scars in his face with the full moon made it look like a woof man movie.

I did jump of my seat every time Jimmy shot at somebody. However, that was only because it was extremely loud. I am sure that if we had watched the movie at a normal volume, very few people would have been scared about the scenes.

HOWL, by Rob Epstein

Trailer

A very interesting cinematography was used in the making of HOWL. I liked a lot the way the movie was broken down between three diverse stiles that were webbed and interconnected. The black and white story line showed Ginsberg’s life when he was writing his poetry. The black and white was combined with caricatures that were inspired on characters and cartoons that Ginsberg draw, as Producer Elizabeth Redleaf clarified. These caricatures were used to translate Ginsberg’s poetry into images. In addition, a documentary style was used to record the trial against the publisher of HOWL, who was being accused of publishing obscene materials. The way they developed the subject was what I liked the most: showing multiple angles of one situation.

The subject is unquestionably inspiring. Even if I grew up in a very different context where we did not learned about American literature, I felt identified by the fear of falling into the boxes that society, institutions, and corporations force us in.

The Heartbeats, by Xavier Dolan

Trailer

It was phenomenal. The dialogues were smart, sharp, and ironic, the acting was touching, and the mise en scenes made the whole movie stunning to watch.

The use of lighting and dominant colors was very well done. For example, sex scenes were shot with color lights and filters, making the whole scene blue, red, yellow, or green. This made possible to show heterosexual and homosexual sex scenes in an explicit yet tasteful way. Dolan also played around with the speed of the scenes, slowing them down and synchronizing them with the music.

The message of the movie could first be understood only by reading between the lines of the opening short clips of people talking about the ending of recent relationships. These stories successfully set the mood for the movie, which explored many aspects of sexual orientation and falling in and out of love. The film also made a strong statement about being boxed in categories by society’s standards. For example, people have to be absolutely clear about the gender they are attracted to. It also explored the difficulties of coming to terms with ones homosexuality and/or bisexuality.

The only disappointing thing was that the director Xavier Dolan could not make it to the festival. It is stupefying that a 19 year old boy acted, wrote, and directed two movies that are being shown at the festival. I am looking forward to seeing the many projects he will develop in the future.

Road, Movie, by Dev Benegal

Trailer

This Indian movie was very uplifting and beautiful to watch. It was such a quest to get to the movie theater at the Opera House that I thought I should not have booked this movie. However, it was absolutely worth it. Among the things I liked the most of this movie were the mise en scenè, cinematography, and editing techniques.

The images and colors chosen were a delight to watch. It was very colorful, showing Indian culture in all its splendor. The director played a lot with the balance of the images in the screen. For instance, there were many extreme close-ups of the truck, which were on the far right of the screen. The empty space of these shots were filled with the moving road.

There was a dominance of blues, aquamarines, greens, and oranges. In addition, they used a lot of close-ups with telephoto lens, which made objects that were not the central image very blurry, creating colorful and abstract backgrounds. Such images were able to awake the senses, making the audience smell and feel what they were watching.

The editing technique used seemed to follow the melody of each song. They cut from extreme close-ups to medium, wide, and landscape shots with the flow of the music. The extremely important role that the music played in the movie was expected given the fact that it was an Indian film. However, such dominance and importance was made in a very elegant manner. For instance, there is a scene in which the main female character starts dancing and singing. You can hear her singing traditional songs a capella of, which gave me goose bumps. Extremes close-ups of her smiling while dancing accompanied this music. Moreover, I was wondering if they would include some Bollywood in the film, which they did so in a very smart and funny way. The movies that their truck projected showed such old Bollywood movies.

The only part of the movie that I did not like, was a section in the story line lost its track. The main character rescues his crew from a group of bandits by giving them oil for the hair. It seamed extremely fake and composed, like a caricatures with western music on the background. However, apart from this scene, I enjoyed the film’s touch with reality. It provided first hand contrasts of the social classes in India by paralleling groups of people who walk for days in search of water with the wealthy kids that have ipods, Raybands, and Levi’s jeans. As one of the characters explained, even if they live in the same country, they are “from two very different worlds.”

I loved the fact that after the movie was over, most people stayed and watched the entire list of credits, commenting about names they recognized. It is always shocking to realize the incredible amount of people that work behind the scenes. For instance, they had at least seven carpenters, twelve truck drivers, five music supervisors, and so on.