Pamela Crossland

Into the Field

admin — Fri, 23 Mar 2007 18:49:00 +0000

The focus of Into the Field is the secular lives of the women living in the Romanian monastery, Varatec, rather than their spiritual ones. The everyday life of nuns is skimmed over by filmmaker Alyssa Grossman. Presumably, Varatec is as self-sustaining as possible due to its isolated location, and there are many shots of nuns working in the fields. Living in small groups in private homes gives them a rather dual identity that may be denied an order which lives solely inside abbey walls.

I was fascinated by the ways in which the church fulfills these women’s need for community and family; when asked, they are quite vehement in their assertion that they have no desire to be married. Neither do they wish to live apart from their community. Though the work is physically tough and seems endless, the Romanian nuns seem quite content. Certainly after working in the field for up to ten years as an act of obedience, they are committed to their chosen destiny.

Grossman includes some brief sequences of stop-motion animation that are distracting. They add nothing to the quality or theme of the film and are self-indulgent and seem to be the work of a high school student rather than a doctoral candidate. She may have intended them to be an internal commentary about her frustration in making of the film. I believe the piece would have been much stronger without them.

Written by: Pamela Crossland, March 23rd 2007

Return to the Land of Wonders

admin — Fri, 16 Mar 2007 20:17:00 +0000

Directed by Maysoon Pachachi

Typecast Releasing

I was riveted by Maysoon Pachachi’s documentary about her homeland: Return to The Land of Wonders. She returns to Baghdad after a thirty-five year absence, soon after the U.S. invasion. The Baghdad she brings to the viewer is not one seen on CNN; she offers a rare insight into the committee (headed by her father, Adnan) working on the drafting of a temporary Iraqi Constitution and Bill of Rights. Their struggle to retain their dignity, their customs and laws and, especially, the right of habeas corpus is difficult as they are required to comply with the dictates of both Washington and their own sectarian leadership.

Iraqi women are extremely interested in the form the new regime will take, and their frustration is noted by one who states: “The security situation fills us with fear. If Iraqi women can’t move about freely, can’t express their opinions freely, can’t protect themselves and their organizations, then how can proper elections be held?”

This theme is explored further for this issue of security is not just about being assaulted on the street, though that happens; it is about the fallout of extremism. Unveiled women are harassed on the street, robberies abound and never has it been more important to have laws that guarantee and protect their freedoms and rights. As one woman put it, “I don’t want to be forced to wear the political veil.”

Other aspects of Baghdad are presented. A man imprisoned for thirteen years after the Ba’ath party came into power tells how he retained his sanity by translating novels into Arabic. Placed in solitary confinement for five years, knowing men around him were hanged every day, he found strength in his faith and belief in his own innocence. The first novel he translated was John Steinbeck’s comedy, The Short Rein of Pippin IV; he went on to translate seventeen more novels during his incarceration.

There is dire need for medical aid, a situation which has only increased. One man asks for better needles for injections for his daughter, a mother for medicine for her jaundiced child. Hospital personnel are threatened with guns when they try to enter the medical facility and landmines have been found at those entrances as well.

Maysoon Pachachi has produced a beautiful, thoughtful documentary about the homeland she loves that still holds wonders for its people. I would highly recommend this film be shown at gatherings for anyone concerned about the U.S. presence in Iraq.

Written by: Pamela Crossland, March 16th 2007

Anne Bonney Perfume Oil Blend

admin — Sat, 03 Mar 2007 18:16:00 +0000

By Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab

This intense, rich oil is listed under the Bewitching category on the Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab website with this description: “Named in honor of the most notorious female pirate to ever set sail. Wicked, cruel, beautiful, intelligent, resourceful and dangerous: a true role model. A blend of Indonesian red patchouli, red sandalwood, and frankincense.” I found it to be heady, sensual and altogether delightful. A very small amount lasts for several hours, and it would be far too easy to overdo application for the office. For after work hours, go wild as a pirate on the high seas.

The website was interesting, and fairly easy to navigate. It is a treasure chest of riches, with dozens of oils listed. If you know exactly what you are looking for that’s easy to target with the search feature. Browsing takes a bit more time, but is well worth it.

Anne Bonney as a role model may make for a trendy, flip ad campaign, but her reality was far from admirable. She was from all accounts bloodthirsty, violent and abandoned at least one child. No doubt she lived the life she wanted, but it should not be overlooked that she was a murderer and a thief. She escaped hanging for her escapades only because she was pregnant at the time of sentencing. Buy the oil and eschew the idealized portrait of Anne Bonney.

Written by: Pamela Crossland, March 3rd 2007

Shea Butter Body Sorbet

admin — Sun, 07 Jan 2007 06:10:00 +0000

By Kristine’s Shower

Winter has delivered its annual plague of cracked heels for many of us. On the day I received this product, one of my heels had begun to crack despite my religious use of other products to prevent that problem. This sorbet (a much more fun word than lotion or cream), used along with another product from Kristine’s Shower, the Shea Butter Body Frosting, took care of that heel in about four days. It’s smooth, light and absorbs well into the skin. The only minor disappointment was in the scent – “Blackberry Blast.” The smell of other ingredients overpowered it just a bit. The result wasn’t unpleasant, just not memorable. Despite this, I am sold on this product and will order some from the website as soon as I catch up from the holidays. I was pleased to note that the label gives the buyer the estimated shelf life of this product – three months – which is quite reasonable for a four ounce jar ($4) of this great skin product.

Written by: Pamela Crossland, January 7th 2007

Shea Butter Body Frosting

admin — Sun, 31 Dec 2006 13:20:00 +0000

By Kristine’s Shower

Shea Butter Body Frosting is a sugar scrub that is not only effective for rough patches on the skin, but is said to keep legs smooth between shavings. The scrub is less oily than many of its competitors and gentles enough to use on the face. After using this wonderful scrub on my feet for a few days, I decided to use it on my face as well as a nightly routine to see how it would stand up to daily use. I’m very pleased with the results. My skin was pleasantly smooth, not oily or weighed down by the product. I also didn't experience any irritation using it on a nightly basis. In addition, I used it after shaving my legs and can honestly say it does help down the stubble. It has no chemical preservatives and though its flavor is called "Lick Me all Over," I’d recommend using it rather than eating it. The shelf life for a twelve ounce jar is six months and the cost is $17.99. This is a great product, and I can highly recommend it.

Written by: Pamela Crossland, December 31st 2006