I can't remember if I mentioned in any of my earlier posts or not, about a jazz band I got to see during Lange Nacht in Museen. While we were waiting in line to get into the laser show at the planetarium late that night, a local jazz band performed for us and they were AMAZING. I found them on youtube and you should check out the video. They put on a pretty good performance and they are a really good jazz band. Here is the link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H1WVzI5pdL8
Monday, February 25, 2008
Sunday, February 24, 2008
Sonntag 24 Februar 2008
Howdy Howdy Howdy. I'm just checking in. I don't really have anything specific to say, so this will probably be pretty random. I just finished putting some more albums on webshots. We had an excursion to Sachsenhausen today. It's a former concentration camp about an hour north of Berlin. It was the first German concentration camp that was used for work slave labor and extermination. It was pretty ieerie, but it was also almost hard to imagine what life was like there. The soviet did a number on it, and there's really not that much left. Most of the bunkers were gone. There is a really ugly monument in the middle of where the barracks used to bed that the soviets errected. We did see some barracks, as well as the crematorium, and a medical examiners building. We'll be visiting Auschwitz when we go to Poland. Thats about all I did today.
Yesterday was a really productive day. I got a lot done. I went to a bookstore I've been wanting to visit. The bookstore was big. And! It had the book I've been looking for, Das Märchen von Gebruder Grimm (The Brother's Grimm Fairy Tales). I also picked up a couple of souvenirs and some postcards I needed at the bookstore. Then I made my way through Mitte towards the Tiergarten. The Tiergarten is a giant park in the middle of Berlin that I needed to go visit to take some photos for my class....and I wanted to check it out to see if it would make a good place to run. On the way to the park, I stopped at a large souvenir shop and got lots more souvenirs for people back home. Then I walked around and took pictures in the Tiergarten for almost 3 hours. I took pictures of places and people in the park, as well as the Soviet WWII memorial in the park, and the Victory Tower in the center of the Park. From there, I walked down one of the large boulevards and caught a train back home (it was only one stop over, but my feet hurt and I didn't feel like walking anymore). I decided the park will be great for running and I can't wait till it gets warmer.
Friday, I didn't have class till 2:30 so I went and visited the Allied Museum in the Dahlem District of Berlin. My professor recommended it too me because I mentioned I was a Ronald Reagan fan and there was supposed to be a Reagan exhibit taking place. So I slept in a little, made breakfast, then headed to Dahlem. The museum was really nice, but a little smaller than I expected. I put pictures up on webshots. The Reagan exhibit wasn't there anymore, and instead they were working on erecting an exhibit for Elvis Presley. Don't Ask.
Anyways, its been a good week. This is the last week in February! Wow. I leave for Poland in less than two weeks! Court will be here in less than a month! Time is just flying. I miss everyone back home. Don't worry, I've still been keeping up with the news and everything. I hope Gram and Gramp are enjoying their vacation. Ok yeah, thats good for now. Ciao!
Yesterday was a really productive day. I got a lot done. I went to a bookstore I've been wanting to visit. The bookstore was big. And! It had the book I've been looking for, Das Märchen von Gebruder Grimm (The Brother's Grimm Fairy Tales). I also picked up a couple of souvenirs and some postcards I needed at the bookstore. Then I made my way through Mitte towards the Tiergarten. The Tiergarten is a giant park in the middle of Berlin that I needed to go visit to take some photos for my class....and I wanted to check it out to see if it would make a good place to run. On the way to the park, I stopped at a large souvenir shop and got lots more souvenirs for people back home. Then I walked around and took pictures in the Tiergarten for almost 3 hours. I took pictures of places and people in the park, as well as the Soviet WWII memorial in the park, and the Victory Tower in the center of the Park. From there, I walked down one of the large boulevards and caught a train back home (it was only one stop over, but my feet hurt and I didn't feel like walking anymore). I decided the park will be great for running and I can't wait till it gets warmer.
Friday, I didn't have class till 2:30 so I went and visited the Allied Museum in the Dahlem District of Berlin. My professor recommended it too me because I mentioned I was a Ronald Reagan fan and there was supposed to be a Reagan exhibit taking place. So I slept in a little, made breakfast, then headed to Dahlem. The museum was really nice, but a little smaller than I expected. I put pictures up on webshots. The Reagan exhibit wasn't there anymore, and instead they were working on erecting an exhibit for Elvis Presley. Don't Ask.
Anyways, its been a good week. This is the last week in February! Wow. I leave for Poland in less than two weeks! Court will be here in less than a month! Time is just flying. I miss everyone back home. Don't worry, I've still been keeping up with the news and everything. I hope Gram and Gramp are enjoying their vacation. Ok yeah, thats good for now. Ciao!
Monday, February 18, 2008
Webshots is HERE!
Hello all! I've uploaded most all of my pictures onto an online photo album available for everyone to see. I've had most of my pictures up on facebook, but I know most people don't have Facebook and can't access it. So! You can now see my pictures. Theres I alot, I do apologize in advance.....and it is only the first month haha. Here is the link and let me know if it doesn't work. Ciao!
http://community.webshots.com/user/minib05?vhost=community
http://community.webshots.com/user/minib05?vhost=community
Internationale Filmfestspiele Berlin
As I said before, I would soon be putting my reviews and information about the Berlinale on my blog. I have linked the official Berlinale website to this post and you should be able to access by clicking on the title of this post.
So to begin, let me just briefly describe the Berlinale. The Berlinale is an International Film Festival that is hosted here in Berlin annually. This year was the 58th running of the festival. The Berlinale kicked off with the unveiling of the red carpet on Thursday, February 7. The festival lasted until yesterday, Sunday, February 17th. The festival had several categories of screening and took place in several cinemas and theatres all across Berlin. The most well known category is the Competition Category (Wettbewerb). This is the category where films are judged and receive awards at the end of the festival. Other categories included Panorama, Forum, Berlinale Special, Berlinale Shorts, Perspektive Deutsches Kino, Generation, Wiederholungnen, Retrospective, and Forum Expanded. Hundreds of films were shown, some German premiers, some European premiers, and I even got to see a couple of World Premiers. The Forum and the Forum expanded was the category of films that I was able to see. I got to see 12 screenings of films in 8 days. I was quite exciting, although some of the films weren't that good haha. So yeah, I'm gonna lists each film I saw with the description the program listed (because otherwise you might be thoroughly confused), and then post my review. I also rated each film with stars (*) on a 5 star scale. Enjoy!
1. MY WINNIPEG - By Guy Maddin (2.08.2008, 19:00) Canada, English:
Description - Winnipeg, Winnipeg, Winnipeg. "We Winnipegers are so stuperfied with Nostalgia." Their stupefication turns them into sleepwalkers. There are so many of them that they made a law: If, you due to the power of their deep spiritual kinship, they turn up at night in their old homes, the new inhabitants must take them in. My Winnipeg is a sleepwalking dream: While working on this autobiography, which is like the biography of every snowed-in place in the Canadian province of Manitoba ("a city just 4 years older than my grandmother"), Maddin found himself once again in this childhood home. Actors pose as brothers, sisters, and the family dog in the living room. In the background is the mother like aliving picture. The current inhabitant, an elderly woman, doesn't move from her armchair. If you travel into the past in Winnipeg, you can't shake the aged present. We know the passive-aggressive mother already from "Bran upon the Brain!" In that film she exerted her control using a giant telescope, here she gazes (in king-size) scrutinizingly into the window of the Canadian railway, as Winnipeg is the crosspoint. Guy Maddin's new film solidifies the idea that, looking at the totality of his work, we can speak of a Maddinesque genre: profound, unsettling, and as such primally cinematic.
My Review - Live narration was very nice, different style documentary, good film and archive footage, the shorts of Green Porno before was a good lead. I liked the mix of history and family life. Interesting, but confusing at times. ***
2. MY BROTHER'S WEDDING - By Charles Burnett (2.09.2008, 12:30) USA, English:
Description - Pierce, a young black man in Los Angeles, is caught in a moral dilemma: his successful older brother is getting married, and he's asked Pierce to be his best man. On the same day as the wedding, however, his best friend's funeral is also taking place, a criminals who was brutally murdered shortly after being released from prison. Which ceremony should Pierce attend? Last year Charles Burnett's 1977 directorial debut Killer of Sheep, one of the most important works of African-American cinema, was re-introduced at the Forum. Following this, Burnett was able to make a director's cut of hi second film. My Brother's Wedding, made in 1983, is also set in original locations, and here as well what is foregrounded is not a classical story, but an attitude to life. Pierce works in his parents' small dry cleaners, there aren't many customers, their clothes are worn to threads. The camera follows him on his way through the run-down black neighborhood of South Central. It seems like the streets have been swept empty, the people seem to have barricaded themselves into their homes, most of them have a gun in a drawer somewhere. The sound on the street is still blues and soul, and not yet hip-hop, and nobody's wearing gold chains yet, or carrying automatic weapons. Still, My Brother's Wedding can be seen as a kind of forerunner of the African-American ghetto and gangsta film.
My Review - 20 years old, but still with good film quality. The problem presented in the film goes along with the plot, but the actual storyline wasn't that good. The excitement and problem only came at the end of the film. Reminded me of Seinfeld, as a movie about nothing, only no where near as funny or amusing. Scene transitions were rather harsh. Actors were surprisingly good for ameaturs. **
3. TRIBU - By Jim Libiran (2.11.2008, 22:30) Philippinen, Tagalog:
Description - In Tondo, the gloomiest area of Manila, youth gangs dominate the street scene. Their lives consist of criminality, drugs, and hip-hop music. In the twilight of the underworld, 10-year-old Ebet observes the members of enemy gangs, whose meeting becomes inescapable and which finally leads to an explosion of raw violence. Jim Libiran is the first director in 30 years who has been able to film in Manila's notorious Tondo district. The majority of his actors were recruited from among the inhabitants of the slum, most of them members of enemy street gangs, whose enthusiasm for their acting is catching. During the shooting of the film deadly hostilities gradually turned into friendships. Tribu is not only a film, but also a social project - but mos of all a rare cinematic event, spilling over with energy. Sex and violence are here not merely the surface, but they function as a vehicle for the realistic illustration of this ignored parallel world. The authentic rap soundtrack was collectively composed by the four main actors. Tribu is fragile, edgy, and real - an independent production that is one of the best from a stong year in Philippine film
My Reveiw - Plot was ok, slow at times, fight scene very fake, but a good story and it was a believable youth lifestyle. I didn't like the camera quality, but I enjoyed the rap and soundtrack music. I liked the role of Ebet, yet was confused by it sometimes. Nice post-screening discussion with the director. ***
4. THE EXILES - By Kent Mackenzie (2.12.2008, 21:30) USA, English:
Description - Like many others of her generation of Native Americans, Yvonne grew up in a reservation before moving to Los Angeles. She shares a two-room apartment with her husband Homer and five other young Indians. Since Yvonne got pregnant, her thoughts have been constantly revolving around the future, her own and that of her baby. The men, on the other hand, live from the fleeting kicks that they find in the restless nights on the streets of downtown and in the main street bars. After researching in the native American community in Los Angeles for years, Kent Mackenzie began working with his protagonists on The Exiles in 1957. the film, which was completed three years later, is one of the first - and still very few - films about young Indians in the big city. For his empathetic observations, Mackenzie found poetic forms far from any kind of romanticizing. His graphic sense for nocturnal Los Angeles, the use of interviews with the actors as the inner monologues of the protagonists, and the soundtrack of the rock 'n' roll band "The Revels" from radios and jukeboxes make The Exiles a masterpiece of great beauty and integrity. Its restoration closes another gap in the history of independent cinema.
My Review - Slow plot and boring to whatch, no real story, bad choice for a Berlinale film, bad actors, filmography was good and the movement of scenes and the shots were nice, great restoration, but the dubbing was bad. *
5. NIRVANA - By Igor Voloshin (2.13.2008, 12:30) Russia, Russian:
Description - Fed up with her life in Moscow, nurse Alisa moves to St. Petersburg. Her roomates in the collective flat are two junkies, Valera and her boyfriend Dead Man. First they fight, but soon the two women form a tender and substantial friendship. Together they even go after the Petersburg underworld when Dead Man is abducted because he can't pay his debts. Life is hard and confusing and you have to act hard and cool if you want to get by. This attitude toward life in Nirvana doesn't serve as a sociological frame, but as an aesthetic challenge to be met. When it comes to soundtrack, location, and above all the actors, Voloshin gives proof of his sense of style and detail. The extravagant make-up and elaborate costumes in which some of the protagonists perform, the exquisite exterior shots of Petersburg, and the lavish interiors are reminiscent of a pop opera, or of Brecht reborn as a punk, once again inventing the alienation effect. And every once a while you think you spot hidden allusions in all the visual laivshness. Is it because there is a common film canon each generation shares, or does it reveal an exceptional talen? Simply both.
My Review - Best so far, good character development, good cinematography and good music. The plot development reminded me of Fight Club. The make-up and costumes reminded me of Queen Amidala from Star Wars. I didn't understand the costumes and make-up, but I liked the changing of the story and the characters. It also had a good political point of view of post-Soviet Russia. ****
6. SEAVIEW - By Paul Rowley (2.13.2008, 21:30) Ireland, English:
Description - In the postwar period, exactly 60 years ago, the seaside holiday camp Monsey was founded in Ireland to give families a temporary refuge from their everyday life. Today the place is used for another kind of place of refuge: as a home for asylum seekers, most of whom remain there for several years. "Passages are houses or walkways that have no outside - like a dream." says Walter Benjamin in the "Passagenwerk." Inside the low grey buildings is a completely equipped world of entertainment. The camera wanders dreamily through the abandoned dance hall, an empty swimming pool, through dining halls, children's play areas, along the slot machines, colorful plastic decorations, neon signs touting fish & chips. Each time before it once again stops in front of a door maked "Push Bar to Open," other spaces open up: mattrasses and bedding stacked up to the ceiling, second hand shopping clothes and shopping turn the dream into a nightmare, without transition and in unchanged pastel tones. "The new business," is how one employee refers to the change from tourism to directing a refugee camp with a seaview. At least the children have the possibility of getting education and a creative shape to their everyday life. but the stories of their parents, who came from Nigeria, Somalia, Russia, or Croatia with quite different expectations, thwart the smooth pans again and again.
My Review - Very good, great imagery and cinematography. Great interviews and stories. The were well composed with pictures and videos and music. I liked the metaphor with the seagull. Very interesting people. Great perspective coming from the idea of American immigration problems. A little too long for a documentary. Very nice. World premier? ****
7. EL CAMINO - By Ishtar Yasin Gutierrez (2.14.2008, 12:30) Costa Rica and France, Spanish:
Description - 12-year-old Saslaya and her younger brother Dario have been living with their grandfather in Nicaragua since their mother went to Costa Rica to look for work eight years ago. Saslaya, who has to work in the rubbish dumps after school and gets called to her grandfather's hammock at night, runs away with her brother. On the journey to Costa Rica they meet many different people: a street kid that they befriend of the short time that they're in the city, an older man who runs a pupper theater, immigrant who are looking for work in Costa Rica as well. With its partly documentary view, El camino no only follows the search for the mother - a search that is a reality for many children in Nicaragua - it also makes it possible to look deep into the region that the protagonists are crossing. The director Ishtar Yasin Gutierrez has conducted years of research on the children left behind by immigrants. She chose actors with a similar fate to the one her characters have experienced. It is an impressive and moving film debut that tells much more than just the story of a brother and sister's journey.
My Review - I didn't really enjoy this film. It started off nice, and the message was good, although sometimes hard to define. Cinematography wasn't the greatest. Needed more dialogue and a plot. The two men and the table were all that kept me entertained. Acting was ok. **
8. BALIKBAYAN BOX - By Mes De Guzman (2.15.2008, 19:45) Philippinen, Tagalog:
Description - Three boys grow up together in a small village. Their favorite place to spend time is the "Betamax House," an improvised cinema, located in a modest apartment block, where the owner shows pirated copies of popular Hollywood movies. But the country idyll is clouded by social problems. The poverty of the area leads not only to petty theft and emigration, but in the end it sets off a series of crimes. The title of the film refers to a social phenomenon that takes on an important function in this independently produced film: Philippnie immigrants regularly send care packages, Balikbayan boxes, back home to help out their families. Patiently and intensely, the camera observes what goes on in the village, getting a feel for everyday life, here manifest as a struggle for survival. In the process, images and gestures take on more significance than speech. the special quality of this film is seen in its mise-en-scene, as understated as it is profound. Sensitively and almost as if by chance, director de Guzman conveys the existential cares and needs of his protagonists without overtly drawing attention to them. Balikbayan Box is told in a deliberately quiet way, laying bare its characters' humanity in a way that leaves a lasting impression.
My Review - This film was also not very enjoyable and unbearingly long. It had no conceivable plot or story that could be derived from just viewing the film without reading the description. The cinematography was well done, with some nice images and shots. This film could have also used a lot more dialogue. **
9. SOUTH MAIN - By Kelly Parker (2.16.2008, 20:00) USA, English:
Description - In order to contain violence on the streets and rampant gang crime, city authorities decided in December 2004 to clear out and tear down one complete apartment block in South Central Los Angeles. The inhabitants, living below the poverty line and dependent on state support, received compensation and had to move on short notice. The film follows three African-American women, all of the single mothers, in their lives at their new homes. Latisha relates how her fiance was killed on his way home in a random shooting shortly before the move. The film gives her a full ten minutes to describe the inconceivable. It is a scene of great intensity that brings the filmmaker's attitude to a point: being there, listening, noticeably letting the time go by. No lurid wallowing in myths of the ghetto, no conjuring up of the "social powder-kep" no social kitsch, but instead a participatory, exact view, concentrating on the women themselves. Precise, strictly framed images result from this, which neither accuse us nor appeal to us but that simply show. Images from the underclass, telling of poverty and the precarious living conditions on the social periphery. Images from America at the beginning of the 21st century.
My Review - A great portrayal of a low class American life-style. The undertone was very liberal however. The way the film was shot was unique, I felt. It appeared like the audience was the interviewer, instead of simply viewing an interview in a documentary. The subjects in the film worked well for the message. It was apparent, as the director stated afterwards, taht the intial message was different from the outcome. The director seemed very amateur for a well done film. The Q & A session wasn't as good as I had hoped...she struggled a bit. ***
10. YEARS WHEN I WAS A CHILD OUTSIDE - By John Torres (2.16.2008, 22:30) Philippines:
Description - Years When I was a Child Outside (Family Multi-Channel) is, at once, a mediation. It is a meta-film that unravels into the journey of the son of best-selling self-help author Rodolfo Torres, who had pioneered the sale of instructional books and tapes to "help raise brighter children" in the Philippines during the early 1980s. Upon learning that his father bore illegitimate children, the narrator decides to run away. The film is not only a chronicle of stories through foreign regions, but also a probing letter from outside circles, an honest account of illegitimate views form uneven terrain, and a narrative-driven exploration of the nooks and peripheries of the body, geography, and weather. As the journey progresses, the film increasingly traverses the countries of revelation, film, and heart - to where all journeys are meant to end with.
My Review - Yet another Philippine movie....must be a fascination of Mark's. I liked the style of the film, and the unique and new technological approach. The live band was a perfect touch to the new viewing style of muliple projections, however I felt like they should have been used more. The movie was also far too long and the message was not clear and very boring to the point where it was stomach turning. It was such a disappointment for a new style of film presentation. *
11. IF ONE THING MATTERS - By Heiko Kalmbach (2.17.2008, 13:00) Germany, German:
Description - Wolfgang Tillmans became known during the nineties for his photos of parties and club life. His pictures had the effect of having been taken at random. Today he is one of the best-known photographers in the world. For four years, filmmaker Heiko Kalmbach followed him around with a video camera, observing his private as well as his professional life. If One Thing Matters. It is Tillmans's voice speaking and not that of any expert. In its presumed casualness, the film stays right with its protagonist, whether Tillmans is lovingly wiping the dust off his houseplants or, equally precisely and meticulously, he's putting up one of his exhibitions with the patience of Job. Of particular interest are glimpses into Tillmans's video debut for the pop band Pet Shop Boys, which make it clear that his inner readiness to fail is also what makes his success possible. Whether he's portraying dazzling stars or grey mice, Tillmans's artistic greatness is in the catching unexpected moment, for, as Tillmans says, "stuff that's thought-up will always just be thought-up stuff." by consolidating the banal and the glamourous at the same level, always catching the unexpected moment, Kalmbach successful emulates his subject.
My Review - Great film, very interesting. The documentary was well done, with great cinematography and a wonderful story line. The main subject, Wolfgang, was an entertaining character to watch and see grow. His works and messages were also brilliant. The image and sound quality of the film were also well done. It was at some point a little repetative and I got a little lost in the time-line and where he was exactly, but still a very good film. ****
12. CORROBOREE - By Ben Hackworth (2.17.2008, 19:00) Australia, English:
Description - Conor a young actor, leaves for an acting job in the countryside. Following precise instructions, he and his fellow actresses are supposed to re-enact scenes from the life of Joe, a terminally ill director. Yet the setting is more spring-like than morbid and Conor makes himself familiar not only with Joe's life but with the place, a sort of spiritual hotel. The film's title refers to an Australian Aboriginal dance ritual, and Conor comes across as an invited guest at a ritual who initially has only a vague idea of its meaning. It is the strict emphasis on form that is immanent to both, ritual and film. Hackworth fortunately refrains from conventional narrative tricks and psychohlogically one-dimensional and predictable characters. His narrative movements are circular instead of following a straight line. And the gap that is layed out in the constant double role play offers to deliberate narrative story-telling as such. The excellent ensemble makes sure that this is not a mere intellectual pleasure. Insofar as Friedrich Schiller's concept of the "Spieltrieb" (the play drive) defines playing as a link between sensual and intellectual perception, Corroboree displays a very playful director. Let's hope, he'll never grow up.
My Review - Really weird! It was almost as if I was thrown into the middle of a movie. I didn't have any sense of the story, or plot, or what was actually going on. There was good cinematography and filming as well as good actors. The character development was present, but sometimes confusing. The story even ended abruptly without explaining what was happening. Good technically, but bad writing. ***
So there ya go. Those were all the films I viewed at the Berlinale. I hope you enjoy the reviews and comment if you have any questions. I also want to tell you that the Berlinale intro to every screening was made very well and I always looked forward to seeing it for every film. There is a video sample of it on the Berlinale site.
So to begin, let me just briefly describe the Berlinale. The Berlinale is an International Film Festival that is hosted here in Berlin annually. This year was the 58th running of the festival. The Berlinale kicked off with the unveiling of the red carpet on Thursday, February 7. The festival lasted until yesterday, Sunday, February 17th. The festival had several categories of screening and took place in several cinemas and theatres all across Berlin. The most well known category is the Competition Category (Wettbewerb). This is the category where films are judged and receive awards at the end of the festival. Other categories included Panorama, Forum, Berlinale Special, Berlinale Shorts, Perspektive Deutsches Kino, Generation, Wiederholungnen, Retrospective, and Forum Expanded. Hundreds of films were shown, some German premiers, some European premiers, and I even got to see a couple of World Premiers. The Forum and the Forum expanded was the category of films that I was able to see. I got to see 12 screenings of films in 8 days. I was quite exciting, although some of the films weren't that good haha. So yeah, I'm gonna lists each film I saw with the description the program listed (because otherwise you might be thoroughly confused), and then post my review. I also rated each film with stars (*) on a 5 star scale. Enjoy!
1. MY WINNIPEG - By Guy Maddin (2.08.2008, 19:00) Canada, English:
Description - Winnipeg, Winnipeg, Winnipeg. "We Winnipegers are so stuperfied with Nostalgia." Their stupefication turns them into sleepwalkers. There are so many of them that they made a law: If, you due to the power of their deep spiritual kinship, they turn up at night in their old homes, the new inhabitants must take them in. My Winnipeg is a sleepwalking dream: While working on this autobiography, which is like the biography of every snowed-in place in the Canadian province of Manitoba ("a city just 4 years older than my grandmother"), Maddin found himself once again in this childhood home. Actors pose as brothers, sisters, and the family dog in the living room. In the background is the mother like aliving picture. The current inhabitant, an elderly woman, doesn't move from her armchair. If you travel into the past in Winnipeg, you can't shake the aged present. We know the passive-aggressive mother already from "Bran upon the Brain!" In that film she exerted her control using a giant telescope, here she gazes (in king-size) scrutinizingly into the window of the Canadian railway, as Winnipeg is the crosspoint. Guy Maddin's new film solidifies the idea that, looking at the totality of his work, we can speak of a Maddinesque genre: profound, unsettling, and as such primally cinematic.
My Review - Live narration was very nice, different style documentary, good film and archive footage, the shorts of Green Porno before was a good lead. I liked the mix of history and family life. Interesting, but confusing at times. ***
2. MY BROTHER'S WEDDING - By Charles Burnett (2.09.2008, 12:30) USA, English:
Description - Pierce, a young black man in Los Angeles, is caught in a moral dilemma: his successful older brother is getting married, and he's asked Pierce to be his best man. On the same day as the wedding, however, his best friend's funeral is also taking place, a criminals who was brutally murdered shortly after being released from prison. Which ceremony should Pierce attend? Last year Charles Burnett's 1977 directorial debut Killer of Sheep, one of the most important works of African-American cinema, was re-introduced at the Forum. Following this, Burnett was able to make a director's cut of hi second film. My Brother's Wedding, made in 1983, is also set in original locations, and here as well what is foregrounded is not a classical story, but an attitude to life. Pierce works in his parents' small dry cleaners, there aren't many customers, their clothes are worn to threads. The camera follows him on his way through the run-down black neighborhood of South Central. It seems like the streets have been swept empty, the people seem to have barricaded themselves into their homes, most of them have a gun in a drawer somewhere. The sound on the street is still blues and soul, and not yet hip-hop, and nobody's wearing gold chains yet, or carrying automatic weapons. Still, My Brother's Wedding can be seen as a kind of forerunner of the African-American ghetto and gangsta film.
My Review - 20 years old, but still with good film quality. The problem presented in the film goes along with the plot, but the actual storyline wasn't that good. The excitement and problem only came at the end of the film. Reminded me of Seinfeld, as a movie about nothing, only no where near as funny or amusing. Scene transitions were rather harsh. Actors were surprisingly good for ameaturs. **
3. TRIBU - By Jim Libiran (2.11.2008, 22:30) Philippinen, Tagalog:
Description - In Tondo, the gloomiest area of Manila, youth gangs dominate the street scene. Their lives consist of criminality, drugs, and hip-hop music. In the twilight of the underworld, 10-year-old Ebet observes the members of enemy gangs, whose meeting becomes inescapable and which finally leads to an explosion of raw violence. Jim Libiran is the first director in 30 years who has been able to film in Manila's notorious Tondo district. The majority of his actors were recruited from among the inhabitants of the slum, most of them members of enemy street gangs, whose enthusiasm for their acting is catching. During the shooting of the film deadly hostilities gradually turned into friendships. Tribu is not only a film, but also a social project - but mos of all a rare cinematic event, spilling over with energy. Sex and violence are here not merely the surface, but they function as a vehicle for the realistic illustration of this ignored parallel world. The authentic rap soundtrack was collectively composed by the four main actors. Tribu is fragile, edgy, and real - an independent production that is one of the best from a stong year in Philippine film
My Reveiw - Plot was ok, slow at times, fight scene very fake, but a good story and it was a believable youth lifestyle. I didn't like the camera quality, but I enjoyed the rap and soundtrack music. I liked the role of Ebet, yet was confused by it sometimes. Nice post-screening discussion with the director. ***
4. THE EXILES - By Kent Mackenzie (2.12.2008, 21:30) USA, English:
Description - Like many others of her generation of Native Americans, Yvonne grew up in a reservation before moving to Los Angeles. She shares a two-room apartment with her husband Homer and five other young Indians. Since Yvonne got pregnant, her thoughts have been constantly revolving around the future, her own and that of her baby. The men, on the other hand, live from the fleeting kicks that they find in the restless nights on the streets of downtown and in the main street bars. After researching in the native American community in Los Angeles for years, Kent Mackenzie began working with his protagonists on The Exiles in 1957. the film, which was completed three years later, is one of the first - and still very few - films about young Indians in the big city. For his empathetic observations, Mackenzie found poetic forms far from any kind of romanticizing. His graphic sense for nocturnal Los Angeles, the use of interviews with the actors as the inner monologues of the protagonists, and the soundtrack of the rock 'n' roll band "The Revels" from radios and jukeboxes make The Exiles a masterpiece of great beauty and integrity. Its restoration closes another gap in the history of independent cinema.
My Review - Slow plot and boring to whatch, no real story, bad choice for a Berlinale film, bad actors, filmography was good and the movement of scenes and the shots were nice, great restoration, but the dubbing was bad. *
5. NIRVANA - By Igor Voloshin (2.13.2008, 12:30) Russia, Russian:
Description - Fed up with her life in Moscow, nurse Alisa moves to St. Petersburg. Her roomates in the collective flat are two junkies, Valera and her boyfriend Dead Man. First they fight, but soon the two women form a tender and substantial friendship. Together they even go after the Petersburg underworld when Dead Man is abducted because he can't pay his debts. Life is hard and confusing and you have to act hard and cool if you want to get by. This attitude toward life in Nirvana doesn't serve as a sociological frame, but as an aesthetic challenge to be met. When it comes to soundtrack, location, and above all the actors, Voloshin gives proof of his sense of style and detail. The extravagant make-up and elaborate costumes in which some of the protagonists perform, the exquisite exterior shots of Petersburg, and the lavish interiors are reminiscent of a pop opera, or of Brecht reborn as a punk, once again inventing the alienation effect. And every once a while you think you spot hidden allusions in all the visual laivshness. Is it because there is a common film canon each generation shares, or does it reveal an exceptional talen? Simply both.
My Review - Best so far, good character development, good cinematography and good music. The plot development reminded me of Fight Club. The make-up and costumes reminded me of Queen Amidala from Star Wars. I didn't understand the costumes and make-up, but I liked the changing of the story and the characters. It also had a good political point of view of post-Soviet Russia. ****
6. SEAVIEW - By Paul Rowley (2.13.2008, 21:30) Ireland, English:
Description - In the postwar period, exactly 60 years ago, the seaside holiday camp Monsey was founded in Ireland to give families a temporary refuge from their everyday life. Today the place is used for another kind of place of refuge: as a home for asylum seekers, most of whom remain there for several years. "Passages are houses or walkways that have no outside - like a dream." says Walter Benjamin in the "Passagenwerk." Inside the low grey buildings is a completely equipped world of entertainment. The camera wanders dreamily through the abandoned dance hall, an empty swimming pool, through dining halls, children's play areas, along the slot machines, colorful plastic decorations, neon signs touting fish & chips. Each time before it once again stops in front of a door maked "Push Bar to Open," other spaces open up: mattrasses and bedding stacked up to the ceiling, second hand shopping clothes and shopping turn the dream into a nightmare, without transition and in unchanged pastel tones. "The new business," is how one employee refers to the change from tourism to directing a refugee camp with a seaview. At least the children have the possibility of getting education and a creative shape to their everyday life. but the stories of their parents, who came from Nigeria, Somalia, Russia, or Croatia with quite different expectations, thwart the smooth pans again and again.
My Review - Very good, great imagery and cinematography. Great interviews and stories. The were well composed with pictures and videos and music. I liked the metaphor with the seagull. Very interesting people. Great perspective coming from the idea of American immigration problems. A little too long for a documentary. Very nice. World premier? ****
7. EL CAMINO - By Ishtar Yasin Gutierrez (2.14.2008, 12:30) Costa Rica and France, Spanish:
Description - 12-year-old Saslaya and her younger brother Dario have been living with their grandfather in Nicaragua since their mother went to Costa Rica to look for work eight years ago. Saslaya, who has to work in the rubbish dumps after school and gets called to her grandfather's hammock at night, runs away with her brother. On the journey to Costa Rica they meet many different people: a street kid that they befriend of the short time that they're in the city, an older man who runs a pupper theater, immigrant who are looking for work in Costa Rica as well. With its partly documentary view, El camino no only follows the search for the mother - a search that is a reality for many children in Nicaragua - it also makes it possible to look deep into the region that the protagonists are crossing. The director Ishtar Yasin Gutierrez has conducted years of research on the children left behind by immigrants. She chose actors with a similar fate to the one her characters have experienced. It is an impressive and moving film debut that tells much more than just the story of a brother and sister's journey.
My Review - I didn't really enjoy this film. It started off nice, and the message was good, although sometimes hard to define. Cinematography wasn't the greatest. Needed more dialogue and a plot. The two men and the table were all that kept me entertained. Acting was ok. **
8. BALIKBAYAN BOX - By Mes De Guzman (2.15.2008, 19:45) Philippinen, Tagalog:
Description - Three boys grow up together in a small village. Their favorite place to spend time is the "Betamax House," an improvised cinema, located in a modest apartment block, where the owner shows pirated copies of popular Hollywood movies. But the country idyll is clouded by social problems. The poverty of the area leads not only to petty theft and emigration, but in the end it sets off a series of crimes. The title of the film refers to a social phenomenon that takes on an important function in this independently produced film: Philippnie immigrants regularly send care packages, Balikbayan boxes, back home to help out their families. Patiently and intensely, the camera observes what goes on in the village, getting a feel for everyday life, here manifest as a struggle for survival. In the process, images and gestures take on more significance than speech. the special quality of this film is seen in its mise-en-scene, as understated as it is profound. Sensitively and almost as if by chance, director de Guzman conveys the existential cares and needs of his protagonists without overtly drawing attention to them. Balikbayan Box is told in a deliberately quiet way, laying bare its characters' humanity in a way that leaves a lasting impression.
My Review - This film was also not very enjoyable and unbearingly long. It had no conceivable plot or story that could be derived from just viewing the film without reading the description. The cinematography was well done, with some nice images and shots. This film could have also used a lot more dialogue. **
9. SOUTH MAIN - By Kelly Parker (2.16.2008, 20:00) USA, English:
Description - In order to contain violence on the streets and rampant gang crime, city authorities decided in December 2004 to clear out and tear down one complete apartment block in South Central Los Angeles. The inhabitants, living below the poverty line and dependent on state support, received compensation and had to move on short notice. The film follows three African-American women, all of the single mothers, in their lives at their new homes. Latisha relates how her fiance was killed on his way home in a random shooting shortly before the move. The film gives her a full ten minutes to describe the inconceivable. It is a scene of great intensity that brings the filmmaker's attitude to a point: being there, listening, noticeably letting the time go by. No lurid wallowing in myths of the ghetto, no conjuring up of the "social powder-kep" no social kitsch, but instead a participatory, exact view, concentrating on the women themselves. Precise, strictly framed images result from this, which neither accuse us nor appeal to us but that simply show. Images from the underclass, telling of poverty and the precarious living conditions on the social periphery. Images from America at the beginning of the 21st century.
My Review - A great portrayal of a low class American life-style. The undertone was very liberal however. The way the film was shot was unique, I felt. It appeared like the audience was the interviewer, instead of simply viewing an interview in a documentary. The subjects in the film worked well for the message. It was apparent, as the director stated afterwards, taht the intial message was different from the outcome. The director seemed very amateur for a well done film. The Q & A session wasn't as good as I had hoped...she struggled a bit. ***
10. YEARS WHEN I WAS A CHILD OUTSIDE - By John Torres (2.16.2008, 22:30) Philippines:
Description - Years When I was a Child Outside (Family Multi-Channel) is, at once, a mediation. It is a meta-film that unravels into the journey of the son of best-selling self-help author Rodolfo Torres, who had pioneered the sale of instructional books and tapes to "help raise brighter children" in the Philippines during the early 1980s. Upon learning that his father bore illegitimate children, the narrator decides to run away. The film is not only a chronicle of stories through foreign regions, but also a probing letter from outside circles, an honest account of illegitimate views form uneven terrain, and a narrative-driven exploration of the nooks and peripheries of the body, geography, and weather. As the journey progresses, the film increasingly traverses the countries of revelation, film, and heart - to where all journeys are meant to end with.
My Review - Yet another Philippine movie....must be a fascination of Mark's. I liked the style of the film, and the unique and new technological approach. The live band was a perfect touch to the new viewing style of muliple projections, however I felt like they should have been used more. The movie was also far too long and the message was not clear and very boring to the point where it was stomach turning. It was such a disappointment for a new style of film presentation. *
11. IF ONE THING MATTERS - By Heiko Kalmbach (2.17.2008, 13:00) Germany, German:
Description - Wolfgang Tillmans became known during the nineties for his photos of parties and club life. His pictures had the effect of having been taken at random. Today he is one of the best-known photographers in the world. For four years, filmmaker Heiko Kalmbach followed him around with a video camera, observing his private as well as his professional life. If One Thing Matters. It is Tillmans's voice speaking and not that of any expert. In its presumed casualness, the film stays right with its protagonist, whether Tillmans is lovingly wiping the dust off his houseplants or, equally precisely and meticulously, he's putting up one of his exhibitions with the patience of Job. Of particular interest are glimpses into Tillmans's video debut for the pop band Pet Shop Boys, which make it clear that his inner readiness to fail is also what makes his success possible. Whether he's portraying dazzling stars or grey mice, Tillmans's artistic greatness is in the catching unexpected moment, for, as Tillmans says, "stuff that's thought-up will always just be thought-up stuff." by consolidating the banal and the glamourous at the same level, always catching the unexpected moment, Kalmbach successful emulates his subject.
My Review - Great film, very interesting. The documentary was well done, with great cinematography and a wonderful story line. The main subject, Wolfgang, was an entertaining character to watch and see grow. His works and messages were also brilliant. The image and sound quality of the film were also well done. It was at some point a little repetative and I got a little lost in the time-line and where he was exactly, but still a very good film. ****
12. CORROBOREE - By Ben Hackworth (2.17.2008, 19:00) Australia, English:
Description - Conor a young actor, leaves for an acting job in the countryside. Following precise instructions, he and his fellow actresses are supposed to re-enact scenes from the life of Joe, a terminally ill director. Yet the setting is more spring-like than morbid and Conor makes himself familiar not only with Joe's life but with the place, a sort of spiritual hotel. The film's title refers to an Australian Aboriginal dance ritual, and Conor comes across as an invited guest at a ritual who initially has only a vague idea of its meaning. It is the strict emphasis on form that is immanent to both, ritual and film. Hackworth fortunately refrains from conventional narrative tricks and psychohlogically one-dimensional and predictable characters. His narrative movements are circular instead of following a straight line. And the gap that is layed out in the constant double role play offers to deliberate narrative story-telling as such. The excellent ensemble makes sure that this is not a mere intellectual pleasure. Insofar as Friedrich Schiller's concept of the "Spieltrieb" (the play drive) defines playing as a link between sensual and intellectual perception, Corroboree displays a very playful director. Let's hope, he'll never grow up.
My Review - Really weird! It was almost as if I was thrown into the middle of a movie. I didn't have any sense of the story, or plot, or what was actually going on. There was good cinematography and filming as well as good actors. The character development was present, but sometimes confusing. The story even ended abruptly without explaining what was happening. Good technically, but bad writing. ***
So there ya go. Those were all the films I viewed at the Berlinale. I hope you enjoy the reviews and comment if you have any questions. I also want to tell you that the Berlinale intro to every screening was made very well and I always looked forward to seeing it for every film. There is a video sample of it on the Berlinale site.
Sunday, February 17, 2008
The Last Few Days
Again, its been a few days since I last posted. But! I'm getting better and better. This week has been pretty fun and unique. I've had my mornings free to get breakfast and do some work, then get some lunch or see a film, then have some German, then go to more screenings. I've been getting back pretty late too, because some of the screenings have been till 10:30 at night or so. Some have been good, and some not so good. I've already seen one screening today, and I have another one in a few hours. That will be the last of the films and the Berlinale. The awards for the competition films, the Bären, took place last night. I didn't get to see any of the competition films and I'm not sure what the results were. I'll have my reviews and everything up for the Berlinale after my last film and will post it probably tomorrow or Tuesday.
To get on with things though, Thursday was a pretty busy day. I got up early to get some work done and do a little shopping at the store around the corner. Then we had a screening of a film that afternoon at 12:30. Thinking back now, I can't quite remember what film it was we saw on that afternoon. If I recall, it wasn't very good. After the film we had to quickly rush across town to make it to our 2:30 German class. We got there a little late but Dagmar (the professor) was more than understanding and was excited to hear from us how the film was......in German of course. After class, I had a meeting with my allergist to talk about getting my shots at 6:00PM. That went ok. He said he would have to talk to Dr. Musmand back in Maine and I actually had to wait in the office for quite a while. Then I just had to go down the street for another class at 7:30. This class was with a Dutch professor, yet he has spent more time in the States than I have, and it was quite interesting. We watched a short documentary and discussed "Mauer im Kopf." This is the idea of unification and the lack of a Wall and how Germans coped with two cultures - East and West. After that, we had our invitations to a Berlinale Party for the Forum Films. This was a lot of fun. Many of the actors and directors were there, although I didn't really recognize much of them and the ones I did recognize, I didn't want to tell them that their film sucked. But it was fun with my friends and our program director actually showed up and we got to hang out with her for most of the night too. It went way too late for my liking though. We didn't get there till about 11 because our class ran till 10PM. And the subways here stopped at 1AM and began again at 4AM. So we either had to leave the party really early, or stay really late. We ended staying really late and took the first UBahn train home.
Friday morning I got up about the same time to do some work then I had to pick up some more tickets for films during the weekend before another movie at 12:30. After this movie, we again had to rush to German class where we watched a classic movie in class called "Good Bye Lenin." We discussed the film afterwards in German and got some homework. After that we went back to Potsdamer Platz to see another film. We were supposed to see two, but myself and another kid could only get tickets to the first one. So we called it an early night.
On Saturday I had to go back to Potsdamer Platz in the morning to get more tickets for Sunday films. I met another kid there to pick them up then we didn't really have anything to do till later in the afternoon. So, to make a boring story short, we went back to his place, had nutella sandwiches, watched some BBC, then went to a cafe to meet up with some other students, then we all went to the Olympia Stadion to see a Fußball (soccer) game. We had tickets to see the local Berlin team play, Hertha - BSC. They played a team called Bielefeld. It was quite the experience. European football doesn't really compare to any sport in the States. The Berlin team ended up winning the game 1:0 with a goal in stoppage time. The crowd went nuts and the fans and subways were crazy for the next couple of hours. After getting some dinner, we went and saw to more screenings in Potsdamer Platz.
This morning, I got up fairly early. I wanted to get some things done and wanted to go out for some breakfast. I went to a local cafe down the street where I'd been once before. The owner was really nice and I had told him that I would be back. So, I went there (it was actually one of the only places open too) and had a wicked good breakfast and got some work and reading done in the cafe. The owner even gave me my glass of OJ for free on the house. I'll definately be going back there again. I went to another screening at 1:00PM today with two other kids and this was a good screening. Now I'm back in the apartment, doing some writing, some reading, some catching up.....you know. My final screening is tonight at 7:00PM. So when I'm done this I'm gonna do a little more reading, then go grab some dinner and see my final movie.
So on that note. I'll be getting back to you all with my thoughts and writings about the Berlinale.
P.S. - My roomate Brain is pretty into photography and has his own website. You should check it out. Heres the link.
http://www.thewanderingarchitect.com/index.html
To get on with things though, Thursday was a pretty busy day. I got up early to get some work done and do a little shopping at the store around the corner. Then we had a screening of a film that afternoon at 12:30. Thinking back now, I can't quite remember what film it was we saw on that afternoon. If I recall, it wasn't very good. After the film we had to quickly rush across town to make it to our 2:30 German class. We got there a little late but Dagmar (the professor) was more than understanding and was excited to hear from us how the film was......in German of course. After class, I had a meeting with my allergist to talk about getting my shots at 6:00PM. That went ok. He said he would have to talk to Dr. Musmand back in Maine and I actually had to wait in the office for quite a while. Then I just had to go down the street for another class at 7:30. This class was with a Dutch professor, yet he has spent more time in the States than I have, and it was quite interesting. We watched a short documentary and discussed "Mauer im Kopf." This is the idea of unification and the lack of a Wall and how Germans coped with two cultures - East and West. After that, we had our invitations to a Berlinale Party for the Forum Films. This was a lot of fun. Many of the actors and directors were there, although I didn't really recognize much of them and the ones I did recognize, I didn't want to tell them that their film sucked. But it was fun with my friends and our program director actually showed up and we got to hang out with her for most of the night too. It went way too late for my liking though. We didn't get there till about 11 because our class ran till 10PM. And the subways here stopped at 1AM and began again at 4AM. So we either had to leave the party really early, or stay really late. We ended staying really late and took the first UBahn train home.
Friday morning I got up about the same time to do some work then I had to pick up some more tickets for films during the weekend before another movie at 12:30. After this movie, we again had to rush to German class where we watched a classic movie in class called "Good Bye Lenin." We discussed the film afterwards in German and got some homework. After that we went back to Potsdamer Platz to see another film. We were supposed to see two, but myself and another kid could only get tickets to the first one. So we called it an early night.
On Saturday I had to go back to Potsdamer Platz in the morning to get more tickets for Sunday films. I met another kid there to pick them up then we didn't really have anything to do till later in the afternoon. So, to make a boring story short, we went back to his place, had nutella sandwiches, watched some BBC, then went to a cafe to meet up with some other students, then we all went to the Olympia Stadion to see a Fußball (soccer) game. We had tickets to see the local Berlin team play, Hertha - BSC. They played a team called Bielefeld. It was quite the experience. European football doesn't really compare to any sport in the States. The Berlin team ended up winning the game 1:0 with a goal in stoppage time. The crowd went nuts and the fans and subways were crazy for the next couple of hours. After getting some dinner, we went and saw to more screenings in Potsdamer Platz.
This morning, I got up fairly early. I wanted to get some things done and wanted to go out for some breakfast. I went to a local cafe down the street where I'd been once before. The owner was really nice and I had told him that I would be back. So, I went there (it was actually one of the only places open too) and had a wicked good breakfast and got some work and reading done in the cafe. The owner even gave me my glass of OJ for free on the house. I'll definately be going back there again. I went to another screening at 1:00PM today with two other kids and this was a good screening. Now I'm back in the apartment, doing some writing, some reading, some catching up.....you know. My final screening is tonight at 7:00PM. So when I'm done this I'm gonna do a little more reading, then go grab some dinner and see my final movie.
So on that note. I'll be getting back to you all with my thoughts and writings about the Berlinale.
P.S. - My roomate Brain is pretty into photography and has his own website. You should check it out. Heres the link.
http://www.thewanderingarchitect.com/index.html
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Kitchens and Monsey
I've seen quite a few apartments now in Germany, and I've seen pictures of kitchens from other places around Europe and I've gotta say.....they all look the same! Not in the sense of the layout, but whats in them. There are several important "kitchen items" in a European kitchen that you just don't see in the States. For starters, every one has a juicer. Not an electric one either, a hand one. Everyone has a magnetic strip on the wall, about a foot long, where they keep all the different cooking knives. I've found this very handy. Everyone keeps there cutting board and bread knife out all the time and in a very accessible area. Everyone has a coffee maker, but they're not like coffee makers back in the States either. They're pressure coffee makers (I think this is why the coffee tastes so good) and they're either electric or stove top. More kitchens here have gas stoves than electric stoves. Ummm, yeah so thats what I think about that.
I also wanted to say something about the film I saw last night. It was called Seaview and is one of the best films I've seen so far. Both the films I had to see yesterday were the best so far. Last nights film was a documentary in the traditional sense about an asylum and refugee seeker center. It used to be a former vacation center called Seaview in Ireland, but now is the home of about 800 persons seeking asylum in Ireland and was renamed Monsey. Anyways, just wanted to note on that. I'll be putting my reviews up in a few days. You could google or youtube the films I've seen to read descriptions, see samples, or whatever when I've got the names up.
Bis Später
I also wanted to say something about the film I saw last night. It was called Seaview and is one of the best films I've seen so far. Both the films I had to see yesterday were the best so far. Last nights film was a documentary in the traditional sense about an asylum and refugee seeker center. It used to be a former vacation center called Seaview in Ireland, but now is the home of about 800 persons seeking asylum in Ireland and was renamed Monsey. Anyways, just wanted to note on that. I'll be putting my reviews up in a few days. You could google or youtube the films I've seen to read descriptions, see samples, or whatever when I've got the names up.
Bis Später
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Good So Far
It's been a good week so far. We haven't have any morning classes at all this week since we're attending the Berlinale. All the films I had to see were at night and my German class doesn't start till 2:30 so It's been nice just sleeping in or getting some work done in the morning. Today is our earliest screening so far. It starts at 12:30 and is called Nirvana. Its a Russian film and looks pretty interesting. Yesterday a bunch of us got together and made breakfast before German class. Class has been pretty fun. We're learning what we want to learn, and then she teach us the necessary grammar and vocab for our level as we go along. I like the combination. It got a lot colder this week than than this past weekend. It's been kinda overcast too.
It was nice to hear that CPAC 2008 was a blast and to hear from CR's back home. Its been a different kind of busy over hear. No meetings or discussions or lots of emails to right....almost feels like vacation over here haha.
Tomorrow night we've all been invited to a special Berlinale Forum Party. That starts at 10:30, so looking forward to that. Good thing I won't have to get up early Friday morning. Oh, and along the way we've had to take notes of the films we've viewed and I've been doing mine in "movie review" style. I'll post the films I've seen and my review once the Berlinale is finished. We're supposed to go see a fussball game (soccer) Saturday too as long as we don't have any more films to see. Hopefully not haha. Well, till next time.
Ciao!
It was nice to hear that CPAC 2008 was a blast and to hear from CR's back home. Its been a different kind of busy over hear. No meetings or discussions or lots of emails to right....almost feels like vacation over here haha.
Tomorrow night we've all been invited to a special Berlinale Forum Party. That starts at 10:30, so looking forward to that. Good thing I won't have to get up early Friday morning. Oh, and along the way we've had to take notes of the films we've viewed and I've been doing mine in "movie review" style. I'll post the films I've seen and my review once the Berlinale is finished. We're supposed to go see a fussball game (soccer) Saturday too as long as we don't have any more films to see. Hopefully not haha. Well, till next time.
Ciao!
Sunday, February 10, 2008
Stuff I Forgot
The last post had so much in it, yet I still forgot a few things I had noted that I wanted to mention.
I wanted to mention that I find the "dog culture" of Berlin very different than that of the States. We've done a ton of walking in Germany so far and everywhere we go we seem to see dogs. I taken a few pictures of some I like. But anyways, what I find interesting is the lack of "dog laws" and the unbelievable obedience of dogs here. Most everyone who is walking around with their dogs, whether its in the busy districts or the community neighborhoods, doesn't have their dogs on leashes. However, I have yet to see a dog wonder from its owner or bother anyone else. They stick to the side of the owner or follow close behind. They're so well trained its amazing. The dogs here are absolutely beautiful too. The only thing I don't like, is that the dogs are allowed to just shit anyway on the sidewalks. Kinda gross and makes you watch where you're walking all the time.
I also wanted to note that I've decided I want to save this summer for a really nice camera. I'm loving this photography stuff and would love an upgrade. So I guess that means that I'll be the photo guy from now on at all family functions haha. Maybe even a class next semester.....we'll see.
......Das ist alles
I wanted to mention that I find the "dog culture" of Berlin very different than that of the States. We've done a ton of walking in Germany so far and everywhere we go we seem to see dogs. I taken a few pictures of some I like. But anyways, what I find interesting is the lack of "dog laws" and the unbelievable obedience of dogs here. Most everyone who is walking around with their dogs, whether its in the busy districts or the community neighborhoods, doesn't have their dogs on leashes. However, I have yet to see a dog wonder from its owner or bother anyone else. They stick to the side of the owner or follow close behind. They're so well trained its amazing. The dogs here are absolutely beautiful too. The only thing I don't like, is that the dogs are allowed to just shit anyway on the sidewalks. Kinda gross and makes you watch where you're walking all the time.
I also wanted to note that I've decided I want to save this summer for a really nice camera. I'm loving this photography stuff and would love an upgrade. So I guess that means that I'll be the photo guy from now on at all family functions haha. Maybe even a class next semester.....we'll see.
......Das ist alles
Ein Ganz Woch
Jetzt! Heute habe ich Freizeit ins Blog zuschreiben. I've finally got some time now to do some writing in my blog. I always find that when I actually get time to go online I never have enough to update the blog so I don't even bother. So be prepared for a long read. This post is going to be chucker-block full of things I did this whole week. I'll probably start with Monday, since thats where I left off.
So! We started our German classes this week and finally had, for the most part, a set schedule. Everyday this week, Monday through Friday, I had German class from 2:30 to 5:45. It's not too too hard and actually its quite fun. We're learning the basics, but also we made a list of topics to talk about and learn and we've actually stuck to it. There are only 4 other people in my class. I'm in the intermediate class. All the other students in the program are in the beginners level program since they've never had any German. My favorite part of the class is our "Kaffepause" - coffee break.
We've only had one other class during the day this week and they didn't start till 10:00 AM so thats pretty nice. Monday and Tuesday morning we had History class from 10-12. These classes are held at the Freie Universitaet and taught by a German professor. Hes pretty funny and WICKED smart. He's published over 30 books and is a well respected professor in Germany. His name is Wolfgang Wippermann. There are sometimes only 3 people in the class with as many as 5, depending on what the 2 visual culture students have for class. Wednesday and Thursday I had an Art History seminar from 10-12. This class has 5 students in it also, us 3 area studies students and the 2 visual cultures. Our classes are held at various art museums and is quite interesting. The classes are so small that its almost like private tutoring and the setting is so unique. Having classes in a museum is really remarkable. I've taken an Art History class at RWU, but nothing compares to this. Instead of looking at slides of famous art and architecture, we're actually staring face-to-face with the actual original pieces of art and architecture and analysing them in the perfect museum setting. We examined them out on the floor of the museums but we've also done so in special rooms. Tuesday we looked at original sketches done by several artists about WWI and the impact it had on Germans. It reminded me of the scene from Dan Brown's book "Angels and Demons" when they're analyzing texts in the sealed rooms for the Vatican Archives.
Friday morning we didn't have any classes until 12:30. We had our photography class then of course German. We had a photo project due Friday. It was a Photo Essay of our neighborhoods and/or living space and mine came out quite good. The professor, Mark Simon, was impressed with my work for never having any photography lessons or training. I actually even had one photo, it was my favorite too, that tricked him. The way I had shot it made it look like a black and white, which he thought it was, but it was actually in color. Mark also set us up and explained to us the upcoming Berlinale Festival and what movies we were going to watch that night and the weekend.
When I wasn't in class that during the week, I was either catching lunch in Potsdamer Platz or a cafe with some of the students or spending some time at the mall because we had to get our photos printed. Friday morning I went to the 1Euro store near my apartment and picked some things up, made some, lunch, then headed to a cafe to get some work done before class at 12:30.
The first film we saw for the Berlinale was My Winnipeg. This was a documentary done about Winnipeg, Canada. It was surprisingly good. It was a rather unorthodox documentary; mixing the traditional filming style of documentaries with movie style filming. It was also narrated live by the director, which I really liked, and was the European premier. We also witnessed the a "teaser" of the European premier of Green Porno. These were shorts about insect reproductions made by Isabella Rosellini.
Saturday we were supposed to see two Films. I got up around 10 or so and made it to the theatre and got tickets with the other students to see our film at 12:30. We viewed a film made in the 80's called "My Brother's Wedding." This film was rather boring, with no plot and the problem only appearing until the last 20 minutes of the film, but it also had some decent acting for amateaurs and I liked the aspect of viewing a really old film. Later that night, at 20:00 we were supposed to see a film called Leo. This was a Swedish film but we didn't get to see but because it was widely popular and sold out really fast. Instead, myself and some of the other kids met up with my roomate and another student, Meredith at a bar in our neighborhood called Slumberland. This was a pretty cool bar with very good beer. It was a rege bar (spelling), with good music and the floor was all beach sand - pretty cool huh. After that we called it a pretty early night at mitnacht (midnight).
Todayyyyy was a really good day. The sun was out in almost full force and it was really warm. It was about 11 degrees celcius (low 50's F). I slept till about 11:00, made some eggs for breakfast, which I had been craving then grabbed my camera and some things and headed out. I had decided earlier that if it was going to be nice out I wanted to go roaming and taking pictures. Ever since this photography class started I've been pretty interested in taking pictures and getting good at photography. Soooo I went out and just walked around my neighborhood and Potsdamer Platz snapping pictures. I also stopped at a cafe to get a Tassee Kaffee and do some people watching for another assignment. I got some great pictures I think and it was a lot of fun. I did want to do some laundry today too, but I needed to get detergent and NO stores were open so that fell through. Hardly anything is open on Sunday, except for the stores in the business and tourist districts.
So I'm getting pretty hungry now and I know this is long and I have some other things to do, sooo I'm going to wrap it up. We have another movie to see tonight at 20:00 so I gotta get ready for that too. I'll try and update more often. So check back later or just send me an email. Miss everyone.
Biss Spaeter
So! We started our German classes this week and finally had, for the most part, a set schedule. Everyday this week, Monday through Friday, I had German class from 2:30 to 5:45. It's not too too hard and actually its quite fun. We're learning the basics, but also we made a list of topics to talk about and learn and we've actually stuck to it. There are only 4 other people in my class. I'm in the intermediate class. All the other students in the program are in the beginners level program since they've never had any German. My favorite part of the class is our "Kaffepause" - coffee break.
We've only had one other class during the day this week and they didn't start till 10:00 AM so thats pretty nice. Monday and Tuesday morning we had History class from 10-12. These classes are held at the Freie Universitaet and taught by a German professor. Hes pretty funny and WICKED smart. He's published over 30 books and is a well respected professor in Germany. His name is Wolfgang Wippermann. There are sometimes only 3 people in the class with as many as 5, depending on what the 2 visual culture students have for class. Wednesday and Thursday I had an Art History seminar from 10-12. This class has 5 students in it also, us 3 area studies students and the 2 visual cultures. Our classes are held at various art museums and is quite interesting. The classes are so small that its almost like private tutoring and the setting is so unique. Having classes in a museum is really remarkable. I've taken an Art History class at RWU, but nothing compares to this. Instead of looking at slides of famous art and architecture, we're actually staring face-to-face with the actual original pieces of art and architecture and analysing them in the perfect museum setting. We examined them out on the floor of the museums but we've also done so in special rooms. Tuesday we looked at original sketches done by several artists about WWI and the impact it had on Germans. It reminded me of the scene from Dan Brown's book "Angels and Demons" when they're analyzing texts in the sealed rooms for the Vatican Archives.
Friday morning we didn't have any classes until 12:30. We had our photography class then of course German. We had a photo project due Friday. It was a Photo Essay of our neighborhoods and/or living space and mine came out quite good. The professor, Mark Simon, was impressed with my work for never having any photography lessons or training. I actually even had one photo, it was my favorite too, that tricked him. The way I had shot it made it look like a black and white, which he thought it was, but it was actually in color. Mark also set us up and explained to us the upcoming Berlinale Festival and what movies we were going to watch that night and the weekend.
When I wasn't in class that during the week, I was either catching lunch in Potsdamer Platz or a cafe with some of the students or spending some time at the mall because we had to get our photos printed. Friday morning I went to the 1Euro store near my apartment and picked some things up, made some, lunch, then headed to a cafe to get some work done before class at 12:30.
The first film we saw for the Berlinale was My Winnipeg. This was a documentary done about Winnipeg, Canada. It was surprisingly good. It was a rather unorthodox documentary; mixing the traditional filming style of documentaries with movie style filming. It was also narrated live by the director, which I really liked, and was the European premier. We also witnessed the a "teaser" of the European premier of Green Porno. These were shorts about insect reproductions made by Isabella Rosellini.
Saturday we were supposed to see two Films. I got up around 10 or so and made it to the theatre and got tickets with the other students to see our film at 12:30. We viewed a film made in the 80's called "My Brother's Wedding." This film was rather boring, with no plot and the problem only appearing until the last 20 minutes of the film, but it also had some decent acting for amateaurs and I liked the aspect of viewing a really old film. Later that night, at 20:00 we were supposed to see a film called Leo. This was a Swedish film but we didn't get to see but because it was widely popular and sold out really fast. Instead, myself and some of the other kids met up with my roomate and another student, Meredith at a bar in our neighborhood called Slumberland. This was a pretty cool bar with very good beer. It was a rege bar (spelling), with good music and the floor was all beach sand - pretty cool huh. After that we called it a pretty early night at mitnacht (midnight).
Todayyyyy was a really good day. The sun was out in almost full force and it was really warm. It was about 11 degrees celcius (low 50's F). I slept till about 11:00, made some eggs for breakfast, which I had been craving then grabbed my camera and some things and headed out. I had decided earlier that if it was going to be nice out I wanted to go roaming and taking pictures. Ever since this photography class started I've been pretty interested in taking pictures and getting good at photography. Soooo I went out and just walked around my neighborhood and Potsdamer Platz snapping pictures. I also stopped at a cafe to get a Tassee Kaffee and do some people watching for another assignment. I got some great pictures I think and it was a lot of fun. I did want to do some laundry today too, but I needed to get detergent and NO stores were open so that fell through. Hardly anything is open on Sunday, except for the stores in the business and tourist districts.
So I'm getting pretty hungry now and I know this is long and I have some other things to do, sooo I'm going to wrap it up. We have another movie to see tonight at 20:00 so I gotta get ready for that too. I'll try and update more often. So check back later or just send me an email. Miss everyone.
Biss Spaeter
Friday, February 8, 2008
The Berlinale
Hallo Jeder. I know that I'm not keeping up to date very well with my daily doings, but I promise I'll let you know of everything that happened this past week. I did want to hit on one important event that started in Berlin tonight. It is called the Berlinale and is an International Film Festival hosted in Berlin every year. Stars like M. Scorsese, the Rolling Stones, Madonna, and Rober DiNerio are in town right now. Lucky enough, I'm getting a chance to participate in this extremely talked about event, not only in Berlin but around the world, as part of my photography class. We were issued passes and will be seeing screenings of many different films starting tomorrow and lasting everyday until next Friday. Its going to be an amazing time and I'll try to post a little critic of every film I saw on the blog. I've placed a link in this post to a news article that you can read if you want describing the festival. So, Bis Morgen!
ps - Romney dropped out, interesting
ps - Romney dropped out, interesting
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
Catching Up
So I'm not really sure where I had left of telling you about the things I had been doing the past couple of days. I think its been about a week but I honestly can't remember. I haven't had that much time to get caught up on sharing what I've done during the day so I'm going to try and cover it all now while I have a little time. It's 11:03 PM (or 23.03 as the Germans would say) and I have some homework to do but this needs to get done.
Sooo, I'll begin with last Friday, the 1st. This was still considered part of our orientation week and we didn't have classes or anything that day and instead had a tour scheduled for Dessau. We had to leave rather early, meeting at the train station at 8.30 AM since Dessau is about and hour and a half south of Berlin. However, and I stress the however part, we were informed of a huge dilemma the night before. The subways and buses that run for public transportation around the entire city weren't going to be running on Friday because of a planned strike. They called this a "warning strike" to show the BVG company that the workers mean business and to set an example of what the city would be like if they went on a real strike for several days. Anyways, the strike was set to begin at Midnight on Thursday and last until 3PM on Saturday. This meant that we would all have to walk to the train station that morning and get up even earlier. "Eww" is what I said. It was about a 35 minute walk and rather cold but we made it. The train ride was really nice and I enjoyed reading an American newspaper I bought and listening to my ipod for most of the trip there. The city was beautiful; very suburban and quiet. There we had two things to do: 1. Tour the Bauhaus and 2. Visit the Ministry of Environmental Affairs to look at the architecture of the building. Both were astounding and very neat. I took lots of pictures and will show everyone when I return. The turned out pretty nice too as the sun started to peak out from behind the clouds and we enjoyed a very nice lunch in the Kantine of the Ministry. All and all it was really fun and enjoyable, even I was beginning to get tired of tours. The ride back was nice, slept most of the way and took it pretty easy that night.
On Saturday, we finally had a day off. Good thing too because it would be rather hard to do anything when the public transportation wasn't going to be running for half the day. I slept in till about 10 or so then my roomate, and our friends Kate and Teddy went to a cafe to get some breakfast and coffee. We came back and just did some homework then decided to find a pool that our program director had been talking about because it was suppose to be close and was an alternative to showering. We found the pool, had to walk of course, and got to stay there for 2hours for 4 euro. Pretty good deal That gave us access to the hot tubs, the pool, the sauna, and the salt bath. It was a good experience but wicked crowded probably because of it being a weekend day and the hot tubs were freezing compared to American hot tubs. They were more like hot baths instead of steaming boiling water that I like. That night Brian and I cooked dinner with a couple other students in the Architecture program (Bobby, Leehan, and Meredith). We made home made pizza and bread with some fine wine. It was delicious! We went to bed really early that night because we had to get again for another tour the very next day.
On Sunday, we had another tour and this time it was in Potsdam. Potsdam is just outside of the city, only about 25 minutes. It, like Dessau, is a former Soviet city of East Germany. Only this city was really nice and very typical of the German stereotypical town. It was mostly Dutch Architecture and very grid and with not a lot of tall buildings. Many of the buildings were made of brick are over 300 years old. I liked it alot and it reminded me of downtown Newport. It was also the city of the former Prussian Emperors and many of the old palaces and kings buildings and gardens are still there and very beautiful. This was a very long day, starting at 10AM and we didn't leave till 5PM. After getting back from Potsdam we all took naps for about 4 hours so that we could stay up late to watch the superbowl. The superbowl here didn't start until 24.00 PM and lasted until 4AM. It was all in German and on a German tv station. The weirdest part was that they aired zero commercials. Every time there should have been a commercial, the simply showed a picture of the field. Not a bad halftime show either. So anyways, didn't get to bed till 5.15AM that morning and slept for 3 hours. Although my 4 hour nap helped before that.
So yeah, theres those three days. It is already thursday here and I still have some German homework to do so I will continue writing about my past few days tomorrow hopefully.....or when I get to it ha. But yea, if you ever have any questions about things I've done or you're just not clear about what I've done don't be afraid to post a comment or email. I look forward to them. Bis Dann, Tschuss!
Sooo, I'll begin with last Friday, the 1st. This was still considered part of our orientation week and we didn't have classes or anything that day and instead had a tour scheduled for Dessau. We had to leave rather early, meeting at the train station at 8.30 AM since Dessau is about and hour and a half south of Berlin. However, and I stress the however part, we were informed of a huge dilemma the night before. The subways and buses that run for public transportation around the entire city weren't going to be running on Friday because of a planned strike. They called this a "warning strike" to show the BVG company that the workers mean business and to set an example of what the city would be like if they went on a real strike for several days. Anyways, the strike was set to begin at Midnight on Thursday and last until 3PM on Saturday. This meant that we would all have to walk to the train station that morning and get up even earlier. "Eww" is what I said. It was about a 35 minute walk and rather cold but we made it. The train ride was really nice and I enjoyed reading an American newspaper I bought and listening to my ipod for most of the trip there. The city was beautiful; very suburban and quiet. There we had two things to do: 1. Tour the Bauhaus and 2. Visit the Ministry of Environmental Affairs to look at the architecture of the building. Both were astounding and very neat. I took lots of pictures and will show everyone when I return. The turned out pretty nice too as the sun started to peak out from behind the clouds and we enjoyed a very nice lunch in the Kantine of the Ministry. All and all it was really fun and enjoyable, even I was beginning to get tired of tours. The ride back was nice, slept most of the way and took it pretty easy that night.
On Saturday, we finally had a day off. Good thing too because it would be rather hard to do anything when the public transportation wasn't going to be running for half the day. I slept in till about 10 or so then my roomate, and our friends Kate and Teddy went to a cafe to get some breakfast and coffee. We came back and just did some homework then decided to find a pool that our program director had been talking about because it was suppose to be close and was an alternative to showering. We found the pool, had to walk of course, and got to stay there for 2hours for 4 euro. Pretty good deal That gave us access to the hot tubs, the pool, the sauna, and the salt bath. It was a good experience but wicked crowded probably because of it being a weekend day and the hot tubs were freezing compared to American hot tubs. They were more like hot baths instead of steaming boiling water that I like. That night Brian and I cooked dinner with a couple other students in the Architecture program (Bobby, Leehan, and Meredith). We made home made pizza and bread with some fine wine. It was delicious! We went to bed really early that night because we had to get again for another tour the very next day.
On Sunday, we had another tour and this time it was in Potsdam. Potsdam is just outside of the city, only about 25 minutes. It, like Dessau, is a former Soviet city of East Germany. Only this city was really nice and very typical of the German stereotypical town. It was mostly Dutch Architecture and very grid and with not a lot of tall buildings. Many of the buildings were made of brick are over 300 years old. I liked it alot and it reminded me of downtown Newport. It was also the city of the former Prussian Emperors and many of the old palaces and kings buildings and gardens are still there and very beautiful. This was a very long day, starting at 10AM and we didn't leave till 5PM. After getting back from Potsdam we all took naps for about 4 hours so that we could stay up late to watch the superbowl. The superbowl here didn't start until 24.00 PM and lasted until 4AM. It was all in German and on a German tv station. The weirdest part was that they aired zero commercials. Every time there should have been a commercial, the simply showed a picture of the field. Not a bad halftime show either. So anyways, didn't get to bed till 5.15AM that morning and slept for 3 hours. Although my 4 hour nap helped before that.
So yeah, theres those three days. It is already thursday here and I still have some German homework to do so I will continue writing about my past few days tomorrow hopefully.....or when I get to it ha. But yea, if you ever have any questions about things I've done or you're just not clear about what I've done don't be afraid to post a comment or email. I look forward to them. Bis Dann, Tschuss!
The Lists
So I started making a list of things I don't care for in Germany and things that are just the best of Germany. I wanted to to this in order to compare the differences of the States with Germany, mostly the life style and cultural differences and also to evaluate my time here. I decided to put the lists up here so everyone can see them since I started sharing them with other students in the program. Don't worry though, the Pros out number the Cons. Oh, and I'll be updating this particular post as the lists grow, or maybe even shrink.
THINGS THAT SUCK IN GERMANY:
-lack of heat in the apartments (im used to a toasty house, and i know this will change with the seasons)
-Lack of internet (this problem has been fixed finally)
-Lack of proper showering, only 1 every two days
-Only having a washer, no dryer = air dry
-No routine?
-No NESN or Fox News
-Coin Money, i hate change
THINGS THAT ARE AWESOME IN GERMANY:
-THE BEER! Makes American beer taste like motor oil
-Coffee! Makes American coffee taste like hot water and thats it
-Cafes everywhere
-German Apartments (tall everything, old architecture mixed with modern interior styles)
-German Architecture
-Old Schoolness
-The Honor System, very efficient
-Flea Markets
-Giant old fashioned doors
-Food Markets
-German Language
-Nutella
THINGS THAT SUCK IN GERMANY:
-lack of heat in the apartments (im used to a toasty house, and i know this will change with the seasons)
-Lack of internet (this problem has been fixed finally)
-Lack of proper showering, only 1 every two days
-Only having a washer, no dryer = air dry
-No routine?
-No NESN or Fox News
-Coin Money, i hate change
THINGS THAT ARE AWESOME IN GERMANY:
-THE BEER! Makes American beer taste like motor oil
-Coffee! Makes American coffee taste like hot water and thats it
-Cafes everywhere
-German Apartments (tall everything, old architecture mixed with modern interior styles)
-German Architecture
-Old Schoolness
-The Honor System, very efficient
-Flea Markets
-Giant old fashioned doors
-Food Markets
-German Language
-Nutella
Monday, February 4, 2008
sadness
and yes, I did watch the superbowl last night ridiculously late in Berlin and I have no comment
"Super Duper" Tuesday
So I know its been a few days since I've written on here. I really don't get much internet time unfortunately. I'm will hopefully have that solved shortly. Anyways, I did have a chance to go on tonight and wanted to make some comments about American politics before the big day tomorrow. I been able to somewhat follow the news in the States and read that Rudy failed in Florida miserably, no big surprise, and in turn endorsed McCain. I also read that McCain picked up even more big endorsements from governor Schwarzenegger and Nancie Reagan. This, in my humbly opinion, with most likely secure a victory for McCain tomorrow. Sorry, Mike.....i'll still pray for ya. This turn of events has pretty much led me to make my 2008 predictions. I think the race on the Dems side is still too tight to call, we will have to see what happens after tomorrow. But, I do believe that McCain will win the Republican nomination if there isn't an upset tomorrow. If McCain faces off with Hilary in the general election he will take the presidency. Hilary is just too disliked, and McCain has strong support form independents and republicans (although reluctantly). If McCain faces off against Obama, then then Republican Party's fates is unfortunately sealed. Obama is too well liked, even though he DOESN'T even have a platform. Anyways, you heard it folks, right here, the day before super duper Tuesday, my prediction for the 2008 Presidential election.
Bis Dann
Bis Dann
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