Munich Film Festival 2008-TUESDAY

The Drummer by Kenneth Bi with Jackie Chan's son Jaycee who plays Sid, the son of a Hong Kong gangster. When he gets caught out with the girlfriend of another powerful mob leader he has to flee in order to save his hands which are demanded by the leader for revenge. He ends up in the mountains of Taiwan and joins a group of Zen drummers. Nice, but not a must-see.


Young@Heart by Stephen Walker. This documentary which was produced for Channel 4 follows the Young@Heart chorus, whose 24 members' average age is about 80. The choir from Northampton in Massachusetts performs songs from Jimi Hendrix, Radiohead and Coldplay and even goes on world tours. Great film, bring tissues!


El cielo, la tierra y la lluvia (The sky, the earth and the rain, imdb) by José Luis Torres Leiva is set in the south of Chile. Boy, this film takes a lot of time. It was extraordinarily beautifully shot, really almost like moving paintings. However, almost nothing happens, or you have to have a 6th-(cineast)-sense to appreciate it, I'm not sure. I like films that are hard to watch, I like films that take their time and I like films that try something different, but in this case it was all a bit much. I did like it but I'll also admit to leaving the cinema early, mostly due to the lack of air conditioning in the cinema (as in general in Germany) and the late start (22.30).

Munich Film Festival 2008-MONDAY

My favourite film so far: O’Horten by Bent Hamer from Norway. I couldn't find an official website, only the imdb link and the youtube Trailer. The film opens with a beautiful and unusual title sequence following a train (the main character, Odd Horten, is a train driver). The camera dips into blacks and whites–from the dark tunnels into the bright snowy Norway. We then follow the protagonist on his last days before his retirement encountering one strange situation after another. This strange film speaks, I think, a language typical for 'northern' films (Swedish, Finnish, Norwegian, I mean), similar to the genius of Aki Kaurismäki. Something I couldn't imagine in German or American cinema, which makes films like this so enjoyable and film festivals, where you get exposed to them, so great.
P.S.: Our usual 3 films a day quote was impaired by the need to attend the annual feast event of DelikatEssen. The magazine about fine Munich restaurants invites their writers, amongst them my parents, once a year to gorge on small portions of steamed asparagus, roasted wild board and cherry tomato and apple risotto etc. Tough ;)

Munich Film Festival 2008-SUNDAY

Time To Die (Pora umierac) by director Dorota Kedzierzawska was a beautifully shot b&w film about an old lady (Danuta Szaflarska) in an even older house. She spends the days sitting on the veranda with her dog, watching what's happening in the neighbouring houses.


The End
What an unusual film. Nicola Collins (director) and her sister (producer) interview a group of London's East End criminals. But it's their father who's the leader of the gang. This unusual documentary provides a rare insight into how the people who are involved in crime think and feel about their life. They tell a story of childhood poverty and striving for a better life which they found in crime. You cant help but feel charmed by their personalities though it's comforting to see them on screen, not in real life.


Ethan Hawke in Chelsea on the rocks.
Interesting documentary about the many inhabitants of the Chelsea Hotel in New York. Slightly weird use of life action material to tell some of the stories of the likes of Janis Joplin and Sid and Nancy. The director Abel Ferrara was present for a Q&A (his personality very much suiting the film, shall we say). Still definitely one to watch.

Oslo IV

Oslo Opera IV

Oslo Opera III

Oslo Opera II

Oslo Opera

Free Range

My exhibition corner at this year's Central Saint Martins Graphics 2nd year exhibition. This was part of Free Range, who host art school summer exhibitions in the Truman Brewery in Brick Lane. I exhibited a hand bound photography travel book and some screen printing work; wall paper designs and a free lance project about English breakfast.

Cooper Union

Nice artsy chaos at Cooper Union.

Street robot

View from AIGA's balcony

AIGA = American Institute of Graphic Arts (older post here)

Sunny day

Cocktail Night

Good value for money...

Mascot, Dodge and scared old lady