Week 11 New Wave

What do you think Godard is trying to say with Week End (1967)?

be specific, give examples.

Tournees Festival Nov. 7,8,9.

glover went to this screening saturday afternoon. 

Any other attendees encouraged to blog / review other screenings here.

Saturday, November 8, 2008, 3:00 P.M.

L'Origine de la Tendresse and Other Tales

A Program of Short Films

(France 2008, 97 min.)

A program of six notable French short films, featuring a broad  

range of styles and genres, from animation to fiction to  

documentary, reflecting the diversity of both the visions of  

contemporary French filmmakers and the people of France.

1-"Gratte-papier"? (Pen-Pusher) by Guillaume Martinez;

--This was probably my favorite, the first one screened. Two strangers seated next to each other on a subway have a silent intellectually flirtatious conversation by underlining passages in the books they are reading and stealing inconspicuous glances at each others' lap texts. Simple concept, very well executed. Life-like, elegant, urgent, intimate.

2-"Ma mere: Histoire? d'une immigration" (My Mother: Story of an  

Immigration) by Felipe 

--Interesting biographical journal from a daughter's POV about her family's immigration to France, the shaping forces on her family dynamics and specifically her mother.

3-?"Je suis une voix" (One Voice, One Vote) by Jeanne Paturle and  

Cécile Rousset;

--Rotoscoped animation with interview voice over. Content was loosely organized, entire effect was kind of unfocused, although there were moments of clever imagery.. burried knots sprouting trees, figures building with blocks and tumbling down, text flashes, and photo traces- ending with beautiful cutout collages depicting housing in Caracas Venezuela. Artistic and visually satisfying, but again, could have been more focused. 

4-"La dernière journée" (The Last Day) by Olivier Bourbeillon;

Documentary journal of 3 guys in a blacksmith shop the last day in operation before closing down. Poignant and detailed snapshot of a moment in time. Evocative, end of an era piece. Historical, ephemeral.

5-L'Origine de la Tendresse

Weird color balance, overexposed at times. made me wonder if it was on purpose or just ad-hoc production value or an attempt at style. Not entirely unpleasant, but gave it a dated or otherworldly feel that felt not rooted in the ordinary-ness of the narrative. A semi-voyeuristic peek into an unglamorous single woman's life.

6-Kitchen" by Alice Winocour;?

funny  little portrait of a pretty housewife troubled by preparing a lobster. Like a drawn out one liner. Intensified the effect of the whole festival which made me want to clean up my space and go to IKEA to euro-fy my domicile. Ended with the Madeline Peroux version of Elliott Smith's 'Between the Bars' which is an incredible song (Smiths) made me want to resubmerge myself in Elliot Smith music as the protagonist departs her apartment and is seen puffing cold breaths down an appealing French city street.

Passport is in order.

week 10- Genre films / Science Fiction / Forbidden Planet

Please make a note of this revised student presentation schedule

mon 11/10 Miley

thurs 11/13 Derwin, Byers (screening Week End)

mon 11/17 Burns, Nichols

thurs 11/20, Milewski, Wright (screening Clockwork Orange or Network-poll?)

mon 11/24 Nurre, Klane

thurs 27 Thanksgiving

What do you think Forbidden Planet says about the culture and memes of its time? (1956)

Does it carry any new weight in 2008? Elaborate on what you think it says to a contemporary viewer. Any comparisons? What is the film's technological, social, political, scientific, artistic, significance? Remind you of anything?

for some more insight, read this 

article click here

week 9 Post-war / Auteur Theory / Rashomon

Week 8 Italian Neo-Realism

Lecture will outline history and context leading up to Italian Neo-Realism screening of Bicycle Thieves thursday. Please journal this week about your understanding of these terms as they may be defined or relate to Italian Neo-Realism. (look them up if you're not sure)

Fascism, Marxism, & Humanism.

week 7

supporting clips for Citizen Kane and Hays code discussion.

Week 6 Hollywood Propaganda

After screening Triumph of the Will last week, this week i'm showing some of Capra's American propaganda, and tracing the development and evolution of cultural mythos, ideologies and memes as transmitted and disseminated through cinema. (both through overt propaganda, and also through 'mainstream' populist consumer entertainment fare as we will see in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington on Thursday)  

Look at the links below, and in your comments, address this question:

What do you see as propaganda today?  In your answer, address-

What memes are there that you feel are cultivated and fed using media as propaganda right now?  Dig deep. Be fearless.

if you are at a loss about memes, and their infectious operations, see again the links for week 1.