The Hunt (2012)

The Hunt (2012)
"Jagten" (original title)
115 min

Director: Thomas Vinterberg
Writers: Tobias Lindholm, Thomas Vinterberg
Stars: Mads Mikkelsen, Thomas Bo Larsen, Annika Wedderkopp
Country: Denmark
Language: Danish | English | Polish


Lucas, a divorced lonely Danish gave up his secondary school teacher job is now working in a kindergarten. He is so friendly with the kids and suddenly it all shattered when Klara, a little girl in the same institution, more than this, daughter of Luca's soul friend Theo, accused Lucas had showed her his penis and molested her sexually. The whole Danish suburban community appalled and cast him out without considering his portion, believing Klara. Thomas Vinterberg's "The Hunt" is condensing the vapors from an innocent mind to guilt.
"How can a stainless, pure kid can visualize "most deadly sin" without experiencing it? They are so innocent." "The Hunt" is shaking the concreteness of these beliefs in an adult society. Some nods, words from an innocent kid is creating iniquity by erasing the dualness. Ambiguity of this movie is its beauty, and it lies "clearly" in 8every society. All societies are in a way or other guilty, devouring and the same elements in society are raising their fists and voices for purity. To shoot, what they need is only a deer.
The question whether Lucas a culprit or not is not relevant; on the contrary, who is the victim, what criteria build moral boundaries up. The formation of a victim by cultural society, like Lucas, is also the process of immuring him/her in a never-ending hunt.
The Hunt released in 2012 directed by Thomas Vinterberg and starring Mads Mikkelsen.The film was screened at the 2012 Toronto International Film Festival and competed at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival where Mads Mikkelsen won the Best Actor Award for his role, Lucas.

The Mother and the Whore (1973)

The Mother and the Whore (1973)
"La maman et la putain" (original title)
210 min
Director: Jean Eustache
Writer: Jean Eustache (scenario and dialogue)
Stars: Bernadette Lafont, Jean-Pierre Léaud, Françoise Lebrun
Country: France
Language: French

Eustache's 210 minutes long masterpiece moves its wheels through the ambiguous and ambivalent life roads of  three youths in Paris during 1972. Film is based on real life incidents of director; his broke up with actress Françoise Lebrun, his life with Catherine Garnier and his love for Marinka Matuszewski.  As Eustache described the project, "I wrote this script because I loved a woman who left me. I wanted her to act in a film I had written. I never had the occasion, during the years that we spent together, to have her act in my films, because at that time I didn't make fiction films and it didn't even occur to me that she could act. I wrote this film for her and for Leaud; if they had refused to play in it, I wouldn't have written it."
Alexandre (Jean-Pierre Léaud), a foppish French intellect is living with his lover Marie (Bernadette Lafont), who is in her 30's. Film starts with Alexandre waiting for his ex-lover Gillbert in a street and trying to convince her about his love and persuade her to marry him.While rambling he sees a young nurse, Veronka (Françoise Lebrun) in Deux Magots cafe and stating a relation with her. Through unimportant places and dialogues Eustache is expanding the collisions among the three humans.
Events in the movie are happening in  Post-May68 Paris. The life of all Parisians became peaceful and they forgot the failed revolution of 68 by joining hands with mediocrity. 60's were a period of great turbulence all over the Europe and West. A counterculture developed in America against American conspiracy and their economical support to Vietnam War. "So in some respects it might be argued that France's version of the counterculture and what it eventually produced was a few steps behind what was happening in North America--and maybe even more than a few steps when it comes to women's rights." (Jonathan Rosenbaum). Veronika is so sassy and her freedom of being herself gives her courage to do sex in open space. Even though we cant place this movie a feminist one. Film reaches is height with Veronika's lamenting monologue that there s no whore, when we consider freedom and the plaque of society over her- "a whore". What separates a mother from a whore is simply freedom.
Eushache says that the character Alexandre is "destroying [the three lead characters], but he is looking for it all along. After his voyage into madness and depression, he ends up alone. That's when I stop the film."
We can see traces of Freudian Psychosexual developmental stages in the relationships. Alexandre dont want his lover Marie (we can personify her to the word mother) to love/admire any other fellow as his Phallic stage is clearly revealed here. Marie is the "mother" here since he is financially backed by her and she is not so ardently bothered by his affairs with other women unlike him. His activities are pretty rookie in front of Marie and not stained by reality principle. But he cant deter Veronika with his circumlocutious words and sometimes he seemed to be upset when she denoting her freedom of choice between men and her promiscuity. His dialougues with Veronika gives us an idea of his Genital stage where he is forced to consider the reality.
The movie created scandals among viewers due to its high profanity and sex talks.It won the Grand Prix of the Jury and the FIPRESCI prize at the 1973 Cannes Film Festival.
"My subject is the way in which important actions situate themselves in a continuum of innocuous ones". Jean Eustache committed suicide in 1981.

Joaquín Torres García

Joaquín Torres García was a painter, writer and art theorist who born in Montevideo, Uruguay in 1874. He is famed as founder of  Constructive Universalism, an art form that incorporates Latin American historic symbols and pre-Hispanic cultures. He completed his studies in Barcelona and then traveled across New York, Italy and finally settled in Paris in 1928. He linked with Modernismo art movement in Barcelona and did so many murals for Antoni Gaudí. In Paris he established friendships with Man Ray, Joan Miro, Joseph Stella etc.

In 1934 he returned to Uruguay with all the European art in his mind and molded a new style ie; Constructive Universalism. He wants something that is not stained by European art and founded this on the belief that simple objects and shapes could be understand prevalently irrespective of cultural/art academic knowledge.

In 1942, Torres García Workshop was created, a place of collective work and teaching, where his students learned to go through the course of art. He died in Montevideo, on 8 August 1949.

América invertida (inverted America, 1943)

Construction in White and Black (1938)

Construction in White and Black (1938)
Medium:Oil on paper mounted on wood
Dimensions:31 3/4 x 40 1/8" (80.7 x 102 cm)

This painting belongs to the series of gridded, bichromatic, abstract compositions Torres–García made between 1935 and the early 1940s. In this work, irregular, geometric forms evoke primal architectonic structures, and the dramatic contrast between light and shadow on the many planes creates an effect of depth and volume. The painting reflects the artist's deep engagement with the indigenous art and architecture of the Americas and, in particular, his interest in Incan stonework. The strong shading in each rectangular compartment gives the impression of stacked blocks, visually mimicking Incan masonry.(MoMA)

Constructivo (1928)-Ink on paper

Construcción 1944

The above mural  was done in 1944 by Torres Garcia for a hospital built for tubercular patients in Montevideo. There were 34 murals in total. Even though his age(he was about 70 years old was not suitable for this work, he started painting the walls by May 1944 since this being a unique opportunity to achieve in practice his theory that Constructivism was the ideal style to incorporate into modern architecture.Real problem arose when the whole work was unveiled on a public ceremony.The art critics declared them violent and aggressive and cautioned that the strident colors, would disturb the sick who were in need of physical and spiritual repose. The debate for and against the murals that ensued in the press went on for months, to such an extent that eventually a humorous note was published declaring that the murals had "turned out to be more dangerous and lethal than the Koch bacilli."

By 1970, the seven murals by Torres-García were in danger of being lost, threatened by the deterioration of the building. The Torres-García Foundation funded their restoration; removed from the walls and transferred to canvas, they were donated to Montevideo's Museum of Visual Arts, where they were shown in a Torres-García centenary retrospective in 1974. The following year, together with a large selection of Constructivist works by Torres-García, the murals were exhibited in Paris. In July 1978, as part of the exhibition "Geometría Sensível" in Rio de Janeiro, 73 works by Torres-García including the seven murals were destroyed in the fire that also consumed the entire collection of the Museum of Modern Art.

This painting, Construcción, 1944 is Torres-García's study for El Sol, the largest mural (over twenty feet long) of the project. This work is valuable not only because it is a testimony to the scope of the Constructivist muralist movement, and of its irreparable loss, but also because of its sheer originality.

Dos figuras constructivas primitivas (1945)

No (2012)

No (2012)
118 min
Director: Pablo Larraín
Writers: Pedro Peirano (screenplay), Antonio Skármeta (play)
Stars: Gael García Bernal, Alfredo Castro, Luis Gnecco
Country: Chile
Language: Spanish

In Pablo Larrain's Pinochet Trilogy, the movies Post Mortem (2010) and No (2012) (remaining one is Tony Manero released in 2008) are depicting somewhat similar situations (sure, the politics is different in both periods); superseding a reign to another.
After 16 and half years of tyranny in Chile, the head of military junta, Augsto Pinochet was prompted to call for a public referendum due to International pressures. The result of this plebiscite will decide whether the panache of power would stay on Pinoche's head for the next 8 years.
"A 'Yes' vote would mean, "Yes, I want Pinochet to stay in power. A 'No' vote would mean, "I don't want Pinochet in power; I want free elections". Says Larrain.
Rene Saavedra, the protagonist played by Mexican actor Geal Garcia Bernal, an ad film maker was persuaded for the No campaign, which consist of telecasting advertisement videos made by Pinochet supporters as well as his opponents through TV. Every night both the groups get 15 minutes to prove their stand.
The transformation of  grey color (in Post Mortem) to multicolored makes us feel the journey of Chilean people from somewhat cadaverous to a new hopeful landscape. Rene is unwilling to show 15 years of sufferings to people. Instead he is revealing the colors of hope and freedom. His target is how to fill viewers mind with charm, pleasure, the dreams of future and to prove them that the referendum cannot be rigged by Pinochet thereby tempting the mass to vote.
Since both the films are placed in a turning point of history, one is dead frozen, time is almost static, showing the painful shades of future; but in the other, time is finding its path, snows are defrozening. The languages he used in both films are entirely different and so sharp, scintillating, as Rene said in the movie "First of all, i would like to say what you are about to see fits with the current social context"
The film is based on the unpublished play El Plebiscito, written by Antonio Skármeta, starring Gael García Bernal, Alfredo Castro; Nominated for Best Foreign Language Film in 85th Academy Awards.

Life, Love, Death And Other Trifles- Jan Saudek (1991)

Life, Love, Death And Other Trifles- Jan Saudek (1991)
Directors, Writers: Slawomir Pultyn, Jaroslaw Rybicki
Country: Czech
Language: Czech
Run time: 34 min

A glance at the life and works of  Czech photographer Jan Saudek. It includes footage of him while working with models, visions about subjects like woman, happiness...Not so deep, but lively and interesting.

Live Flesh (1997)

Live Flesh (1997)
"Carne trémula" (original title)
103 min
Director: Pedro Almodóvar
Writers: Pedro Almodóvar, Jorge Guerricaechevarría, Ray Loriga, Ruth Rendell (Novel)
Music: Alberto Iglesias
Country: Spain
Language: Spanish

Victor was born in a deserted New Year night under Francisco Franco's mustache in 1970 as a prostitute's son. Fate brought him to an apartment of a junkie, Helena after 20 years, with whom he had a fabulous intercourse before. A bullet fired from gun in that room blossomed flowers of sin and expiation in the minds of characters within that frames of "Crane Tremula".
Live Flesh, directed by Pedro Almodovar is a glittery, electrifying piece of art showing the flow of immortal sins from mind to body. We cant take eyes from screen for a single moment and it twitches the skin inside. Elena becomes a devout wife to David, an ex-cop saved her from Victor since she is responsible for his life in wheel chair. The return of Victor from prison creates tensions in the couple's life and Elena realizes nakedness of truth adding intense colors to her reparation.Clara, by Ángela Molina is another remarkable woman in the movie. She was put behind the bars of threatened love for her husband, Sancho, the colleague of  David.
Bunuel's "Ensayo De Un Crimen" sets off the spark and is getting more fire like towards the end.Elena is played by Francesca Neri and Javier Bardem as David. Also Alberto Iglesias's wonderful music made flesh more delicious and tempt us to eat more.

Norah Borges Art

Norah Borges

Norah Borges was a painter, visual artist a prominent memner of avant-garde literary grouip called Florida Group in Buenos Aires. She was the younger sister of ultraist writer, Jorge Luis Borges.
She was influenced by expressionism and modernity during the Geneva years and when the family reached Spain (1919-1921) they were attracted to Ultraist Movement that opposed Modernism. The illustrations of Norah helped Jorge Luis Borges to thrive ultraism in Argentina after their return.
She died at the age of 97 on July 20th, 1998.

This work of Norah is a fresco portraying a mother and child painted in 1920, during the family's second and final sojourn in Island of Majorca. She did this on the staircase of Hotel del Artista in Valldemossa where they stayed.

Spanish Musicians-Músicos españoles

In all of our games she was always el caudillo, I the slow, timid, submissive one. She climbed to the top of the roof, traipsed through the tress, and I followed along with more fear than enthusiasm. 

—Jorge Luis Borges, Norah

Veronica-La Verónica

Venus and Cupid -Norah Borges- November,
1924 15 x 15 cm, Woodcut

Ajedrez (Chess) (1922)-Norah Borges
(for a poetry by Jorge Luis Borges)