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Tag: film news
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The Anti-War Film On My List
I placed Elem Klimov’s 1985 anti-war work Come and See on my watch list years ago. The film’s title comes from the Book of Revelation, “I heard the Beast say Come and See”.
When the restored print was released in 2020, there was universal acclaim for the 142-minute film. At times shocking, numbing, unforgettable, the director writer consciously acknowledges Aleksei Rodionov’s realistic camera work with startling character portrait compositions.
Come and See is the story of a simple Russian peasant boy with visions of adventures fighting occupying Germans along-side the resistance. The inescapable Hell on Earth brutality of World War 2 confronts fourteen-year-old Florya, an extraordinary performance from Aleksey Kravchenko, as youth evolves to a shattered existence.
Klimov’s Come and See is about human beings who stopped being human, just beings.
4.5/5 stars or maybe 5/5 stars.
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Truffaut/Hitchcock
I read Hitchcock/Truffaut while studying cinema in University. To say this conversation of two had an impact would be an understatement. Francois Truffaut gets to the heart of the filmmaking from director Alfred Hitchcock. For all cinephiles, this 1985 publication is a film reference must.
An article in The Guardian tells the story of the effects of climate change on Alpaca breeders in Peru. In a past episode of Chat Cinema we also spoke about environmental consequences on the precious fashion textile. Utama, from director Alejandro Loayza Grisi is a film on a life under threat.
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Chat Cinema on Techno Music.
Techno Music came from Detroit Michigan. The Motor City gave the world another sound from its streets in 1979.
Check out the Chat Cinema Podcast episode with filmmaker Kristian R. Hill. The documentary storyteller gives the backstory of his work and the history of the sound.
GOD SAID GIVE EM DRUM MACHINES was screened at the 2022 Tribeca Film Festival.
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The Batman
Back in 2017 during a Robert Pattinson press conference, I could not have imagined he would become Batman. Pattinson’s performance has been well received by fans. The blockbuster DC Comic film at the time of writing has grossed $500 million at the box office.
Check out the Black and Paper Chat Cinema Podcasts.
I screened THE ISLAND for the International Film Festival Rotterdam. The description of the animated feature read “Non traditional storytelling”. I have to agree. Romanian filmmaker Anca Damian made a film with some outlandish scenes combined modern commentary.
A Black and Paper interview with Director Anca Damian.
What is the human condition of the story?
The film aims to go into depth of humanity: we are all on an island, even if it is a planet- is an island in the Universe – we are all reflecting into each other, we are searching for Paradise, we are all alone… So obviously we are somehow facing a kind of dead end to our civilization, so we have to search our human values, our connections to nature, in order to continue to be.
How did you you come up with the animation style?
I wanted the reality of the film to be immersive, so the space was developed in 3D, with added fluid elements developed in Houdini – the sea, the clouds. The concept was that everything that is man-made doesn’t integrate in the nature, so we have real textures for plastic, metal, fabric. The same texturing we applied also for the cloth of the characters that are in 2D.
In my concept, only what is made by nature remains painted.
Color wise everything is beautiful, like in a Hawaii holiday, but there is also some malaise, a sick feeling behind the chemical pink of the clouds and the green-blue of the sea.
Were you a fan of Robinson Crusoe?
I can’t say I am a fan of Robinson Crusoe; I am a fan of humankind; Exploring Robinson and Friday connection in a setup of nowadays, allowed me to explore a version of Robinson who has the best of intentions, but who is saving who, that’s another story.
The language of the film was playful, then dashing, did I get this right?
Yes, you got it right: the child in us is paying and telling the truth, I always listen to the child me, and keep him close. I wanted the audience will do the same, go in playful way straight forward to the so much needed truth.
The Island screens in The Big Screen Competition of the International Film Festival Rotterdam 2022.
A bit of mixed year for the International Film Festival Rotterdam. I have not been WOWED by the selections this year, perhaps the lock downs along with production chain problems have affected entries. Still, I managed to find some nice surprises.
Stay tuned for a more complete rundown. The IFFR runs until February 6th.
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The Netflix Effect
The Netflix effect is real. The streaming has effected the cinema world like no other technology. The Chat Cinema Team, Steve, Kristin, and Breck discuss the shockwaves.
Check your local theather listings for Mother.