Born into Brothels

About a week ago I watched this documentary called Born into Brothels, a story about a woman photographer who goes to Sonagchi, Calcutta to document the lives of women who make their living by being prostitutes. Trailer below:



But what happens is that she gets attached to the children of these women, and decides to start a school to teach these children how to photograph as well. After a while, and after she witness the enormous potential and talent untapped in these amazing boys and girls, she tries to remove them from their dangerous environment and enroll them into boarding schools, as to make sure that they will not turn into their parents.

I definitely recommend seeing this film, and I guarantee it will be both moving and heart-wrenching. But there are many ethical questions that this movie unintentionally provokes. Is it ethical to use hidden cameras to photograph the lives of people, especially if it shows them in a negative light? And is it ethical to profit from showcasing the lives of people who are incredibly disadvantaged? What happens if you take a picture or make a film of people who are in need? Are you now indebted to those people?

Watch the film, and read the reviews, as critical as they sometimes may be--it's worth discussing.

Bonnie and Clyde

A week ago I watched for the first time the movie Bonnie and Clyde, a film based on the true story of two notorious bank robber in the 1920s: Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow. Trailer is below:



It's always interesting to see a story that personalizes people who steal and kill people, but what's more interesting is what motivates these two characters. If anything, this is a story about two people who are trying to live forever by ensuring they would be legends.

Bonnie Parker, in the beginning, lives in a small town where she lives routinely as a waitress, and when she meets Clyde Barrow for the first time (who claims he robs banks), she is excited by what looks like to be an opportunity of danger and adventure. And the two run off and start robbing banks, but the entire time they're being chased by the authorities. And throughout this journey, they constantly look for their names in the newspaper, taking pleasure for being a center of attention.

At one point in the film, Bonnie writes a poem to submit into the newspaper herself...titled "The Story of Bonnie and Clyde." When Clyde reads it, he turns to Bonnie and says "You made me someone that people will remember." It didn't matter what they would be remembered for--killing and stealing--but that they will be remembered was good enough. It was sad to see that this man and woman who could spend their lives together instead try so incredibly hard to become legends, or in other words, try incredibly hard to die.

Cleo from 5 to 7

A couple of weeks ago I watched this French film called Cleo from 5 to 7, a story about a woman, a lead singer in a band, who is afraid of getting a result from the doctor that may tell her she has cancer and will die. Trailer below, but its in French:



What I liked about this film is the transformation that Cleo goes through. In the beginning we see that she is a high maintenance girl who constantly looks at herself in the mirror and needs attention wherever she is. And eventually, what we witness is her slow realization that there are other people in the world, and that they have lives too. And all of this takes place in just two hours, from 5 to 7pm (as hinted in the title) when she finds out the outcome of her test results.

Cleo from 5 to 7 is very characteristic of French New Wave cinema with its jump cut editing and esoteric themes. And although some of it may be difficult to understand, its nonetheless a good film to see.

Oldboy

I have to get this one out of the way first. Yesterday, in my last film screening for one of my classes, I had to watch a Korean film called Oldboy, a story about a man named Oh Dae-Su who is kidnapped and imprisoned for 15 years...after he is released, he tries to find his captor and seek revenge. Trailer below:



Would I recommend this movie? Honestly, no. Not because of the graphic violence or images or language, but because of what is revealed at the end, which I found to be too disturbing. Long story short, the best way to hint what I'm talking about is that there are similar themes between Oldboy and the play Oedipus Tyrannus.

But the concept of revenge is an interesting one in this film. Essentially, the two main characters are both living their lives for the one goal of avenging themselves, and one of them, who attains it at last, says "Now what will I live for?" And so this describes the main universal theme of this movie: the self-destruction that ensues from the seeking of revenge.

But don't watch it, unless you want to be really disturbed.

I made a movie...

About a year ago, I read the introduction to Amy Tan's novel Saving Fish From Drowning, and it contained an anonymous quote that reads:

"A pious man explained to his followers: "It is evil to take lives and noble to save them. Each day I pledge to save a hundred lives. I drop my net in the lake and scoop out a hundred fishes. I place the fishes on the bank, where they flop and twirl. "Don't be scared," I tell those fishes. "I am saving you from drowning." Soon enough, the fishes grow calm and lie still. Yet, sad to say, I am always too late. The fishes expire. And because it is evil to waste anything, I take those dead fishes to market and I sell them for a good price. With the money I receive, I buy more nets so I can save more fishes."

Well, when I read this, many thoughts came to my head--especially the war in Iraq, because the similarities between the rhetoric were too close. And so I decided to make a short film--a political allegory depicting what may be another incident of saving fish from drowning.

Sansho the Bailiff

Last week I watched for the first time a Japanese film that was made in 1954 and directed by Kenji Mizoguchi, one of the three Japanese masters of film during the time. Sansho the Bailiff is a magnificent film that tells the tragic story of a family that was separated and sold into slavery.



From the trailer above, you can see that the cinematography of this film is beautiful--almost every shot could be a work of art. But what struck me more was the theme and plot of this film that could best be described by one of the repeated phrases: "Without mercy, man is not a human being."

And indeed, in light of this story, you can't argue with that--especially people like Sansho, the owner of the manor who literally uses a hot iron rod to brand his slaves. Eventually Sansho is arrested but not without the cost of so many lives--what is interesting is that he is arrested by one of his former slaves...perhaps revealing that no criminal act can ever go unpunished.

Gone Baby Gone

A couple of days ago I watched this film that was known as Ben Affleck's directorial debut: Gone Baby Gone, a movie about two Boston area detectives investigating the kidnapping of a little girl. Trailer is posted below:



The only notable thing I really found of this movie is its plot, which conludes quite controversially. What is eventually revealed is that the kidnapping is in fact a conspiracy--that the Chief of Police himself (played by Morgan Freeman) kidnapped the little girl to save her from living a life with a neglectful and drug-addicted mother. But when the young detective Patrick (played by Casey Affleck) finds out, he turns in Morgan Freeman's character, thus having the girl returned back to her mother.

People have argued over whether what Patrcik did was morally right--is it ok to report a crime even if its end result is good? Patrick decided that it was the right thing to do, even if that meant having the girl grow up in a bad environment, but I am not so sure...I saw this as a lose-lose situation. The mother seemed so incredibly unfit to raise her daughter, but at the same time, Morgan Freeman's character broke the law as well as put so many lives in jeopardy by arranging this kidnapping that it makes you ask why on earth could he not have just simply requested to adopt the child? Because it makes for a good story? Not a good enough reason, in my view.

The Man Who Shot Liberty Valence

"This is the west, sir. When the legend becomes fact, print the legend." An editor of a newspaper speaks one of the last lines in the 1962 John Ford directed movie, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valence, a film considered to be one of the last examples of the classic Western genre, and one of John Wayne's last films as well. Trailer is posted below:



I watched this film the other day for a class of mine, expecting that I wouldn't find it too interesting considering it was a Western, which isn't one of my favorite genres in general. But I was a bit surprised...The Man Who Shot Liberty Valence is essentially about the death of the Western, and even the death of John Wayne's rugged character, both literally and figuratively: as the movie begins with a senator named Ransom Stoddard (played by James Stewart) who returns to the western town Shinbone to attend the funeral of Tom Doniphon (played by John Wayne), a local rancher whom he considered to be an old friend.

Ransom Stoddard is introduced to the audience as someone who has risen to fame and prestige in politics ever since he established his lasting legacy of being the man to shoot and kill Liberty Valence, an outlaw who used to terrorize the town of Shinbone...which is why the editor of the Shinbone newspaper is so curious to find out why Stoddard has returned to town. Finally after man requests, Stoddard agrees to tell the editor the true story of his past and of his now deceased friend Tom Doniphon.

What is finally revealed at the end of the movie is the truth to how Liberty Valence was actually defeated, and it was not by Stoddard's hand but instead by Doniphon, who allowed Stoddard to receive the credit and fame. What's interesting is how the town is affected by their perception of who killed Liberty Valence: Stoddard representing modern civilization with his background in the study of law as a testament to victory over the "lawlessness" of the Wild West as represented by Tom Doniphon's character...when in fact it was Doniphon who saved Stoddard's life.

In many ways, this film concludes that the cowboy has no place in modern society and that it must give over to civilization and progress. Regardless of what really unfolded, that is the consensus that stands as of today...and is perhaps why the editor of the Shinbone newspaper, after learning the truth, uttered the words "This is the west, sir. When the legend becomes fact, print the legend."

The Bicycle Thieves

A few days ago I watched this Italian movie made in 1948 called The Bicycle Thieves. A film that embodies the Italian Neorealist movement, The Bicycle Thieves tells the story of a poverty-stricken man, Antonio Ricci, who finally gets a job and thus an opportunity to save his family from financial struggle. Only, the catch is he has to have a bicycle in order to work, and so his wife sells their belongings to afford one. On the first day of the job, Ricci's bicycle is stolen by a young man who's part of an organized mob...and Antonio and his young son Bruno try desperately to find and retrieve it. Trailer is shown below:



Sadly, the ending of this movie is not so uplifting, and what we essentially learn is the hopelessness of those who are victims: that they are disorganized whereas criminals are organized and have the upper hand. At the climax of this film, as Antonio finally confronts the boy who stole his bicycle, he and his son both reach out to the policeman in the neighborhood and attempt to have him make an arrest. Only, the boy's family and community all lie for him, leaving the conclusion that it's Antonio's word against the rest.

The performances are great in this film, despite the fact that the director DeSica casted the leading roles with non-professional, unknown actors, as was characteristic of the Italian Neorealist movement. The boy that plays Bruno is perhaps one of the best child actors I've seen so far, plus he is adorable. And if you decide to see this film, notice how often Bruno looks up at his dad--how often he asks for attention and doesn't receive it. At the same time, we the audience see that the boy is the only one who comes to the aid of his father and his only saving grace.

The Promises Film Project

Last night I watched a heartwarming and bittersweet documentary about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict told from the perspective of seven Israeli and Palestinian children. Promises is a 2001 Academy Award-nominated and Emmy-winning documentary film produced and directed by B.Z. Goldberg, Justine Shapiro, and Carlos Bolado. The trailer is posted below here:



In the film, B.Z. Goldberg interviews these seven children between the ages of nine and thirteen--with a tagline stating they live no more than 20 minutes from each other, but nonetheless live in separate worlds. And very simply, but powerfully, we the audience are given a chance to hear them explain the situation, to hear their voices (instead of those of politicians and statesmen).

I, personally, was very touched by this film, and I would recommend it for everyone to see. What struck me most was the development of the bonds between these children, even in spite of the prejudice that exists in their environment...it makes you wonder how much could be resolved if people simply try to get to know each other.

Making Movies that Make Change...

As I mentioned before, The Kite Runner was produced by a media company named Participant Productions. Its founder, Jeff Skoll, is also credited with the creation of the Skoll Foundation, an organization that supports social entrepreneurship by seeking out and facilitating individuals and programs that are already bring positive change to their communities and the world. The video below is a talk given by Jeff Skoll at a TED (technology entertainment and design) conference about his decision to create Participant Productions.



As a result of some of the efforts to make social change through film and documentary, Participant Productions has developed active, working relationships with 83 non-profit organizations reaching over 20 million people. Other accomplishments include: social action campaigns that spread information about how to reduce oil dependence, nine countries incorporating the documentary An Inconvenient Truth in their high school curriculum, four bills on climate change, and the re-authorization of the Violence Against Women Act.

The Kite Runner

Last night I watched a movie called The Kite Runner, produced by Participant Productions, a media company that was created to fund feature films and documentaries that promote social values and address social issues while still being commercially viable. The Kite Runner is about a young man named Amir who is asked to go back to his homeland of Kabul, Afghanistan to help the son of his old childhood friend, Hassan.



The film is based on the National Bestseller novel by Khalid Hosseini, and although it received Golden Globe and Academy Award nominations, in my opinion the movie was not up to par because of the acting (with exception to the main child actors). Plot was great, cinematography at some points very beautiful, but the actors playing Amir and his wife made it feel less genuine.

But the children playing young boys Amir and Hassan were wonderful--sadly, I recently discovered that after the film was done, their families were concerned about their security (the fear of kidnapping). Fortunately, Paramount relocated the main boy actors to United Arab Emirates and agreed to pay for their living expenses until they reach adulthood.

And as nice as that is, it's ironically sad that the conclusion of the film reflects reality: one or a few boys are rescued from their surroundings while the rest are abandoned to live in a war-torn country. I really hope it doesn't remain that way...

The Rules of the Game

Last week, I watched a movie called The Rules of the Game (1939), a French film that criticizes the extravagant lifestyle of the bourgeois. So, it doesn't come as a surprise that this film wasn't very well received in the French public. The director of the film, Jean Renoir, appealed to a theme prevalent in poetic realism--moral relativism--a concept that questions moral authority (the existence of absolute truths) and points out hypocrisy.

In The Rules of the Game, characters illustrated this theme by making statements throughout the movie like, "What is natural?" (when the main character Christine justifies her choice to wear purple lipstick) or "The awful thing about life is this: everyone has their reasons." I also saw a deeper theme of the false illusion of morality...for example, twice in the film, two people mentioned that Christine and her husband had class, which is "a rare thing to find these days."

Yet, clearly in the movie, they had everything but class, at least with respect to their relationships (Christine's husband having a mistress, she trying to run off with someone else)...at the very end of the movie, a young lady named Jackie cries because she discovers that Andre, a man she loves, is dead, but she is then discouraged to show any display of public emotion when Christine tells her, "People are watching." Renoir seems to imply that the rich care solely about what people see. Trailer is below if you're interested in seeing it...

They're here already - you're next...

I have to write a paper for one of my classes, the purpose for which is to take a film from before 1965 and analyze its extra-textual elements. So I decided to go with the movie Invasion of the Body Snatchers, a low-budget but historically significant film that was made in 1956. 1956...if you remember what era the U.S. was in at this time, you wouldn't find it too surprising to discover that this film evoked the McCarthyism of Cold War America.

The film is about a city where alien vegetable pods land and possess human bodies, so that these bodies look like us and act like us, making it difficult or impossible to tell who is normal, who can be trusted. During the 1940's and 1950's, the double agent/mole concept was very prevalent, as Americans held this consistent fear and paranoia that there were Communist spies among them--and like the vegetable pod people in Invasion of the Body Snatchers, Americans likewise believed that Communist spies were difficult to identify...and so people began to think they could not trust anyone.

I've placed the trailer for the movie below--and if you notice it to be quite cheesy, remember this was the style of the 1950's...the last line in this clip, "They're here already - you're next" reflects the mentality of this time that it was widely believed that the Communists aspired to spread their ideology (in the form of propaganda and espionage) throughout the U.S. and the rest of the world...what's interesting is that this film itself could be argued as a form of propaganda.

There's no place like home...

Yesterday, in my History of American Culture since 1945 class, I learned that films could be an interesting source of the study of society. The U.S. was envisioned by our forefathers to be a land of farms and small towns, so as America grew, and large urban areas began to develop by the 2oth century, Americans became uneasy and grew nostalgic for the life of small town America. The "city" became to be indentified as a place of danger, of crime and corruption and bad education. You can see this mentality in films like Frank Capra's Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939) and The Wizard of Oz (1939).

In Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, Jefferson Smith (James Stewart) is a young senator who leaves his small town to go to Washington D.C. only to discover a corrupt political system that is controlled by the people who own newspapers and radio stations. In The Wizard of Oz, Dorothy (Judy Garland) journeys from Kansas to a fantasy city "Oz" only to realize that you don't need a wizard and that "there is no place like home." Both of these films seem to reflect the common mindset at the time that small town America is the ideal America.

My First Post

Hey everybody. I'm Huda and I'm a fourth year in biomedical engineering at the University of Texas at Austin. I'm not exactly sure what to do after I graduate, but I'm pretty sure I'll shift away from the sciences and engineering. See, my first year here at UT I made a short 5 min documentary for one of my classes, and I enjoyed it so much that it sort of stayed in the back of my head for the past three or so years. So last year, I decided to stay an extra year to take classes related to film and complete this bridging disciplines certification program in digital arts and media. Well, one of the classes I'm taking for the program is Web Publishing, which brings me to this blog...it's the first time I ever made one, so I hope you all enjoy it!