Chrissie Thornburg

Dunya and Desie

admin — Thu, 28 May 2009 17:11:00 +0000

Dunya and Desie is a 2006 Dutch film with English subtitles from director Dana Nachushtan. In the same vein as The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, Dunya and Desie is the fun story of two best friends from opposite upbringings and how they find what they are looking for in life. The film begins with Dunya in the back seat of a car that is going through a carwash, while her friend Desie is in the front seat, making out with her driving instructor. Dunya then lists all of the things that are automatic in life: the weather, automatic pilot, automatic car washes, breathing, Desie's boyfriends, and the dumping of Desie's boyfriends. This is the perfect introduction to the two girls, as Desie’s world focuses around boys and her best friend Dunya, while Dunya’s life revolves around her parent’s expectations of her. Dunya being Danish Muslim, her parents expect her to adhere to family traditions, one of which includes an arranged marriage.

Desie is the complete aesthetic opposite of Dunya. Defined by her huge blonde perm and affinity for boys, she loves to have fun and is impossible not to like with her huge smile and wild antics. The film takes a turn when Desie gets pregnant unexpectedly, while Dunya’s parents are taking her to Morocco to meet her future husband. Desie, not knowing if she should terminate her pregnancy or not, travels to Morocco to see Dunya, and they embark on a journey to Casablanca in hopes of finding Desie’s father, who she hasn’t seen since she was young.

Dunya and Desie is a smart teen comedy. It's light-hearted and fun, but still opens a dialogue on larger issues like women's rights, cultural identity, and friendship. This film doesn’t throw any curve balls, but keeps to the heart of the story: the lives of two best friends. The characters are played well by the two actresses and never feel over-acted. The only complaint I have is with the subtitles. There were times when I didn’t feel that everything was being said in the subtitles that was being said on screen.

Written by: Chrissie Thornburg, May 28th 2009

Three Sisters

admin — Tue, 12 May 2009 17:10:00 +0000

Television Trust for the Environment

Bullfrog Films

Three Sisters is part of the Life Series collection which is funded by BBC World and TVE International. The episodes are meant for classroom use from grades seven to twelve, or even college age. This particular episode focuses on the women of Eritrea, a small country near Ethiopia, Sudan, and Somalia. After fighting alongside men in a fifty-year war for their country's independence from Ethiopia, Eritrean women also won their personal independence. The Life Series follows Belainesh, a member of the Women's Union who is doing community outreach and eduction in the rural parts of Eritrea. She meets three women who are sisters, each battling against a different tradition.

The first sister we are introduced to is Leyla, who is trying to decide whether to circumcise her youngest daughter, even though she knows the methods used are not entirely safe. Female circumcision is performed because it is believed that if a girl is not circumcised, she will not become a true woman. There are many risks to being circumcised because it is done at a young age (under one year old) and is often performed by an elder of the tribe, who may not have full seeing abilities. The wrong area being cut could lead to infection, or even death.

Another woman, Amena, is thirty-five years old and has given birth to all six of her children at her home with no problems. Amena is pregnant again, but now has the option of giving birth at a midwife's clinic, something that was not previously available to her.

The last woman, Howa, is twenty-nine and has four children. She has an opportunity to receive land from the government, but is debating whether she should plow the land herself, given that women are not traditionally allowed to plow.

Belainesh interacts with each of these women in this episode, and informs them of the risks they face if they follow their Eritrean traditions. Belainesh believes Leyla will most likely not circumsize her daughter and Howa will eventually plow her own land, but Amena is still unsure if she is willing to break tradition and give birth outside of her home. The women know that they will eventually take steps toward different life choices, but breaking ties with tradition is a slow and complicated process.

Written by: Chrissie Thornburg, May 12th 2009

Leroy

admin — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 17:02:00 +0000

Directed by Armin Völckers

Dreamer Joint

Leroy is a romantic comedy about a boy born in Germany to one white parent and one black parent. The front of the DVD says it all, depicting a picture of Leroy on top of an orange background; his afro, the size of a planet, surrounded by hearts, Nazis, and his friends and family. Leroy tackles an interesting perspective on modern neo-Nazism and what it looks like in today's Germany.

Leroy's father is an offbeat inventor, while his mother is involved in city politics. Leroy's best friend and comic relief is a blonde half-Greek boy named Dimitri. Hilarity ensues when Leroy falls in love with a blonde-haired, blue-eyed girl whose parents are part of the far-right German party which aligns itself with Nazism. She also has five skinhead brothers. Leroy, being faced with the peril of love with a Nazi's daughter, is forced to confront his black identity, something he had never thought about until then. Delving conveniently into a store that specializes in “black power” and black literature and film, Leroy begins to research black history, with an emphasis on the American civil rights movement. Leroy even takes on fashionable accessories in a slapstick sequence as part of his mission to find his black identity, such as a long brown coat similar to the one from the movie Shaft and glasses in the style of Malcolm X.

This film is a particularly interesting look at "black consciousness" from a black German's perspective. Although some of the jokes are done in an over-the-top, slapstick fashion, Leroy is a smart look at what it means to be different in our modern society, where racism isn't as prevalent on the surface, but instead is more subversive.

At times, when the film does address heavy questions of racial identity, it tends to fall back on silly jokes and the exchanging of zany one-liners between Leroy and the Nazi brothers, when it could have pushed through these motifs in a little more conclusive fashion. The end even seems a bit forced as they try to wrap up everything into a perfectly happy ending. (No kidding!) Despite these few flaws, Leroy does have some genuinely funny moments, such as when Dimitri tries a "hair removal product for Greeks and half-Greeks" or the fun little dance number involving Leroy and his girlfriend's five Nazi brothers, which plays during the credits. Overall, I would recommend this film for it's lightheartedness and unabashed look at racial identity in a non-American society.

Written by: Chrissie Thornburg, March 30th 2009

Small Gods: Elena's Elegy

admin — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 22:59:00 +0000

By Dimitri Karakatsanis

Potemkind

Small Gods, a film by Dimitri Karakatsanis, is described as being part of the Belgian new wave film movement. What that means, I'm not sure, but I'm absolutely in love it. While shot on a dismally cheap budget, you would never be able to tell with the gorgeous visuals that play out on screen. The film opens with a teary-eyed David, kidnapping Elena from the hospital after she has lost her son in a car crash. Elena awakes in David's mobile home and little dialogue passes between the two of them. David and Elena become travel partners rescuing a young mute, Sarah, from the side of the road. The three characters are a motley crew, who refuse to fit into the roles given to them by society. David is a compassionate man who goes around hugging people, because he can feel when they need the contact, while Elena does not adhere to gender stereotypes, working the forklift in a factory and being known for her quick, bullish temper. Sarah, whose past is revealed towards the end of the film, has taken a vow of silence and refuses to speak.

The film unravels slowly, switching back and forward between Elena being interviewed by a lawyer, and clips of what happened between she, David, and Sarah. The film is stunningly beautiful. Karakatsanis uses Belgium's hazy landscape and overcast grayness to only deepen the colors and mood of the film. Some of the most beautiful shots between the actors are in silhouettes, where you can only make out the seemingly watercolor painted sky behind them, as their blackened shapes move in and out of the frame.

The only part of this film that isn't fantastic is the soundtrack, which is sometimes it is a little too upbeat for the particular scene it is describing. While the film is slow-paced, Karakatsanis' cinematography is what keeps you interested in each frame until the surprising twist ending. It's nothing like anything I have ever seen before.

Written by: Chrissie Thornburg, March 28th 2009

La Corona

admin — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 10:52:00 +0000

Directed by Amanda Micheliand Isabel Vega

Cinema Guild

La Corona, which translates to "the crown," is a short documentary centering around a beauty pageant which takes place every year in the largest female prison in Colombia. One of the judges jokes early on that Colombia has a pageant for everything, except cocaine. The prison warden, when interviewed, says that she doesn't like the pageant very much, but it is the only time of the year that there is some peace and quiet around the prison because all of the girls look forward to it so much and want to participate.

Girls are nominated from each of the four cell blocks to represent their block in the beauty pageant. The first contestant we are introduced to is Maira Alejandro, a girl about five foot four inches in stature who was put in jail for murder. She explains in an interview that she has killed many times, which is unbelievable taking into account her size. The second contestant, Viviane Busto, was convicted of guerrilla activity. She laments her time in prison, because she has a son who she would like to eventually reunite with and teach him everything she knows. Angela Valoyes, convicted of robbery and assault, is a lesbian whose eyes sparkle as she describes passages from the Bible "that God told us to love, but he did not tell us who specifically to love." The newest convict, Angie Jimenez, has only been in jail for eighteen days. She hasn't gotten used to life in jail, especially since she also has a son on the outside.

Each of the girls chosen to compete must be prepared at all times. Meaning, they must be wearing high heels and full makeup. They also have to attend dancing and runway walking classes, like a real beauty pageant. In participating in the pageant, they become minor celebrities among the inmates. Hand-washed laundry hangs from every steel bar that covers the windows in the jail, but for the competition, the women are given designer dresses.

It seems absurd that women would have to conform to gender standards in something like a beauty pageant while they are in prison, and toward the end of the documentary you wonder who the pageant is really for: the women inside, or the great hordes of reporters who cover the pageant?

The competition only takes up about ten minutes of the documentary. The girls dance and sing with traditional Colombian songs, and there is even a swimsuit competition. When the winner is finally announced (I won't ruin it for you), she gets a full spread in the newspaper. By the end of the film, girls in other blocks complain that the competition was rigged or blame racism for why their contestant didn't win. Things go back to normal for the most part, until one of the prisoners is released. The ending is abrupt and leans hard on the idea that the pageant, while entertaining, doesn't teach the girls how to change and adapt for the better. But, as Vivianne Busto tearfully explains, "It gives us something to look forward to."

Written by: Chrissie Thornburg, March 25th 2009

Linkeroever (Left Bank)

admin — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 10:39:00 +0000

Directed by Pieter Van Hees

Caviar Films

A quiet Belgian horror film, Linkeroever, which translates to mean “left bank” in English, is the story of Marie, a professional runner who has just qualified for the European Championships. Played by the remarkable Eline Kuppens, Marie meets Bobby (played by actor Matthias Schoenaerts), the head of the archery guild. Bobby lives on the elusive left bank in a creepy apartment building whose residents are even more disturbing.

Marie soon comes down with an unexplainable illness that her doctor attributes to her rigorous running schedule, and she cannot compete in the European Championships as planned. But there are other symptoms to her illness that cannot be explained. Neither can the onset of her surreal dreams.

The film is surprisingly realistic for a horror film, and relies more on character development than hokey special effects or jump scares. Each event is played out as the truth as we follow Marie deeper into the mystery of the building where Bobby lives. This film contains none of the typical horror film tropes, there are stereotypical characters and no disgusting murders. Instead it plays more like a mystery film, and at points, I couldn't help but draw comparisons to Rosemary's Baby, Ginger Snaps, or the recent Japanese horror film Dark Water.

Linkeroever plays horror in a more realistic, dramatic circumstance. The longer I watched the film, the more I began to believe in secret fraternities and secret holes to hell as commonplace and ordinary. Because of this, the ending pleasantly crept up on me. It definitely gives an entirely new spin to the 'final girl theory'.

Linkeroever is beautifully filmed in Duerne, Belgium, and has the same aesthetic as fellow Belgian director Dimitri Karakatsanis, who contributed to the screenplay. I wouldn't pass this film up if you are a fan of character-driven horror films or strong female protagonists.

Written by: Chrissie Thornburg, March 19th 2009

Somewhere at the Bottom of the River Between Vega and Altair

admin — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 11:36:00 +0000

By La Dispute

No Sleep Records

This young five-piece screamo-hardcore band from Grand Rapids, Michigan, whose album name comes from an Asian folktale, are trying something new. Many of their songs have progressively long intros, which is unusual for their genre of music. Their album begins with the track "Such Small Hands." Bordering on spoken word poetry, the track has a nice build to an emotic end that fizzles out into the next track—the epic "Said the King to the River," which starts out similar to the first track before quickening in tempo.

The mix of quick beat drums, rising guitars and thoughtful lyrics make La Dispute more complex than the average screamo band. Their songs never stay the same for long, ebbing and flowing like the ocean; each track is a part of a greater story about love and loss. I found it easier to follow the album’s progression when I turned down the volume, which is unusual for me. This may have something to do with lead singer Jordan Dreyer's, at times, whine of a voice, which really turned me off at first. But if you’re used to this type of vocals, and keep the sound level down, the melodies will sweep you past this minor flaw.

I like "Andria," once it gets passed the spoken part, which borders on whiny and over sentimentality. The intermingling guitars and fast paced drumming compliment the singer's desperate voice, which at times borders on shrill, but not as much on this particular track. I also admittedly have a soft spot for clap solos.

While many of their tracks are four- to five-minute songs that are hard to classify within an emo aesthetic, La Dispute stays true to their more mainstream roots with fast paced tracks such as "Damaged Goods" and "Bury your Flame." La Dispute does keep listeners on their ears, though, with each song slowing and speeding up at will. Boring they are not.

Written by: Chrissie Thornburg, February 25th 2009

Family Tree

admin — Wed, 25 Jul 2007 17:35:00 +0000

By Nick Drake

Bryter Music

It's hard to listen to Nick Drake and not be reminded of those VW commercials where "Pink Moon" played while hipsters rode through the dark in their cabriolet. Nick Drake has the voice that you hear in your dreams at night. His new release, Family Tree, contains songs he recorded with his mother and family before having a record deal. Nick Drake masterfully fingers folk songs on his guitar and sometimes the piano. I have always admired his skill of making a few instruments sound like many, but what I found most impressive were the tracks where his mother and sister sang.

Music obviously ran in the Drake family, and it's difficult to listen to the CD without feeling that you are in the Drake living room yourself. Although I found Family Tree to be a fascinating look inside the Drake household, I would only recommend it for die hard Nick Drake fans, and would recommend newcomers to start with Bryter Layter _or _Pink Moon.

Written by: Chrissie Thornburg, July 25th 2007