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Newsflash: Europeana has been launched today!
For everyone who may be interested in European paintings, books, films and archives: you may find it here. It is major project based in the Royal Library in The Hague.
From the announcement on the site I quote:
direct access to some 2 million digital objects, including film material, photos, paintings, sounds, maps, manuscripts, books, newspapers and archival papers.
The interface will be multilingual. Initially, this may mean that it is available in French, English and German, but the intention is to develop the number of languages available following the launch.
Nagabonar
Last Saturday night we went to visit the Indonesian Film Festival. “We” means a mixed company of six – in a fair distribution of men and women and of native Bahassa speakers and Bahasa illiterates. Actually we choose only one of the many movies. But it was a lucky choice. At least our band of six afterwards was united on the verdict: Nagabonar is a well made movie and pretty good entertainment.
Nagabonar ( 1987) is about a pickpocket who becomes a general during the Indonesian war of independence. A picaresque movie, like there are picaresque novels about nice rogues or scoundrels who live through funny, amusing, satirical situations. This particular movie reminds of a recent Czech film (“I served the King of England” by Jiri Menzel, 2006) and a Czech classic novel (“The good soldier Svejk“ by Jacoslav Hasek, 1923). In this genre usually gentle little rascals from the underclasses of society, by their semi innocent foxiness, outwit their superiors and the representatives of elites and middle classes. Or the Dutch colonial oppressors in this Indonesian movie. The best examples of them take on some social abuses, but the main quality they should have is that they are humorous.
“In Bruges”, a terrific movie.
An introduction.
“In Bruges†is a movie about two Irish hitmen [an agonizing, wild and boyish young man Ray ( the brilliant Colin Farrell) and the calm, genial-with-a-sting Ken ( a superb Brendan Gleeson)] who have to spend a fortnight in the old Flanders city of Brugge (Bruges in French and English) after a killing in Dublin which went terribly wrong. One of them really enjoys the cultural atmosphere, the mediaevel architecture and museums of the city, the other one seems to be bored to death by this “shithole” and prefers a drink, a girl and some coke. These are criminals suffering from fatigue, a conscience or a peculiar principle. Within a few days the tension between the two men who are in a father – son relationship of a sort, mounts and ultimately reaches a bloody climax. Yet, it’s a primarily hilarious movie with brilliant lines, dazzling scenes and superior acting.
If you don’t want to believe us, look/listen to this review by an anonymous on YouTube who, unlike us in perfect English, tells why you should not skip the movie:
The director himself, Martin McDonagh*, alludes in the movie to an other masterpiece: “Don’t look now“, which was set in an other, probably the most famous of all mediaevel European cities: Venice. Reviewers also talk about Tarantino ( “Reservoir Dogs†and “Pulp Fiction“). Others recognized the influence of the witty “Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels“.
Ayat Ayat Cinta versus Alles Is Liefde
Jakarta is a very modern, urban city. Amsterdam is a very modern urban city. Jakarta citizens and Amsterdam citizens both are 100% human – the same virtues, the same vices. We all live in a global village, a distance of 12.000 km doesn’t make much difference. Or is there? Take for instance “Alles is Liefde” and compare it to “Ayat Ayat Cinta”.
News Flash:Nine Indonesian Movies at IFFR
Tomorrow it will start again: the (37th) International Film Festival of Rotterdam. It is one of the major festivals in Europe and even in the world. It distinguishes itself from those of Cannes, Venice and Berlin in that it aims at promoting the production of relevant and high quality movies, by independent directors.
This year no less then nine Indonesian movies will be shown in and out of competition. Among them are films by Edwin (“Trip to the wood” & “Hulahoop soundings”), Riri Riza ( “Thou shalt not wait” & “3 days to forever”) and Garin Nugrono (“Teak leaves at the temples”). The last one also directed “Opera Jawa”, which we saw recently and which I consider to be a small masterpiece.
Update: In the competition of full blown movies the audiences choose “Persepolis” as the winner. The Indonesian films “3 days to forever” and “Teak Leaves”finished 71st and 82nd out of a total number of 192. The Jury on the other hand choose as the “Tiger Awards: “Flower in he Pocket” (Malaysia), “Go with Peace” (Denmark) and “Wonderful Town” (Denmark).