Merry Widow at MET

Does Merry Widow HD qualify as a cinematic show? It hardly does, and to say the truth the camera work was not exactly great -demanding as the deed was. A lot of dance and movement that required a lot of focus pulling and the like, there have been some shaky, dizzying moments, mind me. Overall satisfactory direction for the screen though, and we're all very thankful (us, the overseas audiences), that MET is opening its doors in such a generous way to opera lovers all around the world.

Live Cinema: Orphans of the Storm (1921)

Orphans of the Storm is an animal shelter in Riverwoods, Illinois; that's what I learnt from a comprehensive search on Google, where the above shelter features as the top result and a far more popular one than the film it got the inspiration for its title in the first place.

I honestly hope, thought, that you guys have heard of this epic film, the last commercial success for D.W. Griffith and a not a less grandiose one; Not quitting the habit of  high production values and bigger-than-life story lines, after The Birth of a Nation (1915), Intolerance (1916) -which I dearly remember watching on my name day in National Gallery's Auditorium in London years ago-, Broken Blossoms (1919) and some others in between, Griffith decided to take on French Revolution from his point of view, always a particular one: this time he wanted to preach against Bolshevism (funny word, ainnit?)

He used as first material the well-known play by D'Ennery The Two Orphans and he managed to stretch it up to three (!) hours with intermission. I had the chance to see the original roadshow copy, just as I had the big, admittedly, chance to enjoy the use of the loo during the intermission. The screening was the glorious ending of a very good season of Live Cinema, a successful joint venture by Cinematheque de la Ville de Luxembourg and Philharmonie over the years. On 2014 I also managed to watch the re-mastered copy of Pandora's Box by G.W. Pabst, with lovely Louise Brooks in her signature hairdo as Lulu with live music from Ensemble Kontraste conducted by Frank Strobel. If that one was an interesting experience - a Lulu of giant proportions leading men to destruction behind the conductors baguette-, The Orphans of the Storm (1921) was an all-in-all thrilling experience.

Discovery Zone Film Fest is coming to town

I've been talking about Discovery Zone Luxembourg City Film Festival ever since it was born on 2010. It's one -the biggest- of the cinematic events that makes us happy here in the Grand Duchy.

And, if I would be to describe it once more to the international community who is discovering it right now, I would start like that:

"Discovery Zone is the one and only international film festival in Luxembourg. It takes over the city for two weeks and, apart from a catchy name, it also comes with a lot of cosmopolitan charm."

You can read the rest of the article on Delano online or get your copy in the newsstand. And there's something more you can do: you can make sure not to miss it. If you're around, the festival opens Friday and runs through March 9.

Key people with us this year: Michel Gondry with his new documentary Is the Man Who is Tall Happy? (2013), an animated conversation with Noam Chomsky, Clemence Poesy with a Robin Hood Tax campaign film and Luc Dardenne giving a free Masterclass, already fully booked.

Les Ames de Papier (2013)

I have to admit my main interest in this film was its female lead, Julie Gayet. Who has been the main interest of too many people lately, namely France's first man, and the new eye-candy or should I say prey for media in France and the rest of the world alike. Yes, I went to see the film out of curiosity; Imagine, Gayet is announced as the president of the Jury at Discovery Zone film festival in Luxembourg, possibly tied to life as the president's significant other, and I was unaware of her existence -or should I say talent- until now.

Sweetheart Come (2012)

Luxembourg is very much into documentaries lately. Hamilius, a docu on hip hop and graffiti culture largely filmed in the very center of the city, hence the name on 2010 made quite a sensation. On 2011 the big hit was a documentary on  life in the countryside, featuring lovely cows in its poster, De Bauerblues, and rating first in the box office between the Luxembourgish productions and co-productions -even if High/Low got the prize for best docu on Luxemburgish Film Prize. 2012 saw even more documentary productions, among others the most famed   and productive local director Andy Sleck's D'Belle Epoque starring the beautiful Vicky Krieps, Cello Tales by Anne Schiltz and Sweetheart Come, which particularly caught my attention. I don't know which one will be the hit in the box-office and on Letzebuerg Filmpreis this season,  but I doubt it will be this one. Sweetheart come, is a beautiful piece of cinematography, but definitely not tailored-made for the conservative little audience of the Grand Duchy. 

Discovery Zone Luxembourg City Film Festival 2013

3rd time out there and with 3.200 more viewers and enthusiasts than last year, Discovery Zone is definitely to grow past its childhood and get in the map of film festivals. 

For the first time, Discovery Zone gave some international prizes -because this year (2013) it became international itself. Fill the Void (2012) by Rama Burshtein won Best Film or Grand Prix (funny title, huh), Clip by Maja Milos won the Critics' Prize or Prix de la Critique and the public awarded The Place beyond the Pines by Derek Cianfrance as its favourite film. 

This year's hot points:

Creme Fraiche 2013

For the second consecutive year SNJ and CNA collaborate to organize the video and scenario contest Crème Fraîche, as well as the Soirée it comes with it.

Things are über-organised this year: they have an Official Website, a Facebook Page, Twitter and YouTube Profile, all of them nicely designed. 

There's another novelty: during the Soirée Crème Fraîche we will enjoy the avant-premiere of the Luxemburgish production Gëff Eens (2012) directed by Eric Lahmène and written by Yannick Kocks. The short film which features two young Luxemburgish actors Loïc Pavant and Jules Waringo, was shot in Pétange this summer and it's a SNJ/CNA co-production. The winner of Best Scenario prize for 2013 will also have his film produced by a professional team -a quite impressive reward, isn't it?

Ryan Gosling

I don't know if Ryan Gosling will finally make it to Luxembourg City to present his film The Place Beyond the Pines, which is premiering at our one and only quasi-international festival Discovery Zone, but I couldn't care less for this little detail. Weirdly enough, I was never affected by this Ryan-mania, not even when he was so young and innocent as a romantic lead (unlike him) back on 2004 with the all-time-first-date-favourite The Notebook. Checking what I was writing back then, I saw that I didn't even mention him by name, you can understand the detachment. I did mention that Rachel McAdams will have a bright future, though (not with him, unfortunately).

The Maltese Falcon (1941)

You know what, if you choose to watch open-air cinema in Luxembourg, you might be a bit cold; you might need a warm jacket or even a raincoat. But it's worth it.

Portuguese Cinema in Luxembourg

I don't know if you like, or know for that sake, Portuguese cinema, but you certainly like Portugal and probably fado. There's a lot to like in this country with a latin-rooted language that sounds decidedly weird, a country that bred explorers and adventurers like Cristopher Colombus and Vasco da Gama, and is also renowned for a few good authors and cinematographers.

Gangs of New York (2002) or Why, Cameron?

"America was born in the streets" stated the posters when Gangs of New York was ready to conquer the theater screens; and that was years after Scorsese stated his intention of making the film. Some concepts are hard to materialise, especially if they evolve around the "think big" motto. And Martin Scorsese was never quite a fan of whatever small; that's why we love him.

10 Things you don't Know about Martin Scorsese

1. He directed Liza Minelli, then also Juliette Lewis in her not humble beginnings at all, but he also directed Sharon Stone! Oh, yes he did; Casino (1995) earned Sharon an Oscar nomination and tonight is your night, it screens at the Cinematheque at 20.30.

Les Fameux Gars (2012)

The promotional English title is The Notorious Guys, although I feel that the film wouldn't make much sense, or better, wouldn't seem as funny, to an audience deprived of the knowledge of the French language to say the least. Having said that, I still wish it to be sold in English-speaking countries all the same. I actually just came back from Utopolis, our one and only cineplex in Luxembourg City, and I was thinking that me and my friend were probably the only non-Luxembourgers and non-French who were watching the film (as soon as I went online, I discovered that there was at least one more).

Luxembourg Film Prize

I was complaining a lot yesterday that practically no media in Luxembourg had any news online for Friday night. What was happening on Friday? The prizes for the Best Luxemburgish films  or Lëtzebuerger Filmpräis were given out at Mondorf les Bains, and I did not attend the ceremony (too Luxemburgish for me...)

The Paradox of Choice

Many things are happening this week in the city. Film Festivals of a certain grandeur, film screenings of a certain length and new voices on air -with a certain accent.

This was a busy week. Looking back now -it's already Sunday and a new week is coming up- I feel like summing up all the lost opportunities of this week.  Cinematheque was screening the longest thing Scorsese ever made; it was not a fiction film, but a documentary. A Personal Journey with Martin Scorsese Through American Movies is a 1995 nearly four-hour running time documentary where Martin presents his favourite movie-stuff; Cinematheque is a brave Luxemburgish institution which features from grindhouse cinema to utterly high brow, arthouse cinema. On Thursday, in order for them to make the Scorsese Retrospective even more comprehensive, they screened his Personal Journey with a pause in the middle for drinks and snacks; what a cool initiative for cinephiles to mingle.

Crème Fraîche

Yet another short film competition and another short film Festival, you'll probably start saying. But Crème Fraîche or Fresh Cream is nothing like that. It's the brand new initiative by SNJ - National Youth Service here in Lux and of course CNA - National Audiovisual Center and it's here to stay. On its first year now, getting ready to showcase the best of the best  at Utopia on Friday, Crème Fraîche is an entertaining case; it is open to a wide age span. Participants can be from 12 years old till 30 years old, so you understand that the quality varies according to the means and the expectations.

The Fruit Trees of Athens (2010)

"Τhis is a journey in life, in literature and in Athens." Greek director Nikos Panayotopoulos -known for choosing and treating his subject matter depending on his mood, being realistic at times like in Delivery and being utterly romantic/cheesy some others i.e. Dying in Athens  gives us one more of his unique films: in the feel-good Fruit Trees of Athens he "crafts an eccentric love letter to Athens" adapting the novel by Sotiris Dimitriou. "An oddball “walkaholic” who wanders the streets of the city searching out its various wild fruit trees — fig, olive, mulberry, hackberry, jujube" (what is jujube, damn it? Does it  really grow in Athens, cause I never bumped onto it!).

The King of Comedy

A film on crazy stalkers that scare the shit out of you is a very relevant film in our times of the Social Media reign. Facebook, Twitter and the like makes every one of us feel a bit like a star to a certain extent; we can all have stalkers nowadays, but back then only idols had this privilege. Celebrity worship is still around, I guess, but is anyone getting hysteric, like it was the case for Liszt, The Beatles or Michael Jackson? It seems to me that the feeling of "proximity" to Stars and their deeds that the Internet and later on Social Media platforms brought as a result made us less obsessed with them, which can only be a good thing -if my observation is correct.

"Better to be king for a night than schmuck for a lifetime." a loudly-dressed guy named Rupert Pumpkin was saying, and it was quite right in his case. Where was he going with that name, anyways? He succeeded to make his Pumpkin turn into a horse carriage and he became a brave, but quite insane Cinderella for more than a night, after all, due to his obsession, his impermeability to hardship and negation and his absolute belief that he was worth it. 

Leonardo Da Vinci Live!

Have you ever seen an exhibition without actually being there? Being away from the town and the country altogether? Well, I did. Not alone, we had a full house yesterday night in Utopia -it was the same for London screenings, as I read- where the Leonardo Da Vinci   live broadcast was screened. The most comprehensive Leonardo exhibition in London's National Gallery travelled to many people's living rooms before it opens its doors to the public back in November, and after its finale, it travelled   overseas, as well. A big art event it was; and being so mediated, it gave up on some of its exclusivity in favour of a literary "art for all" doctrine. Works of a Master that never stood side by side till now, were enjoyed by audiences (probably eating pop-corn?), while explained and analysed by experts.

On the Path with the RIFFers

Tonight, I attended the first ever thematic evening organised by RIFF, maybe the most inspired cultural organisation here in Luxembourg; and I'm not saying that because they are my friends, and fellow ex-volunteers, no, I'm saying it because it's true. In the first instance, check their name: RIFF stands for Rocking Integration on Futuristic Festival -isn't that totally nuts, and cool, and lovely?

Then, look at the events they are proposing this year: not some lengthy conferences or banal workshops, where you are told to do this and that, but you are the shy participant who hides behind people's backs hoping it will never be your turn, no. RIFF is proposing you to eat and drink, to dance if you feel like it, but you are not obliged to, to meet new people, have a chat, then see a film and then go home and talk about the new cultural experience you had an make people jealous. Food and drinks and dances and film, they are related to one broad cultural region per event; tonight it was the Balkan Paths event. Ow, what an event.