The Swedish Film Archive. 75th Anniversary

The Swedish Film Archive - one of the oldest film archives in the world - celebrates its 75th anniversary.
The celebration started the 26th of October and ends 2nd of November.
For a full schedule take a look through this link: Länge leve filmen!

As so often in this country we find that the overall information is in Swedish.
Too many Swedes obviously believe that Swedish is a lingua franca, but - helas! - it's not!

(Photo copied from: http://www.wift.se/aktuellt/filmarkivet-firar-75-ar/)

Henric Aryee

Aurore and I were invited to a vernissage at the Drakens gallery in the Old Town in Stockholm tonight. Of course we went there.

Henric Aryee was the artist displaying some of his oeuvres - Aurore and Henric have worked together in a company for some time.
He has a substantial educational background from the USA among other countries.
In his works he uses different techniques even though his main interest lies in drawing.
In this exhibition we saw prints, oil and other techniques and it was really a very varied display of his art.
We were fascinated and so were many others. The vernissage was visited by many people and we enjoyed it very much!

Take a look at other pieces of art by clicking on his name above!

(Picture of 'hand sitting by the table' /not the name of this piece of art though/ copied from: http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3118/2593579756_b5844ea724.jpg?v=0)
(Picture of the back of a painting man copied from: http://behance.vo.llnwd.net/profiles5/117775/projects/278620/1177751249346907.jpg)
(Picture of pen with a female head copied from: http://behance.vo.llnwd.net/profiles5/117775/projects/279263/1177751249429640.jpg)

Jakten mot Nollpunkten

There are artists that cannot talk about their art.

And some who can, and who even WRITE.
Carl Johan De Geer is among those.
As his self biography was about to be released, he animated a monologue at Hedengrens.
Though we arrived rather early, the bookstore was overcrowded with whisky people between 70 years of age and death.
We had to sit on the last row and do our best to hear everything that was told (forgetting our senile neighbours who talked for themselves, and so on...).
The meeting with de Geer was entertaining and intellectually stimulating, something quite rare in this city.
Even though we sometimes have different opinions concerning people, Gunnar and I respect Carl Johan De Geer since he gives us this rare jewell of the human mind: reflection.

Chocolate festival

This day was in part dedicated to the Chocolate Festival in Stockholm at the Nordiska museet.

Aurore went there in the morning and I came in later in the afternoon after finishing my lectures at the University.

As usual there where many exhibitors but fewer visitors this year we felt.

I talked with the founder and the managing director of Amedei, one of the more well-known Italian brands.
We discussed the differences between Swedes and other people concerning food, chocolat and wine i.g. and there are great differences!

In Sweden most Swedes are raised with Marabou and other 'Swedish' brands. It's only lately that people in general have discovered other forms of chocolate with different flavours and different percentage of chocolate. Earlier chocolat from other countries was something very exclusive and more for the connoisseurs and with the Jante law implemented by the Church and not least the Social Democratic Party, eating something exclusive is/was regarded as 'elitistic' (it's very easy to be regarded as elitistic in Sweden!).

Last year we bought a small box with chocolat at Amedei, this year we contented ourselves with some pieces of chocolates from 'the Italians'.

We also bought chocolat from Kanolds, Beriksson, Dolfin, Bonnat and another brand from Italy - Mascao(?) - where they worked in accordance with the ideas within the slow food movement.

Onkel Vanja... Well, well, well... We still wonder if Thomas Pontén is Gunnar Björnstrand's hidden son.

The play was unequal.

It started well, and then lost rhythm.
The music destroyed a part of the acting, and it was quite weird to hear Metallica in such a play.
Sometimes, it felt like eveything had been tried during the rehearsals and that actors did not know how to embody their characters anymore.
The mise en scène was a disapointment the actors could not save. What a pity!

Our friend Siw-Marie participated as an extra, an old peasant woman (below).

(Photo enxemble copied from: http://www.scenocad.se/img/onv_press14.png)
(Photo Tomas Pontén and Elin Klinga copied from: https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhll_zjK3AlRDoiaITVlzuqfxsphXZQFJ8akSvZ9gK9dbGVB3Giaf6aux6PAJsukBgeOzQT51SyjIye_w7syAJidY2MkfNu9hMPhx9xZCh5glDCk19NR_6uOjrInczy82d5qJiiNw/s400/Bild+1.png)
(Photo Siw-Marie Andersson as a peasant woman copied from: http://www.siw-marie.se/images/Onkel_Vanja_foto.gif)

Max Ernst

Nice exhibition at the Moderna museet (The Museum of Modern Art). We learned a lot for a change. Will perhaps summarize more later on.

The Max Ernst exhibition displayed his different periods in Germany, France, America and Europe as the exhibitors have written.
I don't know if Germany and France wasn't a part of Europe in those days?
Anyway, the exhibition not only displayed his different whereabouts but first and foremost different aspects of Ernst and his artistic work.

Usually we see similar works of art by Ernst (or other artists) when being displayed but in this exhibition also less known works by the artist had been exhibited.
I might add: Less known to me (Gunnar).

If you would like a more substantial look at the art by Ernst, I recommend a visit to the Museum of Modern Art (in Stockholm).
I hardly think you will be disappointed.


(Photo Max Ernst copied from; http://tothewire.files.wordpress.com/2009/09/12049-004-fcdd9cb8.jpg)
(Photo 'Fireside Angel' copied from: http://culturvista.files.wordpress.com/2009/08/maxernstthefiresideangel.jpg)

Iskyss

We spent a very intense day in Oslo in order to see Iskyss, the latest film by Knut Erik Jensen.
I (Aurore) hadn't met him since 2002. He had invited us to see it, first at the screening in the northern parts of Norway but since this wasn't possible, he asked us to come to Oslo and so we did.

Too short and too rainy stay, but nice though...

After the film, we listened to a conversation between the director Knut Erik Jensen and the screenwriter Alf R. Jacobsen.

Two profiles within the cultural sector in Norway, both with a clear vision of what they believe in when it comes to film and writing.
They also indirectly discussed culture policies and did so with emphasis and pathos! Interesting.

Stortinget. The Norwegian Parliament.
(Rain on the lens of the camera. Of course(!),we're in Norway)

Nationaltheatret. The National Theatre.

This is the building where the Nobel Peace Prize cerermony is being held.

Det Kongelige Slottet. The Royal Castle.