Stories about Film from January, 2010
Kazakhstan: “Kelin” Shortlisted for Oscar
Mursya writes that the Kazakh film “Kelin” (“The Daughter-in-Law,” directed by Ermek Tursunov) was shortlisted with 8 others for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.
Russia: Vladimir Vysotsky
St Petersblurb and Leopolis pay tribute to Vladimir Vysotsky, who would have turned 72 on January 25.
Bangladesh: 3rd Person Singular Number
Bangladeshi blogger Muhammad Shihab Jahir at Bioscop reviews Mostafa Sarwar Farooki's critically acclaimed Bangla film 3rd Person Singular Number.
China: How does the young generation view Confucius
A rumor circulated on the web that all the 2D versions of Avatar have been pulled out of the Chinese cinemas to make way for the domestic movie Confucius. Despite reports like this, government officials quickly denied it. Yet like all rumors, even if wrong, they may contain a kernel...
Global Screening Of Gaza War Documentary “To Shoot An Elephant”
To Shoot An Elephant is a documentary by Alberto Arce and Mohammad Rujailah, filmed in Gaza during the war a year ago. To mark the first anniversary of the end of the war, the film, released under a Creative Commons licence, was shown at special screenings around the world.
China: Avatar ordered to make way for Confucius?
DANWEI blogs about SARFT's response to the rumor that the mega-hit Avatar has been ordered to stop its run early in order to make way for Confucius. Meanwhile, workers in Guangzhou started using Avatar as their protest slogan.
Colombia: Hard to Tell the Good Guys from the Bad
Through citizen videos, different Colombian organizations share their unique perspectives on crime, violence and armed conflict, where it's hard to tell apart the good guys from the bad.
Haiti: Raw video footage
From current.com comes the series of raw videos by afitzgerald showing different aspects of life in Haiti after the quake. Shown are tent cities, makeshift morgues as well as aid workers and survivors stating their need for aid: they see the planes full of supplies and/or food, but see none...
Egypt: Best movies for Oscar
Egyptian director, Amr Salama, discusses [Ar] some foreign movies screened in 2009. In his opinion, the Oscars committee will face difficulties in deciding the best movies, because -as he says- he has not seen one good movie that deserves the award.
Haiti: Citizen Videos of the Aftermath
Through online video, both live and recorded, people come together to help Haiti: whether by showing different aspects of the tragedy, by keeping others informed or by bringing together volunteers with specific needs that have to be covered.
Philippines: Top gay films of the decade
The Bakla Review lists the ten most important gay films of the past ten years in the Philippines
India: Queer Film Festival In Bangalore
Ultra Violet reports that the deadline for submission of films for the Bangalore Queer Film Festival is 30 January 2010. The non ticketed free event will be held at the Alliance Francaise de Bangalore on 26th, 27th and 28th of February, 2010.
Zimbabwe: Reality TV show as medium to learn about Constructive Criticism
Through a video training process children in Zimbabwe wrote, performed, filmed and edited a short movie showing how gossip and badly given criticism could kill.
Avatar: For or Against Indigenous Rights?
Bloggers worldwide are discussing the themes in the wildly successful film Avatar by James Cameron. Is it racist in its depiction of an extra-terrestrial indigenous tribe?
China: Bloggers’ Reviews of Avatar
James Cameron’s blockbuster, Avatar, was released in China on 2 January 2010, two weeks later than the rest of the world. It is proving popular among the Chinese people. Apart from praising the 3D and special effects, Chinese people also link the story to a controversial social issue in China:...
Philippines: Protecting the film industry
Critic After Dark discusses the proposal of an actor-politician to impose a quota of Hollywood films to be shown in Philippine theaters
Bahamas, U.S.A.: Same Old Story
The Bahamas’ The Gaulin Wife “wasn’t fooled” by the new film Avatar: “The story is clichéd, dangerously so, because while it appears to call into question colonialism’s devastating effects on the colonized, it ultimately reinforces a colonial worldview…”
China: “Avatar” and forced demolition
Fauna from ChinaSMACK translated Chinese reaction of the Hollywood movie “Avatar”, some comments related the struggle to the forced eviction and demolition of people's home in development project.
India: The 3 Idiots Copyright Controversy
Law and Other Things, a blog about Indian law, discusses the copyright controversy regarding the screenplay of the Bollywood blockbuster ‘3 idiots’.
Video: In Spain, Camera Free Video Workshop for Kids
In Valladolid Spain, Film-making is taught to children without them having to use a camera. Following are some of the videos showcasing the process and final results of these workshops.
Venezuela: BlogaCine Attracts Fellow Film Fans
BlogaCine is a blog in which Carlos Caridad-Montero, a Venezuelan filmmaker and fan, passionately writes about local cinema, and which in turn attracts fellow film fans to take part in this new way of film critique.
