I seen this movie on an episode of DW television a few months back and noticed it was playing at Cannes (won an award I believe?) anyhow, being the end of August - its that time of year again where I am busy selecting films for TIFF. This year, B and I purchased 2 booklets of 10 tickets each, with the idea that we would each watch a few movies together and a few movies on our own. Nada. not this year. I shouldn't complain but at least I made sure I was able to see at least 4 movies that I wanted to see. I don't have a lot of time to go and watch movies.
the following description is from the TIFF website on the film, "Vision", directed by Margarethe von Trotta.
One of the major auteurs to emerge from New German Cinema and a leader in feminist filmmaking, Margarethe von Trotta returns to the Festival with Vision, a study of the remarkable Hildegard von Bingen. Composer, scientist, healer, author and visionary, this Benedictine nun has been rescued in recent years from the shadows of history. Played here with both strength and nuance by the great Barbara Sukowa, Hildegard emerges as a Renaissance woman before there was a Renaissance.
Brought as a child to Disibodenberg abbey in what is now Germany, Hildegard is raised by the kindly Jutta the Holy (Mareile Blendl). Over the years, she observes both the cloister and the natural world around her, becoming a wise and pious woman. When the time comes for the sisters to choose a new magistra, Hildegard is the overwhelming favourite. She is already a natural mother to all, teaching the sisters about the power of herbal remedies and soothing the sick with her song.
Aware that women are forbidden to preach or interpret scripture, she is careful with her gift of visions, a conduit to God that tells her to disseminate this wisdom throughout the world. She faces great risks bringing these visions before a council of church elders, with some even accusing her of being the mouthpiece of the devil. Through her resolute strength and quiet fortitude, she breaks boundary after boundary, even rising to correspond directly with the pope.
This is the fifth time that von Trotta has worked with Sukowa, and their chemistry together is tangible. Sukowa brings a potent drive to Hildegard; the more resistance she meets, the more radical she becomes.
Von Trotta's cinema has always explored the complex relationships among communities of women – in fact, theorist Thomas Elsaesser has noted that her film Sisters could very well share its title with several of her other films. In this case, the focus comes to rest on triangles within the abbey and the eternal struggle of two daughters for the love of a mother. As always with von Trotta, it is fascinating to watch.
Cameron Bailey
Margarethe von Trotta
Margarethe von Trotta was born in Berlin. In addition to directing, her acclaimed career has included acting roles in films by Rainer Werner Fassbinder and Volker Schlöndorff. Her features include The Lost Honour of Katharina Blum (75, co-directed with Schlöndorff), The Second Awakening of Christa Klages (77), Sisters, or The Balance of Happiness (79), Marianne and Juliane (81), Sheer Madness (83), Rosa Luxemburg (86), The African Woman (90), The Long Silence (93), The Promise (94), Rosenstrasse (03), I Am the Other Woman (06) and Vision (09).
8.30.2009
Vision - TIFF'09
6.28.2009
TIFF'09 Wishlist - Film # 2
Another film, which was chosen to close the Venice Film Fest is about my favourite fashion icon - Gabrielle 'Coco' Chanel.
Paris, 1913: Coco Chanel attends the first, scandalous performance of Igor Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring. The rhythmic dissonance of the score and the shocking choreography of the piece cause a riot. But Coco is impressed when Igor storms out of the theatre.
Seven years later, Coco and Igor meet again. Although her business has flourished, Coco is mourning her lover, Arthur "Boy" Capel. Igor has been forced to flee to France following the Russian Revolution. An immediate sympathy and attraction is established between the ‘couturiere’ and the composer.
Coco invites Igor to live in her villa outside Paris, along with his wife and children. The summer months that follow see Coco and Igor begin a secret affair. Their work benefits from their growing intimacy; Igor begins to compose in a new, more liberated style while Coco creates Chanel No. 5 with her perfumer, Ernest Beaux.
However, the almost unbearable tension in the villa cannot be contained forever.
TIFF'09 Wishlist - Film # 1
Over the next while, leading up to the Toronto International FilmFest 2009, I will be highlighting films that have previewed at other fests. The first one achieved the Golden Bear Award at Berlin's Film Fest in February.
La teta asustada (English: The Milk of Sorrow)
A realistic portrayal of the impoverished suburbia of Lima, Peru is the frame-set for this fantastic story. Fausta, daughter of a woman raped by terrorists some 25 years ago, assists her mother's death and decides to take her remains back to her hometown, in the high Andes. But, apart from having to work hard to collect the money she needs for it, Fausta has a reason, deep inside, that prevents her from enjoying life or accepting her outstanding physical beauty as a normal girl.
Mastery at low-budget cinematic skill should be credited to Bollywood (the Mumbai-based Hindi language film industry) films, which may not be the most groundbreaking in technical or screen writing terms, but contain music in the form of song-and-dance numbers woven into the script in order to appeal to all segments of the audience and maximise box office receipts. Since Hollywood's multi-million budgets would never have helped shoot realistic and colourful, but rough Brazilian imagery, 'Central Station' (1998) and 'Cidade de Deus' (2002) garnered indisputable acclaim at renowned film festivals after being funded on their own. The example set by off-Hollywood movie makers' efforts have become heroic in countries where movie industry budgets are, to say the least, scarce.
This is the case for LTA. It could have been more on par to Danny Boyle's 'Slumdog Millionaire' if it wasn't for the Peruvian-Spanish meagre budget available to Peruvian young director Claudia Llosa. If you expect to see acting beaus or beautés, famous screenwriters and crew, expensive car explosions or CGI, go elsewhere. LTA is neat magic-realism, a territory where people may be poor but not disgusting, where their houses are mere recreation centres for fantasy and everyday life to play happily together. Only time will tell if the trend keeps up, spreads globally, and ends up being called Globbywood.
This is a well-told tale of hope where only two professional actors are involved. And this was as clear to Berlinale judges as it is for the general public -those with a thirst for veritable, honest, witty craftsmanship at film-making.
Source: imdb.com - Author: (alejandrotelleria at hotmail.com) from Barcelona, Spain
9.06.2008
Native Dancer (Baksy)
I am going to attempt to write my little blurb without the usual copy and pasting of descriptions, so mind the errors. When local gangsters decide that Batyr's land would be a prime location for a petrol station and a motel, Aidai puts up a fight, as the land is what connects her to her spiritual powers. Ignoring threats from the gangsters, Batyr goes away on vacation, but when he returns Aidai has disappeared and his land has been excavated. He is furious, so when the petrol station burns down in a freak accident, it seems like just revenge – until his son is kidnapped. Devastated and at a loss, Batyr goes looking for Aidai's help. Co-written and produced by the great Russian director Sergei Bodrov (Mongol), Native Dancer evokes the mysticism of fantasy and the thrills of a gangster film. Featuring strong, naturalistic performances, especially from Omarbekova (a real-life witch doctor), Native Dancer recalls the earthy visual style of Omarova's last film, Schizo, which played at the Festival in 2004. But with its hybridized genres, Native Dancer is far more epic in its scope. In this highly accomplished work, Omarova has crafted a captivating story that astutely highlights the clash between old Kazakh customs and the new Kazakhstan. Aida Begic's Snow, also playing at the Festival this year, touches on similar issues. As capitalist forces begin to encroach on tradition, the first casualty is often a culture's most fundamental inheritance – land." Source: http://tiff08.ca/filmsandschedules/films/nativedancer j.
This movie is by Kazahkstan director, Guka Omarova. It is based on the life of a local shaman or spiritual healer. The main characters are Aidai (Basky) and Batyr (who went to see Aidai to help his wife conceive their son). In the opening scene, the Basky is performing some ceremony on a woman. The camp or area that she lives in seems to be plucked down in the middle of nowhere with rolling mountains in the background. I can sense that her presence is very important as there are many people who come to visit, asking for help. She's a seer who is able to help locate the stolen cow of one couple, advises a mother of two that her husband did not run off with another woman but has been hit by a car and is dead. Batyr arrives on the scene with a man, hands tied, sitting in the back of his vehicle - his wifes' brother - a drunk and mischeivious individual who is being shipped back to somewhere. Aidai says to leave him with her, makes a home with her, hoping to train with her and make some cash out of it. Instead he shacks up with a 16 year old girl dropped off by her parents. Nice story so far, until the 'bad guy' enters the picture. He sees the land and envisions a gas station?! and casino and goes about buying the land of Batyr. The story ends somewhat tragically but not for everyone.
The director was present at last evenings' screening. She shared some of the background info via Q&A where we learn that the story is based on a real person, all the filming took place in Kazahkstan, and all the actors are local people. The 'real' Basky still lives today, is around 70 years old and receives many visitors to her home for healings. It has piqued my interest to possibly visit this place some day...
Now for the 'official description' by TIFF'08:
"Guka Omarova's fiery new feature sets witchcraft and the mob against each other on the dusty plains of Kazakhstan. Aidai (Nesipkul Omarbekova) is an elderly spiritual healer, a “Kazakh Baksy” who has the power to find a person's lost soul, heal the crippled and locate stolen cattle. For years, Aidai has been serving her local Kazakh community and living off the land of a rich businessman, Batyr (Farkhat Amankulov), who feels indebted to her because she helped his wife to conceive.
