HOW AM I DOING?

i've now watched 37 films on this, the 53rd day of the year.  not exactly one/day as i'd hoped, but still not too shabby.  the olympics have been on for 2 weeks now and mom was here for 7 days, accounting for 16 days total, since there was some overlap.  both of those events made it hard to dedicate time to the cause.  37 + 16 would be.........hey..........53!  i wish i could tell more people about each film.  i get to talk it over with keith at times, and i share a story here or there with others.  should i ever decide to make this blog public, that could make a difference.  i can appreciate film reviewers a little better.  its a delicate balance to tell about a film, and try to interject some of the emotion, without spoiling sensitive parts for future viewers.  that's why i was trying to stick to the theme of "what i learned".  i have to remember to do that every time.  it often depends on how much time i have to type up this post.  well......what will #38 be??????  i know i want to watch the academy award nominees, but dang!  they involve such serious subject matter and i have to say.....i prefer non-political, more human interest fare.  i question myself....is this duty i do, or pleasure.  the answer will guide my choices, that's for sure!

37. MEET THE FOKKENS

that is NOT a misspelling.  this is a film about twin sisters, 69 yrs old, who have been Amsterdam prostitutes for nearly 50 years.  they are aged, overweight, pink cheeked, white haired women now.  they seem to live separately, but spend a lot of time with each other.  louise had to give up the business a couple years ago because of arthritis "i couldn't get one leg to cross over the other"; martine is still at it, sitting in her red window in the red light district and imploring would-be customers to come in.  we see some of her work, mostly focused on men of a certain age, and with a theme of mild dominatrix.  it is unbelievable that with all the other young, shapely women we see in neighboring windows that martine still gets enough work.  we learn she can't live adequately on her state pension.  we learn it was her abusive husband who essentially forced her into the work, despite having 2 small children.  we learn of her regret at choosing to do the work her husband demanded she do and risking loss of her children to foster care.  but, generally, these two woman laugh, play, tell stories from their years of work, eat, drink and make art.  in fact, the film ends shortly after a gallery exhibit of their art--heavy on both male and female anatomy.  in every scene except the work scenes the women are dressed in identical, brightly colored and patterned outfits.  they warmly greet those they meet on the street, many of whom we assume are past clients.  the film raises more questions than it answers, but moves quickly.  they are so delightful that we just watch and enjoy.  it almost makes you want to go to red light amsterdam and look them up!

36. VEGUCATED

WOW!  this was interesting.  the filmmaker, a vegan, set out to see how 3 other people, from different walks of life, would take to spending 6 wks being educated in a plant based lifestyle.  she chose college student tesla, who lived with her parents; a single mom of 2 kids; and a single guy.  all of them like their meat.  the 3 learned what it is to be vegan; tasted foods; met others; and, most importantly to the film, were educated on all aspects of meat production.  this meant learning how the animals are raised, the fact that most all fertilization is artificial, the animals are confined to small spaces, animals that don't suit the purpose are destroyed--that's all in the production phase.  THEN comes the processing--animals facing fear, the ways they are handled, killed and made into what we buy at the grocery.  the film discussed the environmental downfall of eating animals; the health issues; the global warming issues.  at the end, we wonder which of the 3 will remain vegan.  it's much easier to be vegetarian, but, as one said, it seems you're just being half-hearted.  i must say the film was informative, if somewhat one-sided.  but, why would it be any other way?  although i believe many of the facts presented, i just don't think i'm ready to give up my milk, and eggs and meat.  netflix has several other films about food and health and diet...........who knows?  maybe i'll be come a convert.  for now, i'm just glad to know a little more than i did before.  as one quote from the film, by john lennon, states,"if slaughterhouses had glass walls, we'd all be vegetarian". 

35. BEEN RICH ALL MY LIFE

they were the chorus girls of the apollo theater, back in the 30's.  now (well in '06 when the film was made), they are the silver belles.  6 women, come together to continue decades of friendship and dance.  we learn a little about each of them and see rehearsals and performances.  the youngest is 86; the "queen" bertye lou, is 93, and the center of the group.  we see her at her feisty best and we see her decline.  the women are fun and vibrant; they came out of a time when they were the draw of the theater at the time; out of segregation.  they all seem to cherish their dance and they all seem invigorated by memories.  i don't know that i learned so much, other than seeing how passion and a zest for life creates a fulfilling senior time of life.    the best line in the film?  these women have flavor; the put seasoning into their steps.  oh, to have the soul of a silver belle!

34. GIRL MODEL

the olympics have significantly interfered with my documentary a day.  of course, i'm learning things from the olympics, too, just not in the style intended for this blog.  that said, it's friday night, so i don't have time limits.  i chose this film because it's on the short side.  it was eye-opening.  following scout ashley, a former model herself, we see a cold call for models in siberia.  apparently there are agencies there that scout girls when they are quite young, convincing the parents that modelling builds character....and, the check book.  13yo nadia is scouted as a model for the japanese market, which likes young innocent girls.  her family needs money and feel, from the contract details as they understand them, nadia will earn at least $8000.  nadia flies off on a plane, unattended, to japan.  there, a sad, homesick nadia tries to make sense of a culture and language she doesn't understand; goes on cold calls; gets a job for which she doesn't get paid; eventually returns home $2000 in debt.  we also follow scout ashley, as she hints at the many improprieties of this industry; makes innuendo to the pedophilic and pornographic culture of the modelling industry in japan; and, even though she had an awful experience as a model, stating many times how much she hated it, we see her continue to scout, knowing what the future holds for the girls she recruits.  it's sad and disturbing.  fresh faced nadia is sad through the majority of the film.  we ache for her.  the only consolation is we know a film crew is with her; we can't help but wonder the fate of girls not so fortunate.  the modelling industry is incredibly lucrative for many, but girls grow up very quickly.  i would say...much too quickly.  siberian parents--keep your daughters home with you!

33. CUTIE AND THE BOXER

2 married artists are like 2 plants in one pot, often struggling for enough nutrients for each to flourish.  but, when it works, the result is 2 beautiful flowers.  ushio shinohara and his wife noriko have an age difference of 22 yrs and a marriage of 40+.  he is now 80, a struggling artist despite working the craft for an entire lifetime.  his art has been a mix of cardboard sculpture and boxing paintings--those made by punching the canvas with paint soaked boxing gloves.  she put her art and education on hold when she met him in new york city after relocating from japan.  she served as his wife and assistant, while he led a mostly unruly life as an alcoholic.  they have stayed poor.  at this time in noriko's life, she exerts more independence and emerges as an artist in her own rite, with a series of drawings of cutie and bullie, depicting her life with ushio and her evolving independence.  at some points, we wonder if she likes him much, but near the end, she tells ushio that cutie loves bullie so very much.  at one point in the film, ushio comments that an artist can't do anything other than art, even if it's not good for him; there is no escape.  we see the power, and the sacrifice, of love.  i enjoyed learning about this interesting couple and, especially, seeing ushio's unique approach to his paintings.

THE RAPE OF EUROPA

i've missed several days, since my mom was here and i paid my attention to her instead of daily documentaries.  the film i watched today was incredibly informative.  maybe i should know about hitler's art thefts, but i didn't.  i learned so much today.  hitler was an 18yo applicant to vienna academy of art, but his application was rejected.  in one of the intriguing questions the film raises, what would the world be IF he was granted admission.  hitler's "talents" moved him in other directions and in his goal to annihilate the people and culture of those he considered racially inferior; all the while, with his eye to the fine art in those countries.  for some, he and his next-in-line goring, established a plan to collect the fine art pieces for his own; for others, he determined to remove all items of the culture.
noteworthy art from across europe was targeted for seizure before invasions.  some countries managed to protect the art treasures by removing them to rural locations, such in france.  the hermitage in leningrad moved the art to underground tunnels.  other art, furniture, and daily items were destroyed by squads that burned everything to the ground.  after the usa got involved and notice arose of the destruction of cultural institutions by bombing, more thought was given to the technique of dropping bombs.  florence was saved from destruction because the allies dropped bombs in a narrow path that targeted only the railroads.  the u.s. also developed the monument men--knowledgeable in art, their role was to search, find and return art.  thousands of pieces of fine art were recovered.  the interviews with the monuments men were so emotional.  as one said, "it represented a victory of beauty over horror".  i never felt so vividly the TOTAL oppression and goal of extinction of jews and others by hitler.  the massive collections that hitler and other nazis accumulated was overwhelming.  the even more massive loss of art and personal objects even more so.  to annihilate the population just wasn't enough; all traces that a culture ever existed needed to be eliminated.  art that was german created (or non-jew created) was to be saved; the rest, plundered (meaning destroyed).   it's chilling. "monuments men" is a major motion picture in release now; i think i'll have to see it as a follow up to this documentary.  i feel i understand the real story; i'm interested in how the new film portrays the same topic.  ART MAKES US HUMAN.

31. YOUNG @ HEART

fantastic fun!  this film is about the final weeks of rehearsal for the young @ heart chorus, a senior group which performs originally staged music not traditionally performed by this age group.  the median age of the group is 81yo.  they are based in massachusetts, though they have even traveled to europe.  "purple rain", "schizophrenia" by sonic youth, and james brown's "i feel good" are arranged by the director bob, who brings out the swag.  its pretty great to see the seniors using a magnifying glass to read the extremely LARGE printouts of the lyrics in an effort to add new routines to the concert.  the huge challenge?  "yes you can", by donnie mcclurkin (with its 71 "cans").  these people really can't exactly sing....but the passion and the delight just reels in the viewer. a sad part is that several of these elderly folks suffer medical issues which limit their ability to participate in the performances that are so important to them.  the scene of the performance at the prison after particularly sad news is quite emotional, as are the ultimate concert performances.  truly uplifting.  a tribute to the performers AND a tribute to director bob cilman.  delightful.

i have to say, it was a welcome relief to watch this film on the heels of "the act of killing".

I WATCHED 29 DOCUMENTARIES IN JAN. NOW ITS FEB AND HERE IS #30. THE ACT OF KILLING

let me start with WOW.  this is a film about 1965 indonesian death squad leaders who are still celebrities in the county.  professing themselves as gangsters, which they interpret as "free men", and loosely imitating the bad guys they watched on american films, they openly and blatantly discuss the thousands of "commies" that died at their hand.  the primary focus of the film is anwar congo, the founding father of a paramilitary organization called the pancasila.  anwar is thrilled to relate his successes.  the gangsters decide to tell their story through re-enactments; they take great pleasure in discussing every detail...from how they dressed, to where the performed the executions, the technique, the victim's facial and verbal expressions.  it is wildly bizarre and somewhat sickening to hear them discuss the deaths in a most cavalier manner.  the reenactments are almost surreal.  anwar discusses his preferred method of execution, having devised it to eliminate the great amounts of blood that other methods created--he used wire to strangle the victim.  the men are very open about their methods; the way they even changed facts to be able to kill a "commie".  most of the film shows no remorse in any of these men; rather they portray glee at the work.  it is only toward the end, after a particularly graphic and violent reenactment involving women and children that we see anwar show some degree of empathy.  the paramilitary group is still in charge in indonesia and we see evidence of coercion and corruption still in place today.  i never knew about the genocide in indonesia; a similar genocide in cambodia is much better known through the film "the killing fields".  it remains unimaginable to me that these men continue to live a good, happy, prosperous life; they continue to intimidate; and they seem to do it all with total impunity.  truly....you will be blown away when you see these men so giddy in describing their actions of nearly 50 years ago.