Top of the B-List
A few days ago, I wrote an entry on my other blog about Nazi resistance heroine Sophie Scholl.
Also a few days ago, I began using online bookmark tagging service del.icio.us in earnest.
Today, I found my pal John‘s links. I added one of them, a film blog, to my list.
The latest entry is talking about the Berlin Film Festival, where a new German film was screened dealing with the life of Sophie Scholl.
On Tuesday night, Brooke and I went to a screening of Born Into Brothels, which has been nominated for an Oscar in the Best Documentary category.
Photographer Zana Briski has been documenting the lives of prostitutes in Calcutta’s red light district since 1997, and became very interested in the lives of the children there. Most of them have very few prospects and many of the girls are expected to follow their mothers into the business. She began teaching the kids photography and then decided to document their work and lives in a film. The result is stunning, heartbreaking and hopeful at the same time. The images themselves are beautiful and the children’s charisma and real talent jump from the screen. The best part of this film is that it is actually helping to change the lives of its subjects. Briski started Kids With Cameras, a non-profit organization which is selling books and prints of the children’s photographs to fund their educations. The project is so successful that it’s being expanded to several sites, including Haiti, Cairo and Jerusalem, and a school is being built in Calcutta with the proceeds.
Don’t miss this film if you get a chance to see it. Even if you can’t see the film, visit the website and have a look at the images. And please, consider helping.
Well, I’ve finally come up with my lists. That’s right, lists plural. I decided that since I see so many documentaries now, that I’d give them a separate list. All films were released in 2004, though I saw a few of them in 2005. A few of the foreign films may not have been released in North America yet, but I saw them at film festivals. The first number following the title is my IMDB rating (out of 10) and the second is the current average among all IMDB voters. Clicking an asterisk will take you to my review of the film (usually only for films seen at the Toronto International Film Festival).
What were some of your favourites?
Here is an interesting thread discussing the National Society of Film Critics’ list of “100 Essential Films”. And if that’s not enough, here’s a whole page of film lists. (bless you, rebecca)
And for those of you who are waiting with baited breath for my own “Top Films” list, I refuse to disappoint. But, gimme a few more days, will ya? I’m still seeing some stuff.
And the “Essential 100”? I’ve seen 32.2. I’ve watched two of the episodes of the Decalogue so far. Plus, I tried watching another on the list and turned it off after half an hour (Happy Together? How ironic!).
Very very funny and interesting report about a night out to see a movie in mainland China. The best part was about the loud conversations going on all over the theatre in Cantonese, especially the guy on his cellphone. A very different experience, indeed. The entry on buying pirated DVDs is also great. (via boingboing)