Category: Film

REVIEW: AI WEIWEI: NEVER SORRY

nina.j

AI WEIWEI: NEVER SORRY


On Tuesday December 4th, I attended the UMMA’s Heroes and Icons Film Series. Every Tuesday night at 7 pm, the Student Programming Advisory Council hosts a film in the auditorium of the UMMA, featuring pioneering artists who have made strong statements through their life’s work. This week featured China’s most infamous and controversial artist Ai Weiwei.

If you don’t know anything about Chinese history or its contemporary art movement, thats ok. I will give you the briefest and most topical- and opinionated- overview: in China, the government imposes very strict and fearful censorship on the public expression of its people. This issue has been of particular debate in the past decade because of the rise of social networking and Internet communication. Ai Weiwei is an international artist who has made numerous controversial pieces since he began his work int he early 70’s. Most recently, he has created a photographic documentation daily life in China. His gallery space is unconventional however; his exhibition is displayed via  Twitter.

In 2008, a massive earthquake in the Sichuan province shattered the lives of thousands of citizens, many of whom were children attending a poorly constructed public school building. The government tried to hide the extent of the destruction by refusing to release numbers of casualties or names of victims. Infuriated and inspired, Ai Weiwei ventured to the Sichuan province and began documenting and Tweeting his findings. As you might imagine, the government was displeased with the dissemination of his opinions and came to his hotel room late at night. They kicked in the door and entered unwarranted. The rolling camera captured the sound of a police man hitting Ai Wei Wei’s head.

One year later, the artist finds himself in Munich trying to build an installation to honor the lost lives of the children in the Sichuan earthquake when he discovers that the lingering trauma from the beating will require surgery. The premise of the film, therefore, follows Ai Weiwei’s recovery process and continued defiance of government restriction through his artwork. This particular installation is a mosaic of 70,000 children’s backpacks hoisted onto the façade of Haus der Kunst, a German building connected to Adolf Hitler and the Nazi regime. This statement, called “Remembering,” is one that is difficult to forget.

Film maker Alison Klayman tells a very detailed story of an irreverent and soulful man who has powerfully challenged the fundamentals of the Chinese society through his artwork. I was particularly excited to see this film for that reason AND because I spent the summer in Beijing interning at an architecture studio that is right across the street from Ai Weiwei’s! The second image above (the turquoise door) is the entrance to his studio Fake in ArtZone Caochangdi. That was the view I saw every single day for months whenever I exited or entered my studio. Unfortunately, however, I never got the chance to see  Ai Weiwei. That is partially because he was on house arrest the entire time I was there. During his trial, a group of policemen blocked the street and tried to stop him from attending. A very dramatic, 24-hour police stake-out took place on our block for over a week, involving trucks, cameras, and many men in uniform. There was a great deal of publicity on the conflict, and  our studio’s exterior was featured here in the New York Times! See the elderly onlooker peering out from behind the bricks in the back? I know her!

Pre-viewing Film :: Samsara

Hunter Chee


In short, this film collected footage from 25 countries over 5 years and is the latest in a line of nonverbal films – Chronos and Baraka. The nontraditional documentary is meant to be “…showing how our life cycle mirrors the rhythm of the planet”

Mark Magidson, the producer of the film, says that Samara is much more modern in comparison with its predecessor Baraka. “touches on a lot of elements of human experience, conflict, war, birth, death, sexuality…the film is, hopefully, an attempt to let you feel like you’re part of the phenomenon of being alive at this moment”

The Director, Ron Fricke said, “…[Samsara] was conceived as a nonverbal guided meditation on the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth. Really sculpted, really produced by the power of [guided] flow” (Samsara itself is a word derived from Sanskrit and has different meanings to different eastern religions. In Buddhism, it means suffering, in others, flow)

Baraka hit me real hard. Just like straight jumping into glacial runoff, the same kind of shockingly refreshing feeling. The scenery shot, in combination with the music, had a chance to speak for itself – beauty for beauty’s sake, free from assumption or assertion or distortion. It was an open style in which you connect your own meaning and be as amazed and curious about what you were watching without being told about it, lots like a mental ‘choose your own adventure’ book. While at the same time providing eye candy in bulk to convey something words cannot. Going bonkers for this, cannot wait!!

Where
The Michigan Theater FREEEEE with an arts passport
Times
Sat 10.13 4:45, 7:00, 9:30
Sun 10.14 4:45, 7:00, 9:30
Mon 10.15 4:30, 9:30
Tue 10.16 4:15, 6:45, 9:00
Wed 10.17 9:45
Thur 10.19 7:15, 9:45

Mabe sees you there, review to cooome . Hunter Chee

The Trailer
The Film Webpage
Feisty ass mother f*ing squirrel

REVIEW: Detropia

nina.j

DETROPIA

Detropia was screened last week at the Michigan Theater as a part of the semester series Motor City Movies: Discovering Detroit. There was a lot of buzz the film around town so naturally it peaked my curiosity. I went with three girls from my English class who all left feeling riled up by the portrayal of the city. The story covered several different characters who are struggling to live vibrantly through Detroit’s struggling state of affairs. A video blogger, a politician, a bar owner, a pair of hipsters, a union organizer are all cast as themselves in the tale of this ‘crumbling’ city.

From a cinematographic stand point, the documentary was beautifully shot, carefully organized, and visually intriguing. It revealed a colorful exposé of an urban landscape brushing up against decay and the simultaneous resurgence of nature in the form of fields and wild weeds. Furthermore, it high lighted aspects of the city that are integral and historic, like the Detroit Opera House and the Automobile Show. Yet while the picture was well crafted,  it lacked a lot of content that would otherwise make it more…accurate. For example, there were no Hispanic people featured and there is a long history of native Spanish speakers living in Detroit. Also, many of the African-American characters seemed to be parodies of themselves, caricatures even. This was part of the controversy that many viewers felt upon watching the film.

I agree that the directors missed the mark on many story lines that exist in and define Detroit. Perhaps they even perpetuated Detroits demarcated name by portraying it as a failed city. At the same time, I don’t feel personally critical  because I thought the documentary was a tightly knit and well worth my time simply because it was  a true piece of visual art.

Just before watching, I listened in on the first half of the ‘Detropia Panel’ in Angell Hall, hosted by Semester in Detroit. I left feeling the general consensus was that native Detroiters felt offended by the portrayal of the city whereas outsiders felt curious about the strife, or positively moved by the story line. Questions were raised about who this film was intended for and if the location of its screening altered its message in any way. One of the strongest criticisms was that the film ignored community organizations, non-profits, and other group efforts to revitalize the city that are alive, inspired, and current. This defiant voice was carried by students who participated in active internships as part of Semester in Detroit last year.

One of these grassroots orgs, for example, is a group of six U of M alums who graduated last spring and moved downtown to form a small company called Wedge Detroit. On Saturday September 22, they group broke a world record by hosting a four mile long hopscotch course as part of the Detroit Design Festival. The event saw huge success and celebrated the urban vitality that organizations are trying to re-inject into the city.

Ellen Rutt, TJ, Ajooni Sethi, James, Dylan Box, Laura Willming, Marissa, and Flaco at Hopscotch Detroit.

Get inspired and check out info about Hopscotch Detroit. They are proof that  Detropia did, indeed, gloss over the part about young people organizing their energy for the good of the city. For more about the film, check out the Detropia website and Facebook page or to see an interview with directors Rachel Grading and Heidi Ewing, click here.

REVIEW: Jeff, Who Lives at Home

Kayla Silverstein

Have you met Jeff? He’s an adult who lives in the basement of his mother’s house. No job. No wife. No kids. The only thing keeping him company while his mom’s at work is his marijuana.

Tonight, MFlix hosted a sneak peak presentation of the upcoming film Jeff, Who Lives at Home in the Nat Sci auditorium. I actually really enjoyed the film. It’s an independent comedy with a pretty fantastic cast: Jason Siegel as the main character Jeff, and also Ed Helms and Susan Sarandon. The story revolves around Siegel’s character, Jeff, who is looking for “signs” that connect his life and the universe together. What begins with a man calling Jeff asking for someone named Kevin turns into a wild goose chase, helping Jeff’s brother, Pat (Helms) to hold his marriage in one piece. Meanwhile, Sarandon’s character, Jeff and Pat’s mom, tries to figure out her “secret admirer” in the office. The stories bend, twist, and collide, leaving the audience laughing, teary eyed, and a little…confused. All and all, I think it worked.

What I really enjoyed most about the film was the whole idea of how life is really unpredictable – who’s to say that everything in the world isn’t somehow connected? Maybe if we too took the time to follow every thread of our lives, every hunch that we had, we would all end up colliding in the same space and time. I was recently introduced to the modern art movement called Fluxus which insists that “anything can be art and anyone can do it.” While this film isn’t entirely related to that idea, Jeff comes up with multiple theories on life, and is repeatedly mocked by his older brother, Pat, for trying to be philosophical when he’s just a “pothead.” In the end, not to give too much away but Jeff isn’t that far off from reality. I was instantly reminded of Fluxus because just as everyone can do art, everyone can have deep, philosophical theories, in a sense. Sure, some may be dumb, but life is sort of chaotic anyway, so why not follow your gut?

It is quite possible that one man – a man with a home, wife, job, and car – may not necessarily have better ideas than a man who, well, lives at home.

The movie comes out in theaters this Friday, and I’d personally recommend going to see it. I’d give it 7 out of 10.

REVIEW: Pina

nina.j

The Oscars happened last Sunday and The Artist was a sweep. But this time next year, look out for the film Pina. See it in theaters now, remember it when awards season rolls around in a year. This spectacle is bound to be a hit.

Based on the life and work of German choreographer Pina Bausch, this 3-D film mixes an explosive combination of mediums: film, dance, choreography, set design, music, sound, lighting, language, graphics, special effects, cinematography. A sensational splendor.

Pina’s work in modern dance escalated in the 1970’s and continues to be influential today. Her role as a director is most prominent in Tanztheater, which translates to “dance theater.” She spearheaded a company in Germany by the same name, though throughout her career she worked with the gamut of cross-continental dance fame. In Tanztheater, Pina created celebrated pieces such as Rite of Spring (1975), and Café Müller (1978). Both are exemplary of her outrageous style: in the former, dancers move about on stage completely covered in soil and in the latter, they aggressively crash into chairs and tables on a café set. Both are reenacted beautifully in the film.

Image from Café Müller

Image from Rite of Spring

So thats the overview of who Pina is: a creative, expressive, and innovative movement artist. And now about this crazy movie that she inspired: Oscar-nominated film maker Wim Wenders has been a fan of Pina since the 80’s and decided to document her work in action. His crew followed hers long before the project took off, building artistic relationships between those in front and behind the camera. Unfortunately, days  before the shooting began, Pina died unexpectedly of a sudden cancer. The fim, therefore, began a tribute to her life more than just a portrayal or her work ethic.

The sets incorporated a wild combination of elements. Here, I mean earth elements: dirt, mountains, water, plant life. Some performances were filmed on a traditional stage, while others sought peculiar venues like rooftops, subway trains, swimming pool decks, or glass paneled houses in the woods.

The dance numbers were performed by professionals from Pina’s company. Their segments were separated by close- ups combined with voice overs in the variety of languages spoken by the worldly crew: Spanish, French, German, Portugese, Japanese, Chinese, English, and more. They talked of Pina as a guiding artist and all that her ingenuity and freedom of expression taught them about themselves, their bodies, and their work.

Counter to the common conception of dancers as always youthful, these workers ranged vastly in their ages. I found this point to be very curious. It spoke to the life long development of artists and how they become enriched as they ripen in their craft. Their ages may be have been evident on their skin, but the astounding strength and nimbleness of the dancer’s bodies far from gave them away. In fact, there was one piece in which dancers of various eras of life were dressed in identical outfits, confusing the audience about who was who. It was a number that could only have been performed for screen dance. I don’t see how this switching of characters could be performed live without the trickery of editing.

I asked my cousin, who works as a professional ballet dancer for the Boston City Ballet, his opinion on the work. “I thought it was beautiful,” he said. “She’s so unique in her choreography.”

And I agree! Watching Pina was one of the most visually pleasing experiences I have had in a long time.It was creative, stunning, marvelous, and inspirational beyond belief. I would feel badly for anyone who misses the opportunity to experience it.

Hurry up and see it! I’m serious, this was a very powerful artistic undertaking. The documentary has already swept up  The European Film Awards and German Film Awards, as well as receiving nominations or Official Selections from The Academy Awards, New York, Telluride, and Toronto Film Festivals. Pina is only playing at the Michigan Theater through this Sunday, March 4th. Check the Michigan Theater website for show times. Also, here’s and interview with director Wim Wenders from the New York Times. For more background on the production, check out the movie’s website .

REVIEW: “Great Lakes, Fragile Seas”

Kayla Silverstein 1 Comment

Yesterday afternoon, I went to watch the National Geographic documentary screening my friend Emma was hosting, entitled “Great Lakes, Fragile Seas.” National Geographic is always good, so I wasn’t worried about being disappointed. Emma’s dad, Tom, was answering questions afterwards too, and that man’s knowledge knows no bounds when it comes to the Great Lakes (near Traverse City, MI, he manages and teaches at his environmental education program, Inland Seas Education Association).

The movie is actually about twenty years old, but the facts were, for the most part, up to speed with today’s environmental reality. It introduced us to a world of beauty and of horror: lengthy shores and shimmering water turned sour by the staggeringly large amounts of slimy, squirmy sea lampreys, invading the pristine Great Lakes. It also showed the effects of pollution, years after being allegedly taken care of, on birds and their poor, twisted beaks. It was really disturbing, to be honest. Even just looking at small organisms, a certain species of plankton, that’s relatively large, barbed tail apparently feels like swallowing a sword to the poor fish that attempt to consume it. The effects of pollution and of invasive species on the Great Lakes are really astonishing.

It also compared the methods of those native to the swampy marshes on the shores, like a tribe of Native Americans, to the over-industrialized approach of today’s harvesters. They harvest wild rice by whacking at the plant with these sticks, using enough force to let the rice fall into the bottom of the boat, but not so hard as to destroy the entire crop. This respectful method for collecting the rice has allowed the cycle of growth and harvest to continue for decades. I thought the film presented a beautiful way of how traditional methods, that have lasted for years and truly works, have proven, scientific benefits as well.

Another thing I loved about this film was its relation of the culture of those living way up north, surrounding the Great Lakes and how in their given environments, they’ve developed a unique way of living. For example, a small town made a racetrack out of the frozen lake in the winter. It was fantastic and I so want to try.

My thanks go to Tom Kelly, for answering questions pertaining to the current state, an ever-changing predicament, of the Great Lakes. It was an informative and not-too-boring documentary on a very intriguing, relevant issue of today.

For more information on Tom Kelly’s Inland Seas Education Association, see their website: http://www.schoolship.org/