Showing posts with label Cannes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cannes. Show all posts
Tuesday, July 29, 2014
While I'm about to return to my commitment of writing for the Darwin Sun, this review isn't getting a proper run - but I thought I'd share it with you anyway. I'm glad to have gotten back into the swing of things by writing something, and am going to make a conscious effort to return to past glory with regular musings. I'll admit Darwin has so far been a more difficult place to keep cinema visits up.
My views on Charlie's Country may soon pop up in an essay as an expansion of what I've written here, so watch this space. For now, I strongly encourage Australians to watch this film so have a squiz as to why I think you should.
Charlie's Country (M)
THE DIFFICULTIES indigenous Australians
face in their communities are primarily documented in the media by
reports on violence and alcoholism. They are indeed problems, and
highlight the need to look at how governments handle future
population placement.
There are few directors that regularly
champion the stories of indigenous Australians, and within those none
quite like Rolf de Heer. The Dutch-born director, now boasting three
collaborations with veteran talent David Gulpilil, explores
traditional and modern values within the most simple of interactions
and stories.
Charlie (Gulpilil) is a man who does
not know where traditional values end and modern ones begin. He feels
trapped in his community, wanting the same privileges as the white
man and bemoaning the lack of general opportunity.
He is a larrikin, helping the police
catch criminals and then turning on them. He clings on to the past,
and can't see a fulfilling future. A decision to go bush in an effort
to find food and return to his roots sets Charlie on a path of
discovery, changing the way he sees his homeland and his situation.
Each of the film's three undefined
chapters change the tone of Charlie's story dramatically. His time in
the community is laced with wit and establishes human connections,
while his walkabout brings a complete alienation from the world.
Charlie's return to society, taking him to Darwin, brings his story
full-circle as he reconnects.
Stark contrasts make for a shift in
attitude for Charlie, a man who refuses to lose his humour; happy to
talk to himself and keep preoccupied. Gulpilil's depth as an actor is
revealed to us beautifully, de Heer knowing his star and using his
talent in an almost haunting way. The use of facial expression in
this one-man show is extremely powerful, Gulpilil showing the
complexities of Charlie with ease.
Shot on location across the Northern
Territory, including Darwin, we are privy to both the run-down areas
of closed communities and the natural beauty of Arnhem Land. The
latter is a beautiful part of Australia rarely seen in cinema, de
Heer exploiting it for our benefit.
The film is let down by the second
half, where the pace is slowed right down to drag things along. But
this third collaboration between de Heer and Gulpilil, after The
Tracker and Ten Canoes, was rightly a Cannes Film Festival
hit. Gulpilil's Un Certain Regard Best Actor win affirmed the
strength of their professional relationship as well as a great
individual performance
It is a film Australians should make an
effort to see, not only to understand the difficulties faced in
indigenous communities, but see our country's film-making talent at
its finest.
Rating: 4/5
Thursday, May 24, 2012
A year ago today I was in Barcelona, Spain, on a wild goose chase for an open police station after a 10-hour trip from France.
Why? Because I had a bag stolen as I was buying my ticket for the Metro to get to my hostel.
Picture this: a bag about 15 kilograms was between my feet but within eyesight for it was about to break. On realising quickly it was gone, it was gone. And it took endless minutes and a disappearing act from the station controllers to realise I was trying to find police. I was given Google frickin' Translator on the woman's iPhone so I could tell them that. Hopeless.
I went to where the above photo said. But at Espanya station, the guard there thought I was misinformed but wanted to be clear. So we asked the few wanderers around after 11pm if they spoke English. Luckily one young woman did and acted as translator. I was informed I would have to go elsewhere AGAIN. But it was almost 11.30 by then so it had to wait until the next day.
I was buggered. With my suitcase feeling heavier behind me with every step I was defeated. What a shit start to my Spanish fortnight that was.
What was stolen? Media kits of all sorts from my week in Cannes. No laptop in that laptop bag mate, sorry to disappoint. And what's worse is that my press badge was in there and I kept thinking to transfer it to my handbag. MORAL OF THE STORY: trust your gut.
***
Thankfully I had a nice enough few days in Barcelona to follow, sans the evil hostel woman who had the nerve to tell me to go to an internet cafe down the road when I asked to stick a USB into one of the supplied computers' hard drives. Bitch. The worst feeling of hopelessness was yet to come, but that's for next time. For now, the good stuff.
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| Las Ramblas |
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| La Sagrada Familia - I actually cried on walking in... |
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| Olympic Museum is a must |
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| More Gaudi magic - Casa Batllo |
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| The beginnings of a worldwide movement |
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*I have two photos entered in the current Qatar Reflections competition. Please show your support for me by voting for either photo! Short backstory and links here.
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
A year ago today I was at Monaco-Ville, Monaco on a daytrip.
It was the day after the Cannes closing party which was full of amusing pretentiousness and epic dancing - a great end to a crazy week at the festival; having arrived back at my Nice hostel about 7:30am (or around then) I thought a couple of hours sleep would suffice and I'd still have most of the day in Monaco as I'd planned.
I woke up five hours later.
I questioned whether it was worth it but felt shit with the idea I'd waste the afternoon. I got there and wandered for a few hours, which ended up being plenty of time as I only wanted to go through Monaco-Ville and see the castle.
I'd been to Monte Carlo in 2010 but I still found myself at the Grand Casino at one point. I somehow figured out the buses perfectly the whole time, saw the room where Grace Kelly and Prince Rainier were married in a civil affair, perused the prince's car collection and appreciated some more amazing French Riviera views.
That night back in Nice I had an amazing spaghetti pizza (yes, blending the best of Italy/southern France in one) and more gelati to boost my energy. To be fair, I didn't drink at the Cannes party (it wasn't an open bar and way out of my price range) but I'd been tired to the point of feeling a bit drunk. Even so, I was with two new-found friends from across the week and was sad for my time there to be just about over.
***
I wanted to also show you what I saw of Nice and also St Marguerite, an island off Cannes that has an interesting chapter of history to it.
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| In St Marguerite: the room where the Man in the Iron Mask was kept for five years. Actual. They still have no clue who he is... |
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| This stunning view was from the side of the castle in Monaco. I just wanted to stay there. |
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| Nissa socca joints like this one were chockers with people sampling the Nicoise specialty. |
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*I have two photos entered in the current Qatar Reflections competition. Please show your support for me by voting for either photo! Short backstory and links here.
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