Born into Brothels (2004)

Directed by Zana Briski and Ross Kauffman

The documentary was wonderful. I read some of her interviews on this film but I'm more fascinated with the ongoing project "Kids with Cameras" that Zana Briski has founded.

"Kids with Cameras" http://www.kids-with-cameras.org/home/

Here is one of the projects that they're working on.

"Kids with Cameras has a plan to help more children like those portrayed in Born into Brothels. With your help, we will build Hope House (Asha Niwas), a nurturing home where up to 150 children from Calcutta's red light district can come to live, learn, and grow. The children who live in Hope House will receive a free, first-rate education through high school, courtesy of the Buntain Foundation, which owns and operates 80 schools in India. The Buntain Foundation will also manage and staff the home."

They're aiming to make $750,000 for the purchase of land and construction of the home and have made $500,000 so far.

I think it's really fascinating to see the potential of filmmaking and the film that can lead into another project which is tied to the real world.

Thanks

Shin

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007)

Directed by David Yates

I couldn't wait for the DVD... The film was worth of watching in theatre.

I read the director's interview (http://www.aintitcool.com/node/33125) and let me take some of the lines from the interview that I enjoyed.

"When I was preparing the film, I had all sorts of ideas that touched upon that kind of line between the real world and the magical world. Back when I was growing up you would always create these imaginative worlds. You just did. That’s what’s beautiful about Jo (Rowling)’s books is she takes you into this world where you can see this fine line between."

John Carney (a director of "Once") was also talking about the "world." His was not a magical world though... (Please check a previous note on "Once")

"I believe once you get the script right, the next biggest challenge is to make sure that you really feel there’s an emotional truth and an emotional reality to it. You could be defending some great kingdom from whoever (they were talking about the Lord of the rings), but you’ve got to believe it matters to that person you’re seeing on the screen."

"Sekai-Kan" is a Japanese word, and it means "a view of the world."
We see the world based on our experiences and memories.
I haven't read the books yet but I've been enjoying the world of "Harry Potter," and that's something that only this series can offer to the audiences. So, I'll probably go back to a theatre for the sixth and seventh because I want to feel this magical world.

Maybe in the end, what matters is that artists share this different view of the world with their audiences. What do you think?

Once (2006)

Directed by John Carney

It was great. I really love directors who can capture a space between people in film. (A story exists because there is more than one person in the world.) Anyway, I read the director's interview and would like to share some parts that I enjoyed.
http://www.moviesonline.ca/movienews_12026.html

" How do I create a world where it’s okay to watch 8 songs? How do you approach that? Rule #1 was be really authentic and never have playback. If the guitar has a string missing, you should hear that that’s missing. If the piano looks rickety and wrecked, it should sound that way. The most authentic thing should be in the performances and that’s why I ended up getting non-actors to do it as well. Singers who are professional, these guys, because nobody’s going to present those songs in quite as real or authentic a way as the people who wrote them."

The world is defined by people who live in the environment and vice versa... One thing that I really enjoy by editing a documentary is to study the complexity of people's lives. It's real, and it's amazing. (I don't know how to describe this yet... Sorry.)

Thanks.

Ratatouille (2007)

Directed by Brad Bird

I really wanted to see this film and finally got to see it. Here are some of the comments from Brad Bird's interview that I enjoyed.
(http://www.moviesonline.ca/movienews_12342.html)

"if we’re going to capture Paris, we aren’t trying to perfectly reproduce the actual Paris; we’re trying to reproduce the feeling of being in Paris. When we do movement for characters, we’re trying to give the impression of a character, rather than perfectly mimicking reality. So that’s our goal, to give the feeling of being under water in "Nemo” or in a kitchen in a 5-star restaurant in "Ratatouille.”

When I edit a documentary, I depend on the memory of feelings that I had from choreogaraphers and dancers who I filmed. In the editing process, I ask myself "is this the person who I met?" and if not, I keep looking for a missing piece in order to fill the gap. It's not the easy process but I think that's been the most exciting thing so far becasue I get to learn the layers of a person and come close to the core of who he/she is.

I still need to use interviews in order to build a story but someday I hope I can make one without any interviews.

Thanks

Shin

Paris, Je T'Aime (2006)

Directed by Olivier Assayas
Frédéric Auburtin
Emmanuel Benbihy
Gurinder Chadha
Sylvain Chomet
Ethan Coen
Joel Coen
Isabel Coixet
Wes Craven
Alfonso Cuarón
Gérard Depardieu
Christopher Doyle
Richard LaGravenese
Vincenzo Natali
Alexander Payne
Bruno Podalydès
Walter Salles
Oliver Schmitz
Nobuhiro Suwa
Daniela Thomas
Tom Tykwer
Gus Van Sant

No interviews for this one... Just so many directors...

The film was fun. I wish I could watch this with film school friends... My favorites were "Tuileries", "Le Marais" ,and "14ème Arrondissement."

Thanks

Amadeus (1984) Director's Cut

Directed by Milos Forman

One of my favorite films of all the time. It's just so wonderfully done... and it shows how much he likes people.
Well, I found his interview on BBC radio <http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio3/johntusainterview/forman_transcript.shtml> The interview's about forty minutes long and is amazing!! I'm going to summarize some of the things that I enjoyed from the interview and write them down.

- A interviewer asks Milos Forman if there is any different way he makes films in the U.S. than in Czeck. Milos answers "I want to believe there is not but actually there is. Knowledge of the language is different... I realized one thing. I can't function anymore as a screen writer... I don't have this nuance of the language (in terms of crafting the characterization of the people by the way they talk.) So the only change I made of is that I turn to adapt materials which are originally written by English speaking writers.

One of the reasons that I decided to make documentaries was that I felt that I wouldn't be able to write or capture the nuance of people from this culture which makes what they are. I didn't grow up in this culture so in a way I feel like I'm an anthropologist or a psychologyst who chooses to use film as a medium instead of writing a paper. :)

The next one is where Milos Forman talks about what a director is.

- "A director is a little bit of everything. Good director is the director who chooses these professional people who are better than he is... It's a strange profession."

I'd love to have this experience in the future. I did have a taste of this a little bit for my thesis but now I pretty much do everything. It's actually an amazing learning experience for me at this moment so I'd like to continue this for a while.

Thank you.

Away from Her (2006)

Directed by Sarah Polley

This is a very rich and beautiful film. I really enjoyed the actors' faces that the director was able to capture in this film. It's playing at Miracle 5 now so please check it out if you like watching subtleties of human gestures or expressions.

I'd like to share the director's thoughts from her interview on NPR
<http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=9912464>

"I mean I think what was so compelling to me about the story (the film is based on a short story "The Bear Came Over the Mountain" by Alice Munro) was that it was this incredibly intricate portrait or exploration into the nature of unconditional love and what is to mean to give up yourself in a way that will not be acknowledged."

It is a huge theme to talk about but I think it is something important to think of in life. I think...