Planning my next feature

photo credit: icathing


Found this tidbit on AVClub

Director Mike Leigh is famous for his collaborative writing process, in which he requires his actors to create detailed personal histories for their characters.

I'm in the process of collecting ideas and this intrigues me.

We're going to the big show!

Most of you already know this but Everything Louder Than Everything Else is an official selection of the 10th Annual Whistler Film Festival!

Rob will attest to the fact that when he called me with the news, I didn't believe him.

We had already received so many rejections to the point where, psychologically, I had hunkered down for the remainder of the soul-depleting news. I simply wasn't ready for GOOD NEWS.

Since we heard the news on Oct 4th, we've been gearing up:
- website: thanks to Bill. he should really think about doing this for a career.
- sound editing and colour correcting: Paul used his amazing post-production ninja skills for which we are super grateful
- application for a grant from Telefilm Canada: lots of paperwork from a Canadian agency? Shocking!
- gorgeous poster and postcards: don't be fooled by Byron's delivery of the line in ELTEE: "you can't thank your parents in the liner notes" as he is a killer illustrator. i was on the verge of tears upon seeing the poster for the first time.

And now our film will screen in a mere 2 weeks. TWO WEEKS! In Whistler!!

What on earth will I wear?

VIFF: an overview

due to work and film stuff, i watched fewer films than i had hoped but i'm still really happy with those that i was able to catch.

# of films watched = 9
# of walk outs = 1

best film
The White Meadows

worst film
Fortune Teller


overall, i thought this was a strong year for VIFF. sure, there are always a significant number of films that don't seem to make it here from TIFF or Cannes but then there are tons of films that premiere here at VIFF and don't make it to TIFF or Cannes. i'm okay with the odds i have with VIFF and had a fabulous time this year.

VIFF: Nostalgia for the Light

rating: 4/5
country: chile
type: documentary

loved:
- how the film compared the similarities between astronomers and the chilean women who continue to look for their relatives who were 'the disappeared' as those who look to the past to understand who they are and where they come from
- the courage of these women who keep going back to the desert to look for mass graves.
- this was a cinematic looking film.

didn't love:
- there was some hippie stardust overlay affect that they applied when the women and the telescopes come together in the last part of the documentary

blurbie:
i loved the educational nature of this documentary. it introduced to me a topic that i knew little about, those that disappeared during the pinochet years. dispite my whine about the stardust overlay, this film was gorgeous from the computer generated universe fly-through to the shots of the telescopes in the middle of the most arid region on earth.

VIFF: Winter Vacation

rating: 4.5/5
country: china
type: narrative fiction

loved:
- the dry humor ala Jim Jarmusch
- conversations were slow paced
- old boring grandpa + active grandchild = hilarity
- teens who say: let's not be too hasty with this disagreement. let's sit down and properly disagree... or something like that

didn't love:
- the pacing was definitely of the SLOW variety but some scenes felt overly slow as if the director stretched applied the extra slow plug-in

blurbie:
it was really neat to see the application of a Jarmusch dry humour film be applied to a rural chinese (siberia, it looks like?) outpost. watching chinese life receive this treatment was a treat!

VIFF: The Woodmans

rating: 2/5 **yes, i changed the rating system! i wasn't pleased with how it was working for me**
country: united states
type: documentary

loved:
- being able to see the daughter's body of photography work and even some of her video projects
- seeing the mother's passion for ceramic art stretch thoroughout her entire life

didn't love:
- i thought the editing made the film feel too long.
- watching someone cry over the death of someone felt a little manipulative; death is sad and we don't need to see someone cry to drive home that fact.

blurbie:
i generally find artists very interesting and was inspired by an entire family that seemed to fully embrace making art as a serious commitment. however the editing felt a little undisciplined which made the movie just ok for me.

VIFF: Tiger Factory

rating: 3/5
country: malaysia
type: drama

loved:
- that it was a film by young, new filmmakers
- that they didn't care that the story was super depressing

didn't love:
- the jittery camera got tiring after a while. what's wrong with a steadicam, i ask!
- i've seen many super depressing asian films and felt that Tiger Factory wasn't offering anything new in this genre.

blurbie:
i kinda thought this was a less cinematic and less layered malaysian version of The White Meadows.

VIFF: Himalaya, A Path To The Sky

rating: 3/5
country: France
type: documentary

loved:
- having the opportunity to glimpse into the rhythm of life in a Buddhist monastery in the Himalaya
- the interplay between the female documentary filmmaker (who spoke their language) and the monks who were all men.

didn't love:
- there were a number of moments when the documentary filmmaker asked leading questions rather than open-ended questions.
- i thought the editing didn't allow us to really get to know the child monk with the old soul. there were small fragments here and there but i wonder if she wasn't given the type of access to allow that.

blurbie:
the main subject is an 8 yr old boy who, at the age of 3, kept asking to go back to the monastery because he left behind his prayer books. we see him attending philosophy classes, starting a fire using wood and playing with his fellow child monks. we even see him visiting his family. although i felt the film didn't go deep enough into this child's life there was definitely a happy devotion that exuded from him and all the other monks.

here's an excerpt i found on youtube

VIFF: The Fourth Portrait

rating: 4/5
country: taiwan
type: dramatic narrative

loved:
- the acting. the stepdad's scariness was subtle but overwelming. the scene where the mom talks about when her son went missing was brilliant. the funny elderly janitor and the small time crook were also perfectly toned.
- the cinematography was excellent except for the overall colour palette.
- where the story started and where the story ended.
- the baby that never cried. why did we always see the dad caring for the baby and never saw the mom holding the baby?
- lots of great tracking shots

didn't love:
- i found the soundtrack lacking. the music was either too strong for the scene or i kept wondering if the filmmakers actually received permission to use a song that should be quite expensive.
- excessive use of the yellow/green colour palette.
- i thought the brutal and the comedic parts could have been better balanced or better transitioned into each other

blubie:
this film was just excellent. i really lost myself in the story about a boy who's dad dies and he ends up with his mom (who is a prostitute at a brothel) and a sociopath stepdad. the time the boy spends with the school janitor and the not very aggressive thug was the comedic relief that helped us deal with the scary and stressful other parts.

VIFF: The White Meadows

rating: 5/5
country: Iran
type: dramatic narrative

loved:
- cinematography
- the mysterious man who collected tears
- the blinding white salt islands juxtaposed with the black attire of the inhabitants
- characters speaking their sorrows into a glass jar then sealing them up

didn't love:
- i didn't find the main character (mr. tear collector) to be very good. or maybe i'm missing the point. this is a very political film so i could be wrong about this.
- mr. tear collector's poor rowing technique

blurbie:
walking out the theatre, a man announced that: "this is arguably the worst movie i've ever seen." i had the entirely opposite reaction to this film. from the stark white salt islands to the floating bowls of fire, i was mesmerized. altho i had no understanding of this film's political commentary, the concepts of oppression were quite clear. amazing.

VIFF: Fortune Teller

rating: 1/5 - i walked out after 30 mins
country: China
type: documentary

loved:
- nothing


didn't love:
- shot on video, in 3x4!
- bad editing. this did not need to be a 3 hour film.
- how the subjects were filmed and came across


blurbie:
i should have taken the caution in the film guide that this film was by "one of the most controversial documentary filmmakers working in China today". a documentary about the fringes of chinese society shouldn't be glammed up but the first 30 minutes that i could bear to sit through frustrated me with, what i felt to be, a test by the filmmaker of how much i can take. well, i'm not interested in crap cinematography and poor editing and filming people in such a way that made me feel really uncomfortable with what i was watching.

VIFF: Snow White

ok, a new year means a new rating structure.

fuck yeah = awesome
fuck ok = ok
fuck off = walk out or horrible

***Oct 9: I decided to change the rating system and updated all the posts***

let us begin!


Snow White

rating: 4/5
country: France
type: filmed ballet

loved:
- costumed by Jean Paul Gauthier!
- score by Mahler
- modern ballet plus some aerial work
- the love dance that was done to silence
- the massive mirror that actually had other dancers on the other side mirroring the stepmother's movements. fantastique!

didn't love:
- editing
- cinematography

blurbie:
holy cool ballet, batman. the best part was the first entrance of the evil stepmother who had the best moves and did it with tons of evil attitude. too bad i was constantly being pulled out of the experience with jumbled editing and poor framing.


here's an excerpt i found on youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sb5Q3FyqKKc

films! films! films!

i picked up a copy of the full program guide to the Vancouver International Film Festival on Thursday and...

- i read through each and every film description
- stickies were adhered to 22 films
- films were entered into a spreadsheet
- films were prioritized
- 13 films will be viewed, hopefully


LEGEND
green = priority films
light purple = weekends
aqua marine = selected daytime screenings
red = thanksgiving dinners
orange = selected evening screenings


THE 13 FILMS I AM PLANNING ON WATCHING
Fortune Teller
Winter Vacation
Echoes of the Rainbow
The Tiger Factory
The Fourth Portrait
The White Meadow
Aurora
Cold Weather
Little Rock
Nostalgia for the Light
Himalaya, A Path to the Sky
Snow White
The Woodmans


Anyone else going to VIFF? there are some real gems i can't wait to see.

Tetro by Francis Ford Coppola

I finally watched Tetro last night and there were a lot of things to like about it.

Going into the film I felt sympathy for Frances Ford Coppola (FFC) for finally being able to return to his art house beginnings since The Conversation.

And sure I could be all cynical and wonder what FFC's been doing all these years since The Godfather besides his vineyard but who am I to judge when I'm going on month 9 of studying for a project management certification exam? Even though FFC's got buckets and buckets of money doesn't mean he doesn't have responsibilities. But I digress.

Tetro is indeed art house fare.

LOVED
- the cinematography
- the casting
- the acting

DIDN'T LOVE
- the soundtrack
- the editing (sorry Walter Murch)
- a story that was interesting but kinda lost me at the end
- the story line with the critic
- some of the visualization scenes

I found this film visually stunning and thought the casting was excellent and I was transported but there some of the scenes that were confusing and didn't even need to exist. At the end of the film, I was plain confused and no longer transported.

Despite my criticisms I still think this film is pretty wonderful and worth a watch.



Here's the trailer

spain vacation report

B and i spent 2 weeks in Spain in June.

We came back with full bellies and lots of wonderful memories. It was my first trip to Europe and I can't wait to go back.

I haven't finished my spain video montage but in celebration of spain's world cup win today I thought I would upload my 27 photos to flickr:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/chinalily/sets/72157624348091243/


BEST PART OF THE TRIP
Going to Bilbao (for 24 hours) ended up being the best part of the trip. We experienced inspirational art at the Guggenheim, consumed two delicious meals and had a small taste of Basque life. Even when you include the torrential downpour of rain and high winds on the second day at Bilbao, it was still the highlight. You'll have to ask me in person for our Bilbao story.


THE MOST DISAPPOINTING PART OF THE TRIP
Spending good euro coin at two highly recommended restaurants for okay paella.


LESSONS LEARNED
1) do tons of research: we bought 3 travel guides and had a list of places to eat and visit. go to Wanderlust in Kitsilano for the best selection or you can borrow the 3 that we have for Barcelona.
2) 2 weeks can be the perfect vacation length: at the end of 2 weeks, we felt we had gotten beyond the touristy parts of Barcelona and emotionally felt ready to come home.
3) if you have a travel partner, create a google map to plot all the places you want to visit then print out the google map.
4) convert your currency BEFORE you leave town.
5) try to meet up with someone in the town you are visiting. getting a local (or even an ex-pat's) opinion on where to eat and what to see is invaluable. Thanks Naheed!
6) accommodations: i found trip advisor super helpful. for our 2 week stay, we stayed in 2 different places in 2 different neighbourhoods. we really liked changing it up that way and highly recommend it.
7) pack half the clothes you think you need: i have yet to master this lesson. i brought way too many clothes.


*the picture above is of the Maman sculpture piece by Louise Bourgeois which is permanently installed outside the Guggenheim museum in Bilbao. I was actually close to tears when I came across the piece as Ms. Bourgeois had only passed away 3 weeks previously and after watching a documentary about her (2 years ago), I felt a deep respect for her as an artist (she created this piece in her 80s!) and also an emotional understanding of her art.


...UPDATE...
Barcelona video montage!

on the flip side

stay far far away from newly opened Terracotta Chinese Modern in gastown.

- where: you don't need to know
- what: tweaks on chinese food
- who: don't know
- must try: if you're forced by friends to go, try the beef sliders
- of note: they apparently love house music and hostess/servers who wear gobs of makeup and very tight outfits. the food was mediocre and expensive. just horrible.

because marion asked me to

some the tastiest and well-crafted meals i've had recently:

Judas Goat
- where: located next to Salt in Blood Alley
- what: spanish tapas
- who: chef Lee Humphries of the Long Table Series
- must try: scallop tartare with pork rinds
- of note: it's a tiny 24 person joint so make reservations

Bao Bei
- where: 163 Keefer St, Chinatown (across from Floata)
- what: modern asian food
- who: Tannis Ling (a bartender) from Chambar
- must try: Mantou steamed buns with braised short rib
- of note: Tannis went to Taiwan and Hong Kong to research recipes from her family to incorporate into the menu

Acme Cafe
- where: 51 West Hastings Street (beside Famous Meats)
- what: modern diner
- who: Alan and Peggy Hoffman
- must try: brunch
- of note: Alan is a photographer and his gorgeous photos line the walls


*B took the photo above of me at the Acme Cafe while i was excitedly figuring out veggie seed plantings

another criterion worth your time

jeanne dielman
directed by chantal akerman

released in 1976, this film deserved to become a criterion selection. here are the highlights:
- 201 minutes long
- minimal dialogue
- looooooong takes
- the minutiae of a french housewife during the 1970s

but that's just the setup because SHIT HAPPENS that will blow your mind.

another interesting thing of note, the director was only 25 when she made this masterpiece. WTF! if that was my debut feature, i wouldn't bother making more films because coming up with something better would be très difficile.

the extra features on the criterion give lots of insight into the difficulties that the young director faced with her more experienced actor.

you will love this film if you also loved:
- Hunger by Steve McQueen
- any movie by Tsai Ming Liang
- Morvern Caller
- Vagabond by Agnes Varda

you can rent this film from Happy Bat on Main Street or borrow it from Rob.