Category: Culture

Wellington • New Zealand International Film Festival

Screening dates: 24 Jul — 12 Aug 2015

Source: Wellington • New Zealand International Film Festival

A belated post on the NZIFF which is currently in full flow. Last weekend was a fil marathon for us; one on Friday, two on Saturday, one on Sunday and even a film on Monday evening.

We started with Far from Men set in Algeria in 1954 at the beginnings of the independence fight. It is based on an Albert Camus book (that I have read in part!). It as a beautiful story of relationships and being an outsider in society with the actions of the colonialists and Arabs as the backdrop. The filming is beautiful. A good start.

In brief Wrinkles is a cartoon depiction of the vagaries of aging with the loss of health and self-control with increasing dementia. Good, thoughtful but inevitably black.

Amy is a well-known story and a documentary that has made some waves. Essentially a sad story, with the ending well known, of a talented but vulnerable woman, who makes mistakes but is offered no protection by those on whom she depends. Not a good advert for fathers or humanity in general maybe.

The Enemy Within as famously said by the ‘Iron Lady” (was she one?) is the miners viewpoint of the 1984 strike. It is important to be told or reminded of the circumstances of the strike, the power of the state and its allies and to see the way events unfolded and as I saw it, the errors of strategy on the part of the miners.

Pheonix tickled the satisfaction less than the others. Seems to be highly rated and enjoyed but lacks credibility in the storyline. Survivor from an extermination camp in WW2 has plastic surgery  and is unrecognisable by her husband when she comes back to their home city. A beautiful films as it recounts the new world and their new relationship but in my mind the implausibility always nags.

And today offers Banksy. A little bit different.

 

Family visit to see Selma

A very early(midday) trip to the cinema for family (including Swen) fun and apparently an education session for Isaac. He is studying the American civil rights  in history currently. Off to the Lighthouse in Petone into the cinema not much bigger than our lounge.

A good film, fine performances and instructive to have  the violence depicted to convey the reality that people fighting for their rights does not just involve talking and verbal discussion. Fear and physical risk is involved as well as the psychological humiliation that pervades racist attitudes.

Everyone enjoyed the film; the usual suspects cried.

As commented afterwards, is there racist irony in the fact that the lead did not get at least a nomination for the best actor at the Oscars?images imgres

 

Trip to the Cinema

The French film festival has hit Wellington. We booked to see two films, the first of which was last night. Une Nouvelle Amie came with a good intro and appeared to have potential. However, it fell extremely flat with me and Shaz.

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The premise is that a newly widowed man is a transvestite and his behaviour is re-ignited by the death of his wife and his wife’s best friend becomes part of this world. The film did not really seem to know what it was portraying and came over as ridiculous and farcical with the twists and turns of what was happening. So 0/5 for that one.

Before that we had been to see Salt of the Earth a documentary of a Brazilian photographer , Sebastião Salgado, who is a renowned for his social documentary work and later natural work. It was very good but unlike EQ and Swen we did not cry at the images of human misery that he documented around the world: Rwanda, Ethiopia and the former Yugoslavia.

We are maybe just too hardened by history and work to be affected in the same way now. The beauty of youth and the progression of aging?

 

 

Don Quixote in Wellington

EQ and I continued our interest in the ballet.
She has recently returned to the dancing world after a couple years off; both for the activity, the enjoyment and the completion of her exam sequence as she has one  more to complete.

Anyway- St. James theatre. The New Zealand ballet put on a ballet that(as usual) we had not seen. In fact we went in knowing nothing of the story but it it was simple to follow and enjoyable to watch. The music was a simple accompaniment rather than a real treat in itself as with some ballets. The costumes were bright, the set good and a simple humour about it. The delivery was slapstick in parts and quite camp in others.

The group dancing was well done. The individual performances were good even if a little formulaic in the way they were squeezed into the story line at time.

A positive review too.

Overall a good experience and a lovely evening with one’s daughter.

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Coppelia at St James

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As Eleanor is back for Easter, it  was a good reason to enjoy the ballet again, and so we went to see a ballet that we enjoyed in the past.

The theatre was not full which seems to be a sign of the times, be it the arts festival, or on as different tack, the rugby at the stadium.

We were sat to one side which meant we could not see the balcony scenes, important of the first act-somewhat annoying. However, the performance was good and act 2, set in the workshop when the toys or mannequins come to life was really well done. The lead ballerina did not have a perfect night however.

Still it is great to got to these things and the company was good.

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Monsieur Le President

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Yesterday we saw ‘Being President’, shown during the French film festival. A documentary following the political activities of Francois Hollande. A bit long in truth, but interesting and entertaining. Despite the economic woes of the country, the extravagance of the pomp and ceremony is remarkable.

I also went to see ‘Belle& Sebastian’ with Isaac. Now that was a trip down memory lane, being a remake based on the television series of the sixties-of which I am sure I saw lots. Disney film in French??

Madame Butterfly

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The buffs were at it again at the weekend. Another famous opera for us to see in Wellington. However, this time I was somewhat disappointed.

I am no expert on the nuances of opera but I do enjoy the spectacle: the mixture of music, acting, the extravaganza of the setting and the singing. However, for me, Madame Butterfly did not tick all the boxes. To my eye it is a one-dimensional production. The story is dominated by one character-the singer was great, but there was nothing else to it for me. It was very static, the staging was simple; a lack of the exotic or adventurous. The music did not set me on fire.

So, put this one down to experience-we will await the next time.

International Arts Festival- Episode Five

So the final outing of the luvvies of Khandallah.
Saturday night out to the Opera House to see “DJ Spooky” perform.
He is a mixer, multimedia artist.

http://www.djspooky.com

The show was “Rebirth of a Nation”, his working of a 1913 film “Birth of a Nation”, a KKK propaganda film, with music mixing overlay. Sounded interesting so we went along with the other Wellingtonian hip dudes.
It was different, with flim playing on 2-3 screens with his added effects and titles and written commentary, with him standing of stage mixing the music. I was a bit diappointed because the use of the film was not different enough. Music was fine but not overwhelming to me, though the better half was on the the wavelength more.
Anyway, not something I have done before so worth the effort to see something new. A better review form my accomplice, so theoverallscore for the fesival is
3/5

Happy Cultural Times

International Arts Festival- Episode Four


Last night the opera buffs were out. It was time for a Wagnerian experience with Parsifal. We booked this without knowing anything about the particular piece, as we are not in the knowledge on all things opera.

Anyway, the bottom line is the wheels came of the bus.

It was an early start, 5pm as it is a long peice and due for finish about 10pm, a worry in itself.
it was not a good venue, as the orchestra partially blocked our view, not too pleasing for $110 tickets, and by no means the most expensive. The production seemed uninspired in terms of garb with an incongrous mix of modern and traditional. The music was skillfully played and in parts grabbed the attention but singing in German does not do it for us. It came over as song that would be better spoken. With this level of frustration it not surprisingly felt too long!
Anyway the plebs left before the beginning of the third act.

To cap it all the review in the Dominion Post today raved about it. So we really did not get it. I have my suspicions the positive review was partly bigging up NZ as all singers were Kiwis and it was “important’ for wellington to put on such a production.

Learning points for future; do research before buying tickets and next opera to be seen will be mainstream. But then we are all really Italiophiles anyway aren’t we?

And a final note. When we got home I enjoyed the Bulldogs beating the West Tigers very much more. Rugby League for the ignorant.

 

International Arts Festival- Episode Three

So we went off again this time Dad and the ballet dancer in the family to see Aterballetto, an Italian company. No trouble getting to the venue on time, right place first time and lemonades all round.

Did not have any cash so did not buy a programme, but was in three parts

One; Omaggio a Bach “ This starkly beautiful interpretation of Bach’s musical universe explores the geometric and structural perfection of his compositions.”

This opened the show with the use of light to outline individual parts of the dancers, and seemed to present light as life with rising of sun at the beginning and setting at the end. We were up close and saw the brilliant control, strrength and flexibility of the dancers. Unusually, as many male dancers as female, all with scultured bodies and a “six pack” Some amazing movements and great choreographed interactions between the dancers. Loved it as did everyone else.

Two: Songs, “a sensual and refined pas-de-trois”,
two male and one female dancers, with almost competition between them for her. A more classical dance with its movements, timing and power.

 

Three; Cantata, “Set to a live performance of Neapolitan songs, ….evokes the passions, colours and wild beauty of the Mediterranean South. Alternately feisty and fatalistic, raucous and heart wrenching, you’ll not only hear and see the seething southern Italian street life, you’ll almost smell it.”

I did not really know what to make of this, with its singing on stage from almost street performers, as well as the dancing. The efforts of humour did not come off so well, being in a foreign language. At the time seemed like “West Side Story” meets “Carmen”, with a bit of “lingus” and similar going on. Great dancing though and certainly different music.

Overall a great night, an exhilirating performance of grace, power, flexibilty, control and innovation. A variety of dances kept the imagination stimulated.
Eleanor loved it, and Dad was a pretty cool date.

So definitely a winner, so the score is 2 1/2 out of 3.