5 Broken Cameras

Director :Emad Burnat & Guy Davidi
Writer : Guy Davidi

The film is a documentary shot by Emad who lives in Bil'in, a West Bank village. There are 5 cameras each one with it's own story. 
Emad bought his first camera when his fourth son Gibreel was born to film his growing up years. At the same time Israeli Army illegally started capturing land of the villagers, uprooting their Olive tree farms. Villagers protest by demonstrating every Friday. In the process Emad's friends and brothers either get shot or arrested. 
Over the years the violent activities of army increases. They raid village anytime and they even arrest children in the middle of the night. Emad starts showing the footage shot by him to villages nearby so that they can unite and protest together. 
While shooting this footage each os his camera is either smashed or shot. Eventually Emad approaches Israeli filmamker Guy Davidi and together they make film 5 Broken Cameras from the footage shot by Emad.

The documentary has won many awards at many film festivals, and was also nominated for Oscar.

Recommended.

A very long engagement

Director : Jean-Pierre Jeunet
Based on : Un long dimanche de fiançailles by Sébastien Japrisot

Set during WWI the film starts with the conviction of 5 French soldiers accused of self mutilation to escape the war. They are sentenced to be thrown in the no man's land between French and German trench - a certain death. 

Manech a 20 something boy is one of the accused and he desires to return home to his love Mathilde. It is assumed that all the five soldiers died but Mathilde refuses to believe. She starts her investigation by meeting soldiers who witnessed the event, stealing top secret documents, meeting influential high rank officers, etc.

During investigation she discovers stories of the other 4 convict soldiers and the reason behind their activities. 

Recommended.

Rajkumar Hirani on the film that changed his life

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Zoya Akhtar on the film that changed her life

Asghar Farhadi in India - Interview

Iranian filmmaker Asghar Farhadi, known for Oscar-winning film 'A Separation', Monday shared his views on world cinema. The Iranian director said that Indian cinema shouldn't try to imitate Hollywood or European cinema, but continue catering to everybody.

Which is your favourite gangster movie?

City of God

Director : Fernando Meirelles & Katia Lund
Based on Book City of God by Paul Lins

A story of a photojournalist Rocket who grew up in a slum where killing, robbery, fights is a way of life. Rocket tells us the story of the gang war in the slum City of God. The slum is named that ways as no outsider dares to enter the slum even in the daylight and is completely on the mercy of the god, so city of god. 

The story starts somehwere in 70s and moves forward every decade seeing a new don rising up to take control of the profitable drug business in the slum.

The film is shocking and shows how kids as young as 6-7 are used to smuggle and sell drugs. Kids with guns shooting each other is horrifying. In one particular scene Lil Ze shoots a kid aged 6 or 7 in foot. The way people around and kids look at it as if nothing great has happened, we live this life everyday.

Many of the actors are first timer but they acted like a pro. The actors who played Lil ze (both as a kid and then 20 something) are outstanding.

It is one of the best movie ever made.

If you are a movie lover and haven't seen the movie yet, first thing you should do is get hold of the DVD and watch it.

Parada

Director & Writer : Srdan Dragojevic

The film deals with gay rights issue in Serbia. Homophobia is shared all over the world and in many countries they don't consider as normal human beings.

In Belgrade, Serbia gay activist Mirko plans to organise gay pride to support their rights. In 2001 similar attempt was made which turned violent . Even after a decade situation is the same and almost everyone in Serbia shares hate for gays. 

Limun a war veteran who runs a security agency is about to get married to his love Biserka. Biserka doesn't like rough lifestyle of Limun but she loves him. She forces him to take up Mirko's job to proetct them during the Gay Pride.

Limun's associates leave him refusing to work. Limun then travels to Croatia, Bosnia, Sarajevo and Kosovo and employs his former enemies from the Yugoslav wars for the job. During this whole act Limun becomes soft towards gay and empathizes with their point of view and the Pride becomes his own mission.

In the end the Pride turns out violent and Mirko gets killed. 

Recommended.

Inside the Saudi Kingdom (documentary)

Director: Lionel Mill

You may call it as the land of oil or the land of royal princes or a country which follows strong Sharia laws. But along with that, you may also call it as the ‘land of Mystique’. From childhood days we are often more exposed to the western world. Coke, Pepsi,Rock and pop music ,Jeans,Hollywood movies etc make us more familiar with the things which are ‘Western’. So peeping into a different world which is way different then we normally live in will always make us wonder about how people in that part of the world live,survive and die.

Prior to shooting this documentary called ‘Inside the Saudi Kingdom’,no other western crew filmed inside the land of ‘Saudi Arabia’ for over 2 decades. It gives a glimpse on the lifestyle of the royal princes and the problems of common people in the country.

• Whether the modern days Saudi Arabia accept the changes brought in by modernization and digital technology?
• How far has it been successful in preventing its tarnishing image in front of the western world post the 9/11 terrorist attacks?
• What made a barren piece of land to be land of envy and opportunity for the western countries to gather more wealth?
• When will the plight of woman in the country improve?
• Why the obsession with religion?
• And who among the 7000 royal princes will decide the future of the country?

Are some of the questions which the documentary tries to answer and some I think will remain unanswered for quite some time.

Le Grand Voyage

Director & Writer : Ismael Ferroukhi

Reda a French Morrocan 20 something young man is forced by his father to take him to Mecca by road from France. Reda is extremely unhappy with the journey and has many fights with his father along the way. During the journey they met intresting characters and face various difficulties. 

At the end the reach Mecca and hi s father explains him why it was important for him to do this pilgrimage by car. 

The father-son duo who shares tense relationship, by the end of the journey starts understanding each other better. 

This was the first fiction film to be allowed to shoot at Mecca.

Baraka

Directed by: Ron Fricke
Written by: Constantine Nicholas, Genevieve Nicholas

Baraka is non verbal documentary film full with stunning visuals  of nature, rituals, war, death, culture, etc. The film was shot in 24 countries over a 14 month period.

The film shows visuals of  Buddhist temple, Orthodox Jews, Whirling Dervishes, a solar eclipse,  African tribal rituals, Jerusalem's Wailing Wall, Rain forests, Ayers Rock, Big Sur country, Hawaiian volcanoes, Brazilian slums, time-lapse footage of car and pedestrian traffic, Kuwait's burning oil fields, burning of the pyres at Ganga ghat,  Auschwitz, Egyptian Pyramids, Angkor Wat, Mount Everest, Indonesian factory workers., etc

The stunning visuals and composition takes your breath away. The film makes you feel reaching out to that particular moment. It made me feel why I don't see the world that way. 

It's a must watch.

Which is the bakwaas overrated 100 crore film ?

Cedar Rapids

Director:

 Miguel Arteta

Writer:

 Phil Johnston

My friend was working for a reputed company which represented itself in all popular events and forums held in that particular sector. The company used to win awards every year which in turn helped it in building its brand image. I was surprised to hear it in the end that the company used to pay for getting those awards every year.

‘Cedar Rapids’ is a light hearted comedy revolving around the same topic. The character in the film ‘Tim Lippe’ is a hardworking and honest gentleman who takes pride in representing his company at a regional conference. Tim’s company regularly wins awards in the conference .Tim’s boss Bill asks him to ensure that the company wins the award again.

But naïve and idealistic Tim ends up bringing disgrace to his company by sleeping with a fellow insurance agent, bribing the ASMI president for the award and doing drugs with a prostitute friend who he meets in front of the hotel.

What makes him do that is worth a watch .

Mongolian Ping Pong

Director : Ning Hao
Writer : Ning Hao, Du Jie, Gao Jianguo, Xing Aina

Mongolia a landlocked country with a population of 3 million where 30% of the population are still nomads. They live in a round huge tent with their sheeps and Horses. They hardly have any contact with the outside world. In such a village Bilike and his friends (Dawa and Erguotou) find a Ping Pong ball. The ball completely changes their life as they have never seen anything like this before. They start speculating and inquiring about this new object. Is it a bird's egg? Is it edible? Is it a pearl? They don't get any answer as no one in the village has seen such a thing.

One day Dawa's father gets a TV in which they hear that it is a ping pong ball. And Ping Pong ball being China's National game they conclude that it is a National ball. They decide to return this ball to the rightful owner i.e. government in Beijing . Without knowing where Beijing is, how far is it they set out for journey on their horses.

The movie showcases excellent landscapes and beauty of Mongolia. Also, we get to know Mongolian way of life on how they are untouched with outside world that even ping pong ball can bring such an excitement to their life. But director also tells us that this innocence won't last long as these nomads get city visitors who trade coffee, coffee mugs, magazines, etc in lieu of sheep. 

There is a parallel story of Bilike's father  who is a curious about the city and wants to build a square house as he sees it in magazine. He clicks photographs of his family with the backdrop of various cities. In the end when Bilike is sent to city to school he sees city folk clicking photographs with a lush green village background.

The Bang Bang Club

Director : Steven Silver
Story : Based on the book 'The Bang-Bang club: Snapshots from Hidden War' by Greg Marinovich & Joao Silva

The film is a true account of the lives and experiences of four photojournalist friends in the early 90s in South Africa during the apartheid period.

The four photojournalist were

Kevin Carter - In March 1993, Kevin Carter took a photograph of a starving kid about to die and vulture waiting in the background.

He won Pulitzer for the same. He killed himself in 1994, he was 33.

Greg Marinovich - He was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in 1991 for his coverage of African National Congress supporters brutally murdering a man they believed to be an Inkatha spy. He co-authored the book The Bang-Bang club: Snapshots from Hidden War which details the South Africa's transition to democracy.

Ken Oosterbroek - He used to work for The Star in Johanneusberg. He was shot and killed near Johannesburg covering a clash between UN peacekeepers and African National Congress. He had won many photography awards during his career.

Joao Silva - Silva like his friends has won many photography awards. He co-authored the book The Bang Bang club. His 20 year work as a conflict photographer was displayed at the 25th annual Visa Pour l’Image international photojournalism festival in Perpignan, France

The film is worth a watch,it take us to never seen world of conflict photojournalism. The risk, perils attached to the profession. The harrowing experience of witnessing killings, rape, hunger. The job is not meant for weak-hearted, life can be hell. Person is at a risk of losing life, the way Ken lost his.

Recommended.

My Hero - Short film

One of my friend is associated with this short film. Please let us know your views on the same.

Enter the Void

Director & Writer : Gasper Noe

The film is a different cinematic experience. The film follows the soul of a dead drug dealer. After the death of the drug dealer the soul wonders over the city of Tokyo observing the happenings in his sister life after his death until he gets a chance to be reborn.

Bridges of Madison County

Director:

 Clint Eastwood

Writers:

 Richard LaGravenese (screenplay), Robert James Waller (novel)

A brother and sister visit the village where they grew up to listen to the ‘Will’ written by the mother. They are surprised to hear from the lawyer that her last wish is to be buried in the Land near the Bridge of Madison County. The story unfolds as the sister starts reading the diary maintained by her mother and when they discover the illicit relationship which she has with a photographer friend for just 4 days. Why would a simple housewife who loves her husband and children get involved in such kind of act is the puzzle that gets unrevealed as the brother and sister duo read each and every page written by their mother.

Initially I got absorbed into the picturesque surroundings of the ‘Madison County ‘village which was shown in the movie. Then the casual conversations between the characters of the movie played by ‘Meryl Streep’and ‘Clint Eastwood’followed by the manner in which the true loneliness of the housewife comes out from her normal self. . Initially the children feel ashamed of the mother but later on console with her feelings and try to understand her.

Boredom in life can lead person to try new things which may find exciting in the short run but will be detrimental in the long run. Life can be very tempting at times and a true character of a person can only be tested during that period.

Client Eastwood was almost 65 when the movie released. May be the oldest actor to play the lead of a romantic hero in a movie.It is a must watch for guys who love romantic flicks.

Mahabharat

Mahabharat always fascinated me. I used to be all ears when my grandparents / uncles / aunties used to narrate incidents /stories or quote something from the great epic. I never missed any episode of  Mahabharat  serial produced by BR Chopra. Mahabharat is the most comprehensive epic ever. It is 10 times of the length of Iliad and Odyssey combined.
Sadly, there are hardly any movies based on Mahabharat. Only two movies that I have seen and known are


Kalyug
Directed by Shyam Benegal and produced by Shashi Kapoor

In the movie Mahabharat setting changes to corporate world of 80s. Hastinapur changes to factory. Kurukshetra is the boardroom of the company where cousins make strategies to usurp other group and take control. Shashi Kapoor as Karna, Anant Nag as Arjun and Victor Bannerjee as Durgyodhan the film is riveting and though you know the plot it keeps you hooked.




Raajneeti
Directed by Prakash Jha

The setting is the political family and fight is for being the head of the political party. Ajay Devgan as Karna, Manoj Vajpayee as Duryodhan, Ranbir Kapoor as Arjun and Nana Patekar as Krishna everyone makes justice to the role. Film resurrected the career of Manoj Vajpayee. There are many twist and turns that keeps you one edge of your seat.

I would like to see Mahabharat mounted like LOTR. The scale is too huge and probably that avoids any producer making a film based on it. 

Let me know if there is any other film based on Mahabharat that I am not aware of

Once upon a time there was a country / Underground

Director : Emir Kusturica

Written by: Dušan Kovačević, Emir Kusturica

The film is a satire on Yugoslavian history beginning from World War I till Yugoslav Wars. 

Yugoslavia was formed in December 1918 by the union of State of Croats, Serbs and Slovenes  and the Kingdom of Serbia. In 1946 Communist came into power and was renamed as Federal People's Republic of Yugoslavia.  In 1963, it was renamed again to the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and Josip Broz Tito was named President for life. After the death of Tito in 1980 ethnic tensions grew in the country leading to civil wars resulting into disintegration of the country.

Yugoslavia doesn't exist anymore. The country was divided into

Bosnia and Herzegovina 
Croatia
Kosovo
Macedonia
Montenegro
Serbia
Slovenia 


After reading the history I felt lot better about India, as we have hundreds of different cultures with thousands of different languages. At times tension do rises but somehow since 1947 we have learned to coexist in peace. 

Coming back to film, the film is a story of two friends Marko and Blacky with the backdrop of Yugoslavian history. The treatment of the film is surreal. The characters are over the top and at times comic. When the film started I thought it is a comic film but as the film progresses it takes a serious turn.

Beijing Bicycle

Directed by - Wang Xiaoshuai
Written by - Wang Xiaoshuai, Tang Danian, Peggy Chiao, Hsu Hsiao-Ming

 Guei a village boy comes to Beijing for better life. He gets a job with a courier service. Company gives bicycle to Guei on installment. Guei does his job with honesty and dedication. Bicycle not only becomes his means of living but also status among his friend. One day bicycle Guei loses his bicycle, someone steals it. Guei without cycle can't deliver courier so loses his job. Manager though promises him to give back the job if he finds the cycle.

Jian a school going teenager lives in the city's slum. He buys cycle from second hand market. Cycle is important for him to impress girl who he fancies. He buys the cycle by stealing father's money kept for his sister's education. 

Guei finds the cycle because of the mark he had carved on it. Intially Guei and Jian fights for the control of the cycle but eventually agrees to share it. 

Jian finds out that girl he loves has fallen for other guy Du Huan. In rage Jian hits him with brick and runs away. Jian then gives away cycle to Guei. But cycle is damaged by Du Huan's gang. Guei inconsolable carries the damaged cycle on his shoulders.

Thanmathra

Film: Thanmathra

Director:

 Blessy

Writers:

 Blessy, P. Padmarajan (short story)

He asked the name of his daughters and it was answered. He asked it again and was answered again. This went for 1 hour and then the person asking answering the question was tired.

He started crying without any reason and started abusing people for no reason.

He forgot places,people ,directions,conversations,important events which happened in his life and ultimately himself.

The person whom I referring, was the grandfather of my friend Aniket. An Alzheimer patient in his late 70’s.

The character in the movie (Ramesan Nair)‘Thanmathra’ shows same kind of symptons.He misplaces a very important office file at his home, inside the refrigerator. Forgets whether he had shaved in the morning. Loses his sense of time and place. He gradually loses his memory and starts behaving as a child.Technically speaking, Alzheimer’s disease usually develop slowly and gradually worsen over time, progressing from mild forgetfulness to widespread brain impairment. Chemical and structural changes in the brain slowly destroy the ability to create, remember, learn, reason, and relate to others. As critical cells die, drastic personality loss occurs and body systems fail.

Whenever an individual’s body is affected by such serious ailments, then at that time he is not the only sufferer. His family too has to suffer along with the patient. It was not just the grandfather of my friend who was suffering during his illness but the entire family. The movie successfully portrays that piece of the story.Life becomes very stressful for Ramesan’s wife – Lekha and his children.

The tragic end of Ramesan makes you feel sad and depressed at the end of the movie.’Thanmathra’ a must watch for serious movie lovers.

A Good Year

A Good Year

Director:

 Ridley Scott

Writers:

 Marc Klein (screenplay), Peter Mayle (novel)

A friend of mine once told me that ‘You seek what you see’. Isn’t that true?

You see a wonderful car passing by the road and then you feel like owning it.

You see a posh apartment of your friend or a relative and the next day you want to furnish your home in the same manner.

In a similar fashion, people often say that olden days were much more beautiful than the present. ‘Old is Gold’. Nobody ever feels that the time in future will be golden. Childhood memories are always much more blissful. I think this state of mind justifies my friend’s statement of ‘You seek what you see’. We have seen our childhood and that’s the reason we want it back. Nobody has seen the future or has experienced it. So nobody says that the days in future will be golden and I want to seek the future.

‘Good Year’ is a movie in which the main character of the movie – ‘Max’ (played by Russel Crowe)spends his summer holidays with his uncle in the vineyard estate of his uncle in France. Later on, He becomes a materialistic investment banker in England. Life changes for Max post his uncle’s demise. Max being the sole beneficiary of the property goes back to the vineyards estate to sell it. But ultimately he ends up quitting his profession as an investment banker and starts living a normal life of a villager near the vineyards owned by his uncle. He recollects the golden memories he had spent with his uncle. The game of Cricket and Tennis that he used to play as a child. The finer details shared by his uncle about the making of a fine quality wine.

When the company chairman Sir Nigel asks Max to make a choice between’Money or Life’, he chooses the later. The wonderful time which Max had spent as a child in the vineyards estate overshadows the posh and luxurious lifestyle which he would have enjoyed in the future. Once again proving the idea that Past is always wonderful.

The passion of dedicated winemaker – ‘Francis’ and the romantic angle added by the introduction of ‘Fanny’ a café owner makes the story more interesting.