Good morning FFF!
Remember that tonight is the first Concert on the Square. I will be enjoying the music then heading home just before movie time at 8pm. I don't mind if we wait for those who want to stay for the whole concert, no problem there. Just let me know if you're attending and will show up a little late.
Here are the movie choices for tonight:
Head-On (Gegen die Wand), a Turkish-German drama exploring the assimilation of Turkish culture into modern German society. The list of accolades for this film is quite impressive.
5 Broken Cameras is a powerful Palestinian documentary about life on the West Bank.
I don't have my movie list from home, but I would like to throw a lighter-hearted film in the selection mix for tonight. If anyone has any suggestions for a slightly less drama filled movie, please let me know!
Hope to see you tonight,
---FFF
Wednesday, June 26, 2013
Wednesday, June 19, 2013
19 June, 2013
Good morning FFF!
Here's a quick review of the movies from the last week or so (to ignore, go to the bottom of this post for tonight's movie selection):
For our last movie night, the feature was Soul Kitchen, a German comedy based on the experiences of two Greek brothers operating their Greek restaurant in Hamburg. Needless to say, this movie doesn't focus on the food served at Soul Kitchen, but the relationships among those involved with the restaurant's unorthodox operation. Not much cultural discussion was had afterwards, and I think we were all still a little shaken up by Biutiful the week before. However, I'd like to mention that a week ago Sunday a few of us watched Jiro Dreams of Sushi. It'll seem more relevant in a moment.....
From various friends, I had heard only negative comments about 'Jiro'. Some thought it was dull, boring, not focused enough on sushi, and overall uninteresting. I on the other hand really enjoyed it. Those who had not seen it were left with polarized opinions of 'Jiro', clearly unable to anticipate their own imminent reaction to the film. What follows is not a spoiler alert, you really just have to watch the movie to understand what I'm talking about. Here's the trailer:
Instead of just pushing play, I gave the newbies to 'Jiro' a cursory introduction: I simply said to approach the film not as a culinary documentary but rather as a snapshot into the life of a shokunin, or man who seeks perfection his craft. I think my magic worked, as the general attitude was quite positive. For those of you who watched 'Jiro' thinking it was going to be about food, and disliked it, I encourage you to see it again, with the following cultural discussion in mind:
Jiro is the master at what he does: making damn good sushi, apparently the best in the world. A seat at his restaurant starts at $300 and only goes up based on what's at the fish market. He did not gain success overnight: he perfected his sushi making for decades and is the oldest restaurant owner to have received a 3 Michelin Star rating. Perhaps approaching Jiro's story through a Western lens makes it a little difficult to get the most out of the movie. For example, here in the States, a quick rise to the top is lauded, while those who work hard for a long time are generally given less recognition (debate fodder). Historically, this is not the case in Japanese culture. Another example is when one apprentice nearly shows emotion when recalling having properly made the egg sushi, for which Jiro proclaimed him a shokunin for the first time. There are further nuances in the relationships among the various apprentices, Jiro's sons, and Jiro which are also curiously outside the Western realm. No one looks at Jiro directly in the eyes and only once does an apprentice address Jiro's oldest son directly. It's not simply the kitchen hierarchy, but a more subtle (or perhaps not so subtle for us) deference to one's teachers.
Something not clarified explicitly in the film is that shokunin is a composite of two words: one related to the kitchen, and the other meaning one who attains a higher state of being. In English, or better yet, most 'western' languages, a literal translation might be artisan or head chef, ie mastery of technical skills; however, this doesn't fully encompass the 'higher state of being' part. In Japanese, this actually implies one who strives to do his best for the general welfare of others. Thus, by seeking perfection (which Jiro understands is clearly unattainable yet you try anyways), a shokunin does not gain anything for himself, per se, but performs his art for the betterment of others.
I hope that with this little bit of extra background, those who disliked the movie the first time will watch it again under shifted auspices and maybe enjoy it!
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tonight's movie selection consists of City of Men:
Hope to see you there tonight!
-FFF
Here's a quick review of the movies from the last week or so (to ignore, go to the bottom of this post for tonight's movie selection):
For our last movie night, the feature was Soul Kitchen, a German comedy based on the experiences of two Greek brothers operating their Greek restaurant in Hamburg. Needless to say, this movie doesn't focus on the food served at Soul Kitchen, but the relationships among those involved with the restaurant's unorthodox operation. Not much cultural discussion was had afterwards, and I think we were all still a little shaken up by Biutiful the week before. However, I'd like to mention that a week ago Sunday a few of us watched Jiro Dreams of Sushi. It'll seem more relevant in a moment.....
From various friends, I had heard only negative comments about 'Jiro'. Some thought it was dull, boring, not focused enough on sushi, and overall uninteresting. I on the other hand really enjoyed it. Those who had not seen it were left with polarized opinions of 'Jiro', clearly unable to anticipate their own imminent reaction to the film. What follows is not a spoiler alert, you really just have to watch the movie to understand what I'm talking about. Here's the trailer:
Instead of just pushing play, I gave the newbies to 'Jiro' a cursory introduction: I simply said to approach the film not as a culinary documentary but rather as a snapshot into the life of a shokunin, or man who seeks perfection his craft. I think my magic worked, as the general attitude was quite positive. For those of you who watched 'Jiro' thinking it was going to be about food, and disliked it, I encourage you to see it again, with the following cultural discussion in mind:
Jiro is the master at what he does: making damn good sushi, apparently the best in the world. A seat at his restaurant starts at $300 and only goes up based on what's at the fish market. He did not gain success overnight: he perfected his sushi making for decades and is the oldest restaurant owner to have received a 3 Michelin Star rating. Perhaps approaching Jiro's story through a Western lens makes it a little difficult to get the most out of the movie. For example, here in the States, a quick rise to the top is lauded, while those who work hard for a long time are generally given less recognition (debate fodder). Historically, this is not the case in Japanese culture. Another example is when one apprentice nearly shows emotion when recalling having properly made the egg sushi, for which Jiro proclaimed him a shokunin for the first time. There are further nuances in the relationships among the various apprentices, Jiro's sons, and Jiro which are also curiously outside the Western realm. No one looks at Jiro directly in the eyes and only once does an apprentice address Jiro's oldest son directly. It's not simply the kitchen hierarchy, but a more subtle (or perhaps not so subtle for us) deference to one's teachers.
Something not clarified explicitly in the film is that shokunin is a composite of two words: one related to the kitchen, and the other meaning one who attains a higher state of being. In English, or better yet, most 'western' languages, a literal translation might be artisan or head chef, ie mastery of technical skills; however, this doesn't fully encompass the 'higher state of being' part. In Japanese, this actually implies one who strives to do his best for the general welfare of others. Thus, by seeking perfection (which Jiro understands is clearly unattainable yet you try anyways), a shokunin does not gain anything for himself, per se, but performs his art for the betterment of others.
I hope that with this little bit of extra background, those who disliked the movie the first time will watch it again under shifted auspices and maybe enjoy it!
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tonight's movie selection consists of City of Men:
Hope to see you there tonight!
-FFF
Wednesday, June 12, 2013
12 June, 2013
Good morning FFF,
Here are the possibilities for tonight's movie night:
Soul Kitchen:
A German comedy about Greek restaurant ownership... Prost / Opa!
Machuca:
Loss of innocence ( not a la Y Tu Mama Tambien style ie no Maribel Verdu :( ), pre-dictatorship era Chilean drama.
City of Men (Cidade dos Homens):
Brazilian drama about growing up in the favelas of Rio de Janeiro without a father. Sequel to City of God (but not need to have seen it to watch City of Men).
See you tonight. Τα λέμε!
-FFF
Here are the possibilities for tonight's movie night:
Soul Kitchen:
A German comedy about Greek restaurant ownership... Prost / Opa!
Machuca:
Loss of innocence ( not a la Y Tu Mama Tambien style ie no Maribel Verdu :( ), pre-dictatorship era Chilean drama.
City of Men (Cidade dos Homens):
Brazilian drama about growing up in the favelas of Rio de Janeiro without a father. Sequel to City of God (but not need to have seen it to watch City of Men).
See you tonight. Τα λέμε!
-FFF
Saturday, June 8, 2013
Welcome! Ongi etorri! Bienvenue! Willkommen! ¡Bienvenidos! Hoş geldiniz! Bainvegni! Добро пожаловать!
Hello all and welcome to Foreign Film Fandom of Madison, WI! This is a forum where we are free to discuss movies from all over the world: their historical contexts, cultural influences, cinematography, soundtracks, and any other social or artistic aspects we deem worthy of dialogue!
This blog serves as a mere virtual portal to inform the FFF of trailers, showtimes, further discussion, and provide brief synopses for those unable to attend. For example, I frequently find myself searching for the musical artists who contributed to a particular movie, so if I find something interesting, I'll post a link in the comments box for people to investigate further. Perhaps I'll open up a public FFF Grooveshark account... not such a bad idea. Then Andi doesn't have to borrow my music for 2 years!
First and foremost I would like to stress that we are NOT movie-prejudiced; that is, no film will be excluded from FFF due to content, time limits, etc. However, consideration must be made for the fact that as a group we have a meager evening to indulge in movie watching and subsequent discussion! Need I remind us of Biutiful???? Of course, in the case there is a ridiculously long movie that people want to see, we can make special arrangements outside of regular movie night, and post further discussion here if desired. And despite having just said that we're not biased, I think we can all agree that we're not looking to get together once a week to watch Fast and Furious or Twilight type movies. While we CAN discuss the 'wide' range of 'emotions' I experience from performances by notable thespians Kristen Stewart and Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson... I'm overwhelmed already.
Secondly, the details: movie nights will be held at Zig's house on Wednesdays at 8pm. We encourage everyone to come even if you will arrive late. We take breaks (see figure below) and can fill people in, etc. I also would like to make note for the Carlos's of the group that showtime is in fact 7pm. We usually have made some snacks, but if you're super hungry I suggest eating dinner prior to attending. Feel free to bring anything you like: drink, food, more friends (we're also not guest-prejudiced, surprise!).
Finally, I look forward to seeing you all next week! Have a great weekend! Bis später alligator,
---FFF
Note: I google searched 'movies' and posted this only to later realize that these are all Johnny Depp.
This blog serves as a mere virtual portal to inform the FFF of trailers, showtimes, further discussion, and provide brief synopses for those unable to attend. For example, I frequently find myself searching for the musical artists who contributed to a particular movie, so if I find something interesting, I'll post a link in the comments box for people to investigate further. Perhaps I'll open up a public FFF Grooveshark account... not such a bad idea. Then Andi doesn't have to borrow my music for 2 years!
First and foremost I would like to stress that we are NOT movie-prejudiced; that is, no film will be excluded from FFF due to content, time limits, etc. However, consideration must be made for the fact that as a group we have a meager evening to indulge in movie watching and subsequent discussion! Need I remind us of Biutiful???? Of course, in the case there is a ridiculously long movie that people want to see, we can make special arrangements outside of regular movie night, and post further discussion here if desired. And despite having just said that we're not biased, I think we can all agree that we're not looking to get together once a week to watch Fast and Furious or Twilight type movies. While we CAN discuss the 'wide' range of 'emotions' I experience from performances by notable thespians Kristen Stewart and Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson... I'm overwhelmed already.
Keanu and The Rock: emoting 90's sexy.
Secondly, the details: movie nights will be held at Zig's house on Wednesdays at 8pm. We encourage everyone to come even if you will arrive late. We take breaks (see figure below) and can fill people in, etc. I also would like to make note for the Carlos's of the group that showtime is in fact 7pm. We usually have made some snacks, but if you're super hungry I suggest eating dinner prior to attending. Feel free to bring anything you like: drink, food, more friends (we're also not guest-prejudiced, surprise!).
Figure.
Finally, I look forward to seeing you all next week! Have a great weekend! Bis später alligator,
---FFF
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