Foreign America: One World

If you have ever tried to see a foreign film in an American theater, you may already know how difficult that can be. Though American films are generally widely known throughout the rest of the world, the films that make it here are much more selective and hard to attain, making the foreign film industry in America somewhat subversive. Though there are some films that become very popular here, most are hidden gems or go unviewed due to distribution problems, or even just due to general interest level. The fact that foreign films are in fact, foreign, already sets a division line between them and the American public. What it comes down to is that most people are not interested in ‘reading’ their movies. Since America is not nearly as multi-lingual as other countries, ‘reading’ our movies is what we usually have to do. However, there are other factors involved in this matter, which need exploring.

With so much working against foreign films in America, there is a need for a champion of the genre. James Selvidge is one interesting character that has worked to help change the reception of foreign films for most of his life. One of the issues he fought most was censorship, in his article A Triumph of Art over Censorship, he mentions on the subject of censorship in his home, Seattle,

“…They created the Seattle Board of Theater Supervisors in 1954, whose job was to view every porno film ("loop"), codify it, and pronounce it as “not obscene.” As a result, no prosecutions in Seattle or per other metropolitan cities they supplied for two decades. Probably coincidence, the board chairman and most members were Catholic, so they were determined that no conventional theaters should be allowed to play foreign films rated “R” by the Legion of Decency. This translated to most films, as to the legion; “Heresy” was on the same level as “sex” (a bare breast in a Swedish or French comedy). They became known, nationally, as the most insidious censor board in America.”

Selvidge is one man who is a hero to foreign film, using his own theaters to help combat American prejudice against these films. One of the great things about him is that he never compromised on his choice to show them in his own theaters, and fought for his right to show what he wanted.

One of the main issues that prevent foreign films from being seen is censorship. This can come in many forms. There is the censorship imposed on a film when it enters the country so that it meets our ratings standards, and there is the censorship that is garnered from the individual theaters that won’t play certain foreign films. This is sometimes a result of a community’s culture, but can also be traced back in history to a time of suspicion. McCarthyism was often used to censor our own artists, so foreign arts were probably censored even more so. James Selvidge, a man who has fought for foreign films in America for most of his life, wrote in his article A Triumph of Art over Censorship,

“Followers of Joe McCarthy and the John Birch Society had a common mantra: All foreign films were part of the Communist conspiracy.”

This fear of communism that spread over America was detrimental to the life of any film played here. Often referred to as a ‘witch hunt’, McCarthyism was the cause of many artists to be black listed, and unable to find work. During this era foreign films were even harder to come by, as anything foreign was untrustworthy, and America was in a constant state of xenophobia. This climate of fear had long lasting effects that shaped the way we see foreign films today. Through all this and even after, James Selvidge always fought for his right to play foreign films in his theaters, and played an integral role in the ‘freeing’ of theaters today. He recounts one such incidence that helped him accomplish this, saying,

“When they condemned Bergman’s “The Silence,” I brought suit against the City of Seattle, the Seattle City Council, and the theater board challenging the constitutionality of the network of ordinances that structured the porn business and created the theater board. We won the case the city appealed. The Supreme Court upheld in our favor 9-0. Bill was immediately on retainer to the movie industry’s MPAA, and the studios created a “war chest” to finance my taking the censorship fight to other jurisdictions. By 1970, America’s movie screens were “free.”’

One of the reasons foreign films get censored here is because they tend to deal with more risqué topics, or show sex more expressively than we do here. This country was founded by puritans after all.

Another problem that stems in part from the censorship issue is the distribution of foreign films. Distribution can be hard for any film made outside of the Hollywood circuit, but foreign films have many other things working against them as well. Filmmakers may not want to compromise on censorship issues, and thereby not allow their films to reach American theatres. There is a much wider market for foreign films on DVD or online, through websites like Netflix, which open up another field for distribution. In the article Coming to America, by Timothy Corrigan, he states,

“While video and DVD sales long ago surpassed theatrical ticket sales, what often gets overlooked in this shift is how the video and DVD market allowed a more targetable and more open market for the distribution of foreign films. If most foreign films are rarely seen theatrically (except in the very limited art-house circuit), the expansion of home video through the expansion of DVD technology makes more and more foreign films available to all audiences and, perhaps more significantly, allows distributors to target DVDs to local communities with particular interests in, for instance, Asian, European, or African cinema.”

Theater distribution remains strained, with only so many rooms for showing, most commercial theaters will opt out of a foreign film, believing it will not sell well. The most common place to find foreign films in theater is through smaller ‘art house’ theaters that keep more of an open mind and cater to a more specific clientele. Distribution can also be difficult because of this belief that Americans are not interested in foreign film. This is another belief stemming from the one that Americans don’t want to read their movies. However, many people love foreign films and have no trouble reading subtitles, and there is always the option of using English dubbed films. Distributors look at numbers though, and the numbers are low because people can’t easily find foreign films, which is because they aren’t being properly distributed, and it goes round in circles like that. There is more than enough room for both American and foreign made films in our theaters. Another genre that is locked into smaller venues is the indie film, which has been gaining in popularity in recent years, and is sometimes linked in type to foreign films. With the expansion of indie films in our culture, they are helping to stretch the lengths that foreign films can reach as well. The independent film is often lumped with foreign films in the type of theatre that they might be shown in, but the Hollywood machine affects both. Hollywood offers a very different type of film, and it changes the way other types of films get distribution. Hollywood essentially controls much of the way films are distributed and received in society, and when a film falls outside that realm, it becomes more difficult for it to reach the same level.

The distribution of foreign films, or lack thereof, stems in part from the film’s promotional value. Films with little or no promotion will not be picked up by distributors, and will not reach much distribution level at all. This issue happens with many American made films as well, but probably due to different reasons. Unless a foreign film reaches a high level of recognition before coming to America, there may not be much left in the budget to advertise here, as our advertisement industry is much larger than most other countries and is generally more expensive besides that. Many other countries also get support from governmental programs, but in America you are expected to make it on your own, and they lose that support here. One of the best forms of film promotion is word of mouth, but when the country is unable to see a film, there is no way to spread the word, which is why a film would need that high level of recognition before coming here, so that foreign media will pick up on it, and America will pick up on that media and become curious, thus giving the film a better chance here. Another thing that affects a film’s promotional value circles back to censorship, and the ‘un-marketability’ of certain films, unless they become censored to fit American standards. The promotion of these types of films can be effected by how risqué they go, but other films may not get promotion based on subversive natures, or due to the distribution company they have aligned with. Seeking to find money in the foreign film markets, some American studios have created sub-companies to promote and distribute certain foreign films, thus laying claim to them before even entering the country. This is good in that it ensures that a film will be distributed, but a large part of the profits go back in to American production, rather than helping to stimulate the foreign filmmakers. Of course, this practice is very old and can be traced back to the Parufamet Agreement of 1926 between America and Germany. The Parufamet Agreement ensured distribution of both film markets between the countries, though it proved to be far more favorable for the Americans. While German films were played here in exchange, many more American films were played there, and German talent was sent to Hollywood to work on American films as well. This practice was eventually dissolved, but the effects are lasting.

Foreign films do not get much recognition not only in our theaters, but awards ceremonies like the Academy Awards display a lack of respect for the genre. Though in more recent years foreign films have grown and become more accepted, there is still less room for them to shine. Timothy Corrigan can cite an example of this growth in the article Coming to America:

“Perhaps the most interesting feature of the 79th Annual Academy Awards, held in February 2007, has been the multiple nominations of three Mexican films: Alejandro González Iñárritu's Babel, Alfonso Cuarón's Children of Men, and Guillermo del Toro's Pan's Labyrinth. The fact that only the last of these was nominated in the best foreign film category and that several other foreign films appeared in mainstream categories—such as the nominations for best actress of Helen Mirren in the British production The Queen and Penélope Cruz in the Spanish film Volver—suggest a decidedly global range to what Hollywood has chosen to honor. Also suggestive of this foreign migration into Hollywood's 2007 Oscar ceremony is that American icon Clint Eastwood's Letters from Iwo Jima, nominated for best picture and best director this year, is primarily a Japanese-language film.”

However, it is to be noted that the category withheld for foreign films is titled Best Foreign Language Film. This means that one of the requirements for this category is that the language is foreign to our country, not necessarily that it is made on foreign ground. In the case of Clint Eastwood’s Letters from Iwo Jima, it was considered an American film, even though, as is stated above, it is mainly in a ‘foreign’ language. The Academy applies many other rules to the category, such as, if a film is made in another country but is English language, it cannot qualify, and until 2006 the primary language spoken must have been native to the country the film was made in. The award itself was instituted in 1956, which, according to Corrigan, was a time when foreign films were first starting to take hold in America. He states in his article Coming to America,

“As America's cultural expansion grew after World War II, the Paramount Decrees of 1948 laid a foundation that would gradually but profoundly alter the direction of American movie culture and lead to the international film scene today. These decrees effectively broke up the monopolistic hold of the major Hollywood studios on the American marketplace. As a result, through the 1950s and early 1960s, both independent U.S. productions and, eventually, foreign films started to make their way into U.S. theaters.”

The Golden Globes, however, have different standards than the Academy Awards, and allow any film in another language to be eligible to win Best Foreign Language Film. The differences in the two awards ceremonies show the level of exclusivity they display. Though the Academies have stricter guidelines, it seeks to support more authentic foreign films, whereas the Golden Globes support any film in another language. While this is also important, it does not help spread films made by other cultures and expose Americans to other civilizations, in addition to opening up competition between American made foreign language films, and films made in foreign countries. Both examples show only one category set aside for foreign films, thus making them ineligible for winning overall best picture, essentially segregating them from the whole competition. If a film is truly good, foreign made or not, it should be eligible for best picture. Though some films, like Slum Dog Millionaire could be categorized as foreign, (British director, set in India etc.) the primary spoken language is English, thus making it ineligible for the category. Though they may be nominated for other categories like Best Sound etc, foreign films are still considered separately, proving that they are not truly equal in the eyes of The Academy and so on.

One of the other factors that affect the foreign film in America is the MPEA, or Motion Picture Export Association. According to one article titled American Film Boycotts,

“The US film industry, represented by the Motion Picture Export Association (MPEA) has used the threat and actual imposition of boycotts in an attempt to force other countries to accept trading conditions for its films that are favourable (or at least not unfavourable) to Hollywood interests.”

One such boycott that was implemented was on Denmark, from 1955 to 1958. According to the same source,

“The MPEA decided that rental payments for US films were too low. Danish distributors refused to pay more. The number of American films released dropped dramatically (236 submitted for censorship in 1954, 189 in 1955, 116 in 1956, 55 in 1957) and films from leading European film-making nations—especially British, French and Italian—gained.
 Some Danish exhibitors agreed to increased fees, and shipments resumed. But the three-year hiatus had the apparently lasting effect of helping Danish films, which increased in number and maintained market share for years to come. Although admissions to Danish cinemas fell slowly during the period of the boycott, the rate of decline accelerated significantly after the flow of American films resumed and ownership of television sets spread.”

There have been many other American boycotts against other countries for similar reasons including Italy, France, Germany, Spain and the U.K. The effects of these boycotts have certainly made a lasting impression on the way foreign films are received in America. They have stunted the growth of this market in our country, while in some cases stimulating the growth of film in other countries, as is the case with Denmark. Another company partially responsible for lack of growth here is the Motion Picture Patents Company. From 1908 to 1912, this company attempted to control all aspects of film in America. Sometimes called the Movie Trust, they owned most types of film patents, especially those from Thomas Edison, and they controlled the use of equipment etc, and held a monopoly on the industry. With the control over film in America, they would also control and shape the way foreign film was received. One of the effects of the Movie Trust was the inadvertent creation of Hollywood, as filmmakers moved west from the New York film scene to escape the tyranny of the Movie Trust. Once Hollywood gained control, it would forever change the way films are thought of and seen in America, which in turn effects the foreign film in America as well.

Foreign films in America have a very unique and at times troubling history. Censorship, distribution, promotion, and other regulating influences have had both positive and negative effects on the industry. With people like James Selvidge, who are willing to sacrifice for the art, the foreign film has been gaining in popularity. Even dating back to Nanook of the North, though American made, we have always been interested in other cultures and experiencing new things. The foreign film provides this as well as a chance to support film not only in our own country, but all around the world. Film can unite us all under one aegis, our humanity. We can share the same experiences and emotions even though land and oceans may separate us.

Works Cited

"Academy Awards Rules and Regulations." Oscars.Org. 2009. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Web. 10 Dec 2009. .

Corrigan, Timothy. "Coming to America." America.Gov. 10 JUN 2008. America.Gov, Web. 10 Dec 2009. .

Fisher, David. "American Film Boycotts." Reference: Media Laws. 06 Jun 2009. Terra Media, Web. 10 Dec 2009. .

"Foreign Films and Foreign Markets." Encyclopedia. 2009. Online Encyclopedia, Web. 10 Dec 2009. .

"Motion Picture Patents Company." Encyclopædia Britannica. 2009. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. 11 Dec. 2009 <http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/394184/Motion-Picture-Patents-Company>.

"Parufamet." Economy-point.org. 23 JUN 2006. Web. 10 Dec 2009. .

Selvidge, James. "A Triumph of Art over Censorship." Foreign Film in America. Nov 2008. Truline Legacy Inc., Web. 10 Dec 2009. .

Nollywood

Nollywood the film industry in Nigeria is the second largest film industry in the world. It produces more films than the United States but not quit enough to beat Bollywood(the film industry of India). The first films were made in the 1960s but now since technology has made it easier and more cost efficient the industry has picked up. Nollywood is seemingly low budget, the packaging is cheaply made and most copies are actually pirated. It features themes such as romance, family drama, religious issues, corruption and things like witchcraft or vampires. Even with this stigma it is said to be one of the top things you to see this year.

Women Roles In Film

Feminist Film Theory

All of the films we have watched in class this semester have shown a considerably less than positive female image as in comparison to what I thought the class would be like. Feminist film theory is the theoretical film criticism that comes from feminist politics and the feminist theory. The way we approach women in cinema is inspired by second wave feminism and women's studies in academics. As early as the 1970s people have been trying to analyze film and come to terms with what the function of women characters really are. They go over things like what different genres they play in and what their stereotypes are. Which at the time that each film is made you can see this image as a reflection of the time period and how women are viewed in society. In England they also used critical theory and gathered their information from things like psychoanalysis, semiotics, and marxism. America picked up on this around the late 1970s to 1980s. What they call the "male gaze" is a concept many use to describe when a films audience is only seeing the film through what a heterosexual man would see it as. Now we have what is called "counter cinema" which is films made by women that give us an alternative to traditional old Hollywood films. That would be a breath of fresh air. Women in films that are not crazy, sex crazed, suicidal, cradle robbing, whores.

"Tenoch's Mom Has Got It Goin' On"

In my opinion, I felt Y Tu Mama Tambien was a thoughtfully provocative endeavor … and I loved it. Porno? Eh, borderline. But most pornography does not have such a defined structure of deeper layers nor portray sex as it really is- awkward and not always as glorious. Hollywood has the tendency to lure people in with the connotation that sex is an unbelievable spicy yet seemingly perfect experience- music and all! Now, I am not announcing my desire to view this film with my 99-year-old great grandmother, but as a film it is very captivating with its chic reality of events and comedy. Sex eventually sinks into the film’s plot as a consistent casual encounter, just as washing your hands after the restroom is a habitual norm.

Teenage boys are full of raging hormones and that holds truth throughout history in any culture. Boys mature through puberty, and the sexual curiosity/thoughts are its sidecar. Alfonso Cuarón accurately portrays this sexual tension with his two main male characters and all the uncomforting yet realistic obstacles throughout their journey to a sense of adulthood. On the other hand, Luisa really threw me a curve ball with her ‘Carpe’ Diem’ attitude. The doctor office scene totally slipped my mind (I suppose I was more focused on the sex appeal?) and I had a difficult time bonding/connecting with her. At one point, I was convinced she was merely a sexual seductress who missed out on a lot of ‘fun’ during her life and further used the boys to take out some of her regret. But then the tables turned, and all of the sudden she became a wise ‘motherly’ adult teaching Julio and Tenoch valuable life lessons… which then leads into a drunken threesome extravaganza whose morning holds nothing but awkward silence and discomfort. Time moves on, and just as in real life, one must move on from undesirable experiences.

Y Tu Papa Tambien

This film, in hindsight, is just as strange as it was when watching it.

My personal opinion about the film, is that while the Mexican culture is more open to the topic of sex, Y Tu Mama Tambien is still a “porno.”

Personally, I was also a bit offended that THAT film was the film chosen to represent Mexican culture and Mexican cinema. I am quite shocked that there was no other film that could better represent Mexico, that could better get across the “themes” that were supposed to be attained from watching the film.

 

On a listing of Top Ranked Films from Brazil and Mexico from The World’s Best Films on http://worldsbestfilms.blogspot.com/2009/09/top-ranked-films-from-brazil-and-mexico.html the Mexico films rank Pan’s Labyrinth as the best film from Mexico with international appeal. Los Olvidados is ranked second, and the Exterminating Angel is ranked third. Y Tu Mama Tambien is ranked at number four of the best films from Mexico.

 

On Wikipedia.org under Films Considered the Greatest Ever, El Callejon de los Milagros is the “most awarded film in Mexican history with 49 international awards. Pan’s Labyrinth appears again as the highest rated Mexican film.

 

Another site, http://www.bookrags.com/wiki/Films_considered_the_greatest_ever, refers the greatest film in recent times in the cinema of Mexico is La Ley de Herodes, or Herod’s Law. This film was also paired in excellence with Pan’s Labyrinth.

 

In Sergio de la Mora’s Top 10 Mexican Films, the highest ranked is El Violin by Francisco Vargas, with Ernesto Contreras’ Parpados Azules in second. Y Tu Mama Tambien is not even mentioned in this recent listing.

Rum: yum, yum, yum

35 shots of Rum did a lot of talking but they never talked about Rum, they didn't even drink 35 shots, I counted. Rum is a distilled beverage made from sugarcane by products like molasses and sugarcane juice. They do this in a process of fermentation and distillation. The clear liquid is then aged in oak or other barrels. The majority of Rum is made in the Caribbean and other Central American and South American countries. There are different kinds of Rum like light rum which is used in cocktails. Dark or golden rum is for the consumption for straight shooters or cooking if you prefer. Rum is a big part of the culture of the West Indies and is always thought about when pirates are mentioned.

Rum dates back to antiquity, and is thought to have first appeared in ancient India or China. The first distillation occurred in the 17th century by plantation slaves.

Bicycle Thieves

The History of Bicycles

The Bicycle Thieves showed how people have desires for physical material, they need them to be honest. So I wanted to go over the development of these adamant objects, that seemed to be just as necessary as the breaths we take in life for this man in the movie.

In 1817 Baron Von Drais invented a walking machine that helped him get around his garden. It had two same size in line wheels, the front steerable, mounted in a frame which you straddled. It was maneuvered by using your feet. He called this the Draisienne or hobby horse. It was crafted out of wood, it was a fad. Next came the Velocipede or Bone-shaker in 1865. It had two wheels with the pedals on the front wheel, made of wood, then later with metal tires, it was also a fad. In 1870 came the first all metal bike. With petals on the front, solid rubber tires, it had one giant wheel in the front and one small one on the rear. It was called the High Wheel Bicycle. It was the first to be referred to as a "bicycle".

People fell off a lot, this bike was not very stable. The experimentation of tricycles came next, followed by better tire safety, shock absorbing spokes, a more comfortable ride, etc. The invention of the bicycle lead to a practical investment for the working man. It gave him a means of transportation, a more flexible schedule and pleasure in a very busy hard working life, if he had one.

A Woman Scorn: a reflection on this class

International Cinema.

The title of the class rang a sweet sound of adventure and discovery into the world unknown. Unknown that is, to my own knowledge of culture and cinema pertaining to today’s modern era.

 

With mounds of frivolous hope,

I entered the class that left me with an image I couldn’t cope.

 

Being at an all-women’s college began the irony,

of watching so many films with no positive female roles to be seen.

 

From the beginning, with Older Than America, women were portrayed as victims,

worthy of the insane asylums where men put them.

 

The film with the movie cam

was entitled with Man instead of WOman

 

A vengeful, mean-spirited, and sex-driven woman was the running theme of so many of our past films:

From Pepe le Moko to the Marriage of Maria Braun to Jules and Jim.

 

In the Bicycle Thief the case was different,

because a leading female role was not even present.

 

Battle of Algiers used women as bomb carriers, with bombs in bags a plenty,

only made to feel better about getting blown up since they were “doing it for their country.”

 

In some films, women were simply seen as mysterious objects, never to be understood since they will always leave town in the end anyways; as in Life on Earth and in Happy Times.

(hey I think this whole poem rhymes!)

 

Maybe next time this class is taught,

more females in positive roles should be brought

 

But I guess since this is a class speaking on an international term,

woman are not accepted worldwide as positive beings: the only lesson I did learn.

Katherine, Maria, and Luisa

Three of the films we watched in class were very similar. Jules and Jim, The Marriage of Maria Braun, and y tu mama tambien have the same basic concept. All three are about two men and one woman. Their relationships are all very complex. In Jules and Jim there is an openly accepted, but still confusing love triangle involving two best friends and one friend's wife. The Marriage of Maria Braun is about woman in a love "polygon" between her husband and several other men. What makes her affairs particularly complicated is the fact that her husband has reportedly been killed in the war. Y tu mama tambien is about two selfish, immature, and sex-obsessed teens who have a physical-love triangle with a beautiful older woman. All three women are strong and Maria and Katherine (Jules and Jim) in particular are very wild and uninhibited. The three women play with the men who generally seem to be the weaker characters. The women all lead to the destruction of the men in the end and Maria and Katherine destroy themselves in the end as well. Katherine tricks one of the two men into getting into a car with her. She then drives the car off a bridge. Maria leaves the gas on and then lights a match and blows up the whole house. Luisa lead the two boys into a threesome that ruins their friendship. These films seem to suggest two conflicting things: 1)that women are powerful and can control men, and 2) that women in positions of power destroy everything. Jules and Jim and The Marriage of Maria Braun fit with the second message best. Katherine and Maria are wreckless and impulsive. The men seem more innocent than stupid which makes the women seem controlling and menacing. Luisa seems a lot more like a woman who can do anything she wants in a position of power. We find out in the end that Luisa was dying throughout the film and that was the reason for her carefree nature. She was not just a woman who couldn't handle power; she was a woman who decided to please herself at the end of her life.

La Vie Sur Terre

I thought La Vie Sur Terre was a really beautiful film.  The title is a bit deceptive.  A title like Life on Earth suggests a film that is very deep and enlightening- perhaps an exploration of the meaning of life.  Instead, the film is exactly what it sounds like.  It just shows people going about their daily lives.  I really enjoyed the photographer- he was my favorite character.  I also noticed that we never actually see him snap a picture.  We see him setting things up and posing people several times, but the shot cuts away before he actually takes the photo.  I thought this absence was rather refreshing because it seems common to use the taking of photos as a way to break from the flow of reality.  Something that would be difficult to incorporate might be revealed in a photo.  The plot was very small and I barely noticed it.  I think it almost distracted me at times because it seemed like something was going to happen in the main plot, but it never did.  I think I would love this film even more if I watched it again.  That way I could watch it knowing not to expect of focus on the plot.

Word: Nollywood-

When I looked up more about Nollywood I found that it has a website at nollywood.com that looks a lot like youtube.  I also found a documentary about Nollywood called This is Nollywood.  The film's website says "Storytelling lies at the heart of African culture- and now it's digital."

www.nollywood.com

www.thisisnollywood.com

The Marriage of Maria Braun and German Reflection

The 1979 film, The Marriage of Maria Braun (Fassbinder) is about the social climb one woman has after learning her husband was killed in the war. Taking place in Germany, her husband returns after she has already started a relationship with another man. The two men struggle and Maria kills the second and her husband takes responsibility for his wife’s actions, imprisoning him for several years. During that time, Maria works to make money so that when her husband is released they will have a place to start a family. She is able to do this by manipulating a rich man into hiring and falling in love with her. In the end, Maria is united with her husband who disappeared upon his release, only for the two of them to die in a slightly comical fire caused by Maria’s alcohol problem she developed with her success.
This film demonstrates what Germany was like after the war. According to an article I read, Maria’s decline in moral values in an attempt to gain material goods mirrors Germany’s decline in morals in order to rebuild the country and the “economic miracle” that took place in Germany after the war.
One other characteristic I found interesting was the fact that this story is told from a woman’s perspective. It provoked an inner debate with myself as to whether I thought her actions were liberating or immoral. We’ve seen many films where men have “triumphed” in the same way but do not receive the same reaction from an audience. Seeing a woman do the same thing almost strikes a bias regarding expectations from women.
http://www2.mcdaniel.edu/German/German1111/holer/Maria/maria.htm

La Vie Sur Terre

La Vie Sur Terre (Sissako, 1998) is about the last day before the year 2000 in Mali. While somewhat slow moving, it reflects the everyday life of in this African town that is difficult to translate to an unknowing audience.
According to an essay I found, this film is Sissako’s “contribution to French commemorations to the new millennium. Ten independent filmmakers were invited to make a film about the last day of the twentieth century in their countries of origin.” Sissasko was born in Mauritania, studied film in the Soviet Union and now lives in France. His approach to the film was to illustrate the life of his father’s village and deals with exile and the isolation from Europe. This is shown through villagers attentiveness to the radio and the village telephone use.
While many audiences may disconnect from this film, it is significant because of how realistic it is, almost as if it were a documentary. The shots of the villagers hiding from the scorching sun, the landscape and more support this theme.
http://screen.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/48/4/443

y tu mama tambien

After thinking about it and discussing it in class, I still don't know how I feel about y tu mama tambien. As soon as the film was over I didn't like it because I was still a bit in shock about how unexpected it was. I didn't really care for the film after it was over. I think I like it a little more after today's discussion. It is certainly not my favorite film, not even close. But discussing it gave me a little more understanding about it. It is not just about sex, though I still think it's mostly about sex. At least now I understand why a little more. One thing I definitely did not get out of it was the 'two Mexicos' thing. I'm not sure if it's because I know almost nothing about Mexican history or if it just wasn't super present in the film. I thought it was more about the characters. My favorite part about the film was the various shots of the roadside. I thought it was both interesting and sad that they travelled through such interesting places and never thought a thing about it. It really made me think about all the things that go on around you that you know nothing about. It reminds me of times of horrible sadness and you can't believe everyone else is going about life as usual. When we see the crosses on the side of the road and hear a tiny bit of the story behind them you feel a connection with those people and feel that same sense of amazement that the main characters don't notice a thing.

From the North

This is an interview with my friend James, who is a Canadian film student.

I wanted to have him discuss different stories that made an impact on his life with living in both the USA and Canada. 

This section of the interview relate to his comfortability, and how the change of country became a change on his life.

Almost over...

We only have a wee little bit to go before the semester ends... and we all part ways and greet 2010!

On Monday, we will review all the work you have submitted so far and make sure you are on track... specifically:

Blog: I will have a list of all the posts that you have written and we can make sure we are all on the same page.
Comment: Remember that you are each expected to post at least one comment on the blog. (You can respond to a peer, to one of my comments/posts, or reply to a comment someone posted on your writing).
Interviews: All interview projects should be in (...or you should talk to me and let me know what is going on). If possible, please post your interview on the blog.
Final project: Rough drafts for your papers are due this Monday. If there are issues, please talk to me.
Extra credit: Any extra credit work must be submitted by Friday of this week.
Publishing: I highly recommend that you consider submitting your work to Stephens Life (especially your interviews!).

If you have issues or concerns, please talk to me!!!
Thank you.

What I learned from my interview with Tatia Rosenthal

Tatia Rosenthal is an Israeli filmmaker/animator who directed $9.99, which was shown at this year’s Citizen Jane Film Festival.

She has also worked as an after effects animator on children’s shows such as Blue’s Clues.

She does a lot of independent work and currently teaches at the Visual Arts school in New York.

In high school Tatia was interested in acting and adapting plays, and she realized that film touched on all of that.

She went into the Israeli army, as is required of all Israeli citizens, and then into medical school, before getting involved in film.

Etgar Keret is an Israeli author, whose stories helped inspire Tatia’s work.

Tatia made a short film called Crazy Glue using one of his stories. She later worked with him on the writing of the script for $9.99

It was a ten year process to get $9.99 made, and Tatia used one of Etgar’s stories for a short called A Buck’s Worth as a financing piece. This story was also used as the opening for $9.99. Financing was difficult to find, which is part of why it took ten years to make, but eventually they found financing in Australia, and filmed a lot of it there.

She felt that the message of the film was, “Life doesn’t deliver one overarching satisfaction, it’s about the moments, and connecting with people.”

They did post production for $9.99 in Israel. Tatia said one of the most challenging aspects of the project was simply to work with in the budget, as it was a very small budget for a stop motion film, and it was an enormous strain. She said, “You have to be absolutely in love with the project, or it won’t be worth it.”

The part she loved most about this film was Albert and the Angel, because it was, “So beautiful with the animation and the puppets.”

Tatia likes her line of work because she loves the intellectual process.

She loves literature and film and “having the privilege of using her brain to make something and be proud of it.”

She wants to direct live action some day, she sees it as sort of a way of proving yourself as a director, but she needs to find the right script for it.

One of her favorite and most inspirational films that she has seen is Magnolia, but likes anything from Paul Thomas Anderson. She believes he is one of the more extreme directors of today. He has also done films like Boogie Nights and Punch Drunk Love.

Tatia also thinks Henry Selick, the director of The Nightmare Before Christmas, and Coraline, pushed stop motion to a new level.

She also loves an Australian film called The Proposition and watched it a few times in a row.

Tatia wants to take a break from working with Etgar, though she still loves his work.

She is currently working on a new project. She wants to adapt a book and is looking into getting the rights for it, but can’t say the title for now.

I had fun interviewing her, she was very sweet and seems like a good person to get to know.

Interview with Nanobah Becker

About a year and a half ago, in the spring of 2008, I was given the opportunity to travel to Kansas City to attend the Kansas City Jubilee for research for Citizen Jane. It was while attending a panel sponsored by Kansas City Women in Film and Television that I was introduced to Nanobah Becker, a Navajo filmmaker. The panel was on women in film and Nanobah opened my eyes the world of Native American filmmaking. I had never before realized that Native Americans had their own little industry. I guess, like many other Americans, I had pushed the Native Culture out of my mind, concentrating on anything but their culture. The following fall I was able to meet Nanobah again and have a brief conversation with her about her films and some advise about Los Angeles. Our conversation was, unfortunately cut short and I never got a chance to really connect with her again. She remained with me and opened up a whole new world of film opportunities. During this year’s Citizen Jane, I met Georgina Lightening and the Native American film industry was once again front and center in my world.
Nanobah Becker was born and raised in Albuquerque, NM. She received a BA in Anthropology from Brown University and a MFA in Film from Columbia University, specializing in Directing. Before she became interested in film she worked with Native youth in both the Navajo Nation and at the Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute in Albuquerque. She has received several grants and fellowships. Most recently she was chosen to take part in Project: Involve, “a nine-month production and professional program of Film Independent in Los Angeles” (nativenetworks.si.edu/Eng/rose/becker_n.htm).
"I have always been fascinated by film. Recognizing the lack of media reflecting the experience of Navajo youth, I decided there was ample room for me to explore filmmaking. That got me started. What keeps me going is the elusiveness of it. Filmmaking is a craft that can never be mastered I'm constantly learning with each new project, each new idea." (nativenetworks.si.edu/Eng/rose/becker_n.htm)

Glew: When and why did you become interested in film?
Becker: I first became very interested in Cinema when I was in high school--it was my escape. I made my first film in grad school at age 26.

G: Are all of your films about Native Americans or Native American themes?
B: I have directed two shorts, one with an entirely Chicano cast shot in Albuquerque, NM and the other with an entirely Navajo cast in the Navajo language shot on the Navajo Nation. I have produced 2 other 35mm, narrative, short films out on the reservation by Navajo directors. I have also helped produce films by Mexican and Mexican-American directors. My unproduced screenplays are Navajo themed, but I have ideas for documentaries and reality TV that do not concern Navajo or Native American themes directly.

G: At Citizen Jane this year, filmmaker Georgina Lightening talked about the issues that still plague the Native American community, do you believe that more films about Native Americans and the issues they face will help bring awareness to current situations?
B: More films by Native Americans about the issues they face will help educate those who chose to watch those films. However it is very important that tribes embrace media production within their own communities to promote their own beliefs, cultures, and languages for their youth.

G: I read that you were chosen to be involved with Project: Involve, could you tell me a little about it and why it is so important?
B: Project:Involve is a mentoring/talent development program that promotes diversity within the industry. It is run by Film Independent, which puts on the LA Film Festival and the Independent Spirit Awards. Programs like this one are competitive to get into and give you access to like-minded filmmakers in the industry you might otherwise not get to meet.

G: Do you believe the number of Native Americans in the film industry has increased or decreased with in recent years?
B: The number of Native Americans on the creative side of the film industry has increased. Most of us work independently. Some work for Hollywood. There are no Native American executives in the industry that I'm aware of.

G: Why do you feel it is hard for Native Americans to get roles in films in which they don’t portray the stereotypical Indian?
B: It is hard for Native American actors to repeatedly portray buckskin-wearing squaws or new agey shamans because those images serve to further marginalize us in American society and culture. Hollywood doesn’t think films like that would make any money.

G: Where do you see both your future in film and the future of Native Americans in film going?
B: I plan to direct something next year--whatever that is remains to be seen. I'd like to continue my directing career into the future and eventually produce for other talent, up-and-coming filmmakers. In television, I think we will soon see a Native American themed sit-com. In film, I think Native American directors will continue to make stronger and stronger work that will get them attention in the European and Art House crowds. And the Navajo Nation will be the first tribe to produce an Oscar winning film.

G: What advise would you give young women trying to get into Hollywood?
B: Remember that everyone struggles when they start out in LA. If there is anything else you would be happier doing, don't get into the film business. Learn to live cheaply. Use your connections.

G: What advise do you have for getting into the Native American film industry?
B: If you have a good story, pick up a camera. It's an exciting time to be a part of this movement!

Abderrahmane Sissako

A Fragmented Epistemology: The Films of Abderrahmane Sissako By Michael Sicinski
http://www.cinema-scope.com/cs29/feat_sicinski_sissako.html

Calling to Account: Bamako
http://www.bfi.org.uk/sightandsound/review/3691

Interview with Sissako
http://www.africanfilmny.org/network/news/Isissako.html

Welcome to Nollywood!

Here are some clips about the booming film industry in Nigeria's Nollywood:

This one cannot be embedded, so follow the link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qpPXgStqjfs&feature=fvw

Happy Times

Zhang Yimou has made a variety of films with different themes and genres. He’s made some films with universal themes such as Hero and House of Flying Daggers. Films such as these have been shown internationally and have done very well. But he also makes films for his own homeland and I respect that very much.

Happy Times is a film that deals with issues in China but it is told in such a way that the issues are more subtle and now thrown in your face. I realized this story is more about the characters then anything else and I see these characters in China who are very similar to people here in America. It brings the world a little closer to me, giving me the mindset that even though people may have different languages and customs all people are essentially the same in mind and heart.