Movies and tv
Oct. 15th, 2006 01:14 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
blue_lotus13I watched three more films in the Videotech this week. I've been rather busy, so I actually didn't get to see that many films this year.
1. Milarepa- I REALLY wanted to see this one because it was directed by the lama director who created "The Cup", a brilliant film about monks and soccer. This movie depicts the life of Milarepa, an important saint in Tibetan Buddhism. It was a slow moving, but extremely beautiful film. However, it's the first half in a two-parter. I really wanted to see Milarepa's life with Marpa, the spiritual teacher who molded him into a saint. That part would entail lots of intense battles and completion of strange and wonderful tasks. However, I won't get to see that until 2009, when Milarepa part 2 will be released.
2. The Cats of Mirikitani- This film won an award at VIFF. It's a sweet little documentary about Jimmy Mirikitani, a homeless artist who lives in New York City, and draws beautiful pictures which merge Eastern and Western styles together. After 9-11, the filmmaker takes him into her home, and they begin trying to get him on social assistance. Through the process, they discover the story of his past, his citizenship, and his history with the Japanese internment in the States. The film is poignant and touching because of the relationship that develops between Jimmy and the filmmaker. Jimmy is a character and is likeable and amusing, which makes this deceptively simple film a sweet treat to watch.
3. Have you heard from Johannesberg?-
This won the award for best documentary at VIFF. It's the story of the American movement of civil disobedience against apartheid in South Africa. The movement was originally started by Black Congressman, who went to the South African embassy and got arrested for weeks. Eventually, celebrities started storming it and getting arrested too. These small actions then spurred nation wide protests, motivated public opinion and eventually forced the United States and Reagan's government to put economic sanctions on South Africa, which assisted with the fall of the apartheid regime. This film was inspiritional, especially if you're fascinated by civil disobedience the way that I am.
****
I also finished watching the first season of "Dead like Me." I think it's a well written, well acted show, and I love that it examines life, death, loneliness and relationships with such a wry eye and I love that I recognize so many of the locations since it's shot here in Vancouver. If you live in Vancouver and like tv, you're sure to love the last episode. Michael from "Lost" is in that episode and there's also a scene featuring Jewel Staite (Kaylee from Firefly) fucking someone in the back room at Zulu records.
1. Milarepa- I REALLY wanted to see this one because it was directed by the lama director who created "The Cup", a brilliant film about monks and soccer. This movie depicts the life of Milarepa, an important saint in Tibetan Buddhism. It was a slow moving, but extremely beautiful film. However, it's the first half in a two-parter. I really wanted to see Milarepa's life with Marpa, the spiritual teacher who molded him into a saint. That part would entail lots of intense battles and completion of strange and wonderful tasks. However, I won't get to see that until 2009, when Milarepa part 2 will be released.
2. The Cats of Mirikitani- This film won an award at VIFF. It's a sweet little documentary about Jimmy Mirikitani, a homeless artist who lives in New York City, and draws beautiful pictures which merge Eastern and Western styles together. After 9-11, the filmmaker takes him into her home, and they begin trying to get him on social assistance. Through the process, they discover the story of his past, his citizenship, and his history with the Japanese internment in the States. The film is poignant and touching because of the relationship that develops between Jimmy and the filmmaker. Jimmy is a character and is likeable and amusing, which makes this deceptively simple film a sweet treat to watch.
3. Have you heard from Johannesberg?-
This won the award for best documentary at VIFF. It's the story of the American movement of civil disobedience against apartheid in South Africa. The movement was originally started by Black Congressman, who went to the South African embassy and got arrested for weeks. Eventually, celebrities started storming it and getting arrested too. These small actions then spurred nation wide protests, motivated public opinion and eventually forced the United States and Reagan's government to put economic sanctions on South Africa, which assisted with the fall of the apartheid regime. This film was inspiritional, especially if you're fascinated by civil disobedience the way that I am.
****
I also finished watching the first season of "Dead like Me." I think it's a well written, well acted show, and I love that it examines life, death, loneliness and relationships with such a wry eye and I love that I recognize so many of the locations since it's shot here in Vancouver. If you live in Vancouver and like tv, you're sure to love the last episode. Michael from "Lost" is in that episode and there's also a scene featuring Jewel Staite (Kaylee from Firefly) fucking someone in the back room at Zulu records.
