42. SCATTER MY ASHES AT BERGDORF'S

a peek behind the scenes at bergdorf goodman, the iconic, high-end new york city department store; the store with the clout to make a designer a star or keep him/her at second best.  to "show" in bergdorf's is apparently a designer's ultimate goal.  i didn't know.  but, then, i'm not much of a fashionista.  there are tons of interviews with designers, as well as personal shoppers, buyers, owners, and finally, the window decorator.  bergdorf windows are highlights and, by what this film shows, must cost a fortune!  custom art is created to make a window, or antique are purchased; the dresses come SECOND, and are chosen to fit the look of the window.  overall, there was definitely new information in this film, but is it any information that really matters?  i realize that fashion is life to so many, especially in new york.  but for me in my life, there's very little in this film that i need.  the title came from a cartoon in the new yorker.  two women having lunch, and one says this line to the other.  i expect my ashes will be spread at any number of places OTHER than bergdorf's.

41. VIVAN LAS ANTIPODAS!

we have all said it.....we're going to dig to china.  i learned that an antipode is when 2 land masses can connect through the center of the earth.  and, the way our world is laid out, there aren't a whole lot of them, since drilling through many points would just get us into ocean.  the director is kossakovsky, and he visits 4 antipodes and films them luxuriously.  eventually, after either stunning vast overviews, or very detailed minutia, we get a hint of the lives of the people living in these places.  the photography is stunning; the pace is slow, but allows us to feel the presence of the landscape.  we start in rural argentina, with 2 men who live near a river and operate a toll bridge.  they know everyone who passes; they are in tune with the nuances of nature.  contrast that with its antipode, shanghai china, which is bustling and crowded, with masses of people all going here/there with no visible interactions.  the next is lake bakhail russia, a rural agricultural location, and its antipode of patagonia chile, another agricultural location.  the antipode of botswana with the big island of hawaii was interesting, much because the director contrasted the wrinkled form of the lava flows with the wrinkled hide of elephants.  the images of nature for these two were really amazing.  super close ups of flowing lava and super close ups of lion, giraffe, and hippos.  finally, there was the north island of new zealand and a location just north of madrid spain.  this was weird because new zealand footage was mostly on the beach, where a dead whale was on the shore, with concentration on the efforts of some people to dispose of the carcass.  overall, i learned about antipodes and i watched stunning photography, but i thought the editing was uneven and it was a little slow moving for my taste.  there was a delightful film style throughout; as we moved from one antipode to the other, the camera was upside down, like you would imagine it as a child, if you didn't know about gravity.  thinking about what can be found on the other side of the world from where we live is reinforced by a film like this.  there are very real differences, but there are simply the lives of real people in these places as well.  here in st. louis?--our antipode is somewhere in the middle of the indian ocean!

40. FAME HIGH

well....let's see what i learned.  parents will go to great lengths for their children.  parents who didn't achieve their life goals will go to great length to have a successful child.  parents may have an extremely talented child, but not view that ability as worthy.  some children know from a very young age what their life passion is meant to be and make great effort to that end.  fame high tells the stories of a four teens who attend LACHSA--los angeles county high school for the arts.  getting into LACHSA is, in and of itself, an accomplishment gained through audition.  there are only 130 spots each year; the tuition is free; the competition very high.  we see a couple freshman and a couple seniors profiled in this film.  we meet the parents and hear the stories of how they came to be at this school and what they hope to gain for the future from their high school efforts.  we see angst, hope, fear; we see intense mentoring from the staff; we ultimately see the outcome of each student's journey.  this program makes me remember the tv show "fame", but with real students, real parents, real struggles and real successes.  yes, it's SO true.....parents will go to great lengths for their children.  i enjoyed this film.

39. (A)SEXUAL

so............it's obvious that in the world, there are all sorts of relationships.  hetero, bi, homo, and many combinations.  this film concentrates primarily on david, who founded AVEN (asexual visibility and education network).  some research shows that 1% of the population is asexual.....generally described to be those who don't experience sexual attraction.  they have relationships; some get married; some have had sexual experiences; some still have sex.  but, when they do, it seems to be as a compromise to the person they are romantically involved with.  can there be romance without sexual attraction?  we know there are many romances/marriages, relationships without sex, but those people often forego sex because of other issues.  asexuals just don't feel the urge; though, the point was made that many still masturbate, but for a physical reason, not emotional.  i think the bottom line is there are people who feel different and joining david's AVEN group let's them know they are not alone.  the point is also made that asexual is not the same as celibate.  the celibate make the choice not to engage in intercourse; the asexual just doesn't feel any desire to do so--no urge--no drive--no interest.  it's an interesting concept to think about..........what sort of relationship occurs without sexual intimacy.  even david raises the point, in a 2 year followup, that it seems sex might be the glue to the type of relationship that lasts; sex gives a relationship weight.

38. I GOT OFF TRACK. THE SQUARE

the square--that's tahrir square in cairo.  this film travels the course of 2011-2013, during the uprisings that eventually oust mubarek and then morsi.  we follow real lives of revolutionaries and members of the muslim brotherhood, as they interact, and debate.  while the characters we meet are generally likeable, and the footage is from the inside of the revolution--we are there in the square during jubilation as well as dissent, i found it difficult and somewhat tedious to watch.  this 1 hr and 40 min film took me over the course of several days to get through.  i don't know why exactly--you have to read it, but that's not unusual for a foreign film.  maybe because of the handheld nature of the filming?; the timeline over the course of a couple of years?; the difficulty i found in sometimes keeping straight who was for what cause? the immersive nature of the filming technique?  in the end, i know this is an important film; telling a story of the desire for democracy amongst members of the same nation, but different mentalities, overshadowed by violence.  but, i'm sorry to say, i just didn't enjoy the experience.

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!