tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-347273092012-02-02T00:00:11.690+01:00A French woman met a Swedish man at a Norwegian Film Festival, they got married and lived happily ever after.Gunnar Bjursellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03092365141831350962noreply@blogger.comBlogger7371100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34727309.post-36750325157125238162012-01-22T09:00:00.011+01:002012-01-22T23:44:27.823+01:00

Gunnar wrote most of the posts here these latest months because I was too busy with my own staff.So let me explain why.Tomorrow starts the Year of the Dragon with my first client for 2012.What? Do I need clients now?Well, that's no surprise I have been wanting to freelance for many years without doing it - no money syndrom. Since I ♥ filmsam technique friendlyand speak 3 languages- did I mention

Aurore Berger Bjursellnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34727309.post-57487052155547209162011-12-26T23:30:00.005+01:002012-02-01T00:05:44.709+01:00

Le Pere Noel Est Une Ordure au théatre - sketch par CyberPeopleWhen seeing this film - previously being a theater play (performed by the troupe 'Le Splendid') but turned into film by Jean-Marie Poiré - I realize that Santa Claus and Christmas evoke a great number of feelings in people.In this case it's more the title of the play or film itself more than Santa Claus as he is not the main focus of

Gunnar Bjursellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03092365141831350962noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34727309.post-69852015207639944382011-12-26T20:31:00.004+01:002012-01-31T23:10:21.211+01:00

Kung Fu Panda is the story about a anti-hero becoming a real hero in spite having all odds against him.Po (Jack Black) is a fat, clumsy panda who is totally obsessed with the martial art kung fu.He lives in the Valley of Peace and works with his goose(!) father Mr. Ping (James Hong) in his noodle restaurant.The valley is visited by "The Furious Five" a group of kung fu masters consisting of

Gunnar Bjursellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03092365141831350962noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34727309.post-38070412515425942332011-12-25T22:34:00.005+01:002012-01-30T23:49:22.766+01:00

Mel Brooks directs another one of his crazy films, this time about Dr. Frankenstein's grandson, Dr Frankenstein (Gene Wilder).He is struggling to eradicate the bad reputation his ancestor has caused him and his family, being a respectable professor at the University, as he is. He even insists that his name be pronounced "Frankensteen" not "---schtain".All of a sudden he is reached by the message

Gunnar Bjursellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03092365141831350962noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34727309.post-81224790662050955842011-12-25T18:43:00.007+01:002012-01-28T23:34:14.646+01:00

In this film Martin Scorsese has made a Tarantino, that is to say, inserting hundreds of references to the film history, blending it with the 'external' story of the orphan Hugo and his adventures. Maybe it's more correct to say that Tarantino usually makes Scorsese's?The story is though set in 1931 in Paris.Hugo's (Asa Butterfield) father (Jude Law) works as a clockmaker in Paris and Hugo's

Gunnar Bjursellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03092365141831350962noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34727309.post-4624135712246940502011-12-22T21:41:00.004+01:002012-01-25T17:04:57.729+01:00

This is one of my wife Aurore's favourite Christmas Tales, the classic 'saga' about Scrooge but in a 'muppet outfit'.I can agree that it's a charming story, not least if one has seen and appreciated The Muppets during not least the 1970's. The idea around the Muppets started much earlier when Jim Henson started his creational work. but it was during the 70's it became known to a worldwide

Gunnar Bjursellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03092365141831350962noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34727309.post-767323089893629262011-12-21T21:39:00.004+01:002012-01-23T14:54:42.807+01:00

This is not a film directed by Tim Burton as many people think, it's directed by Henry Selick. Burton has though co-written the script and also produced the film.We are introduced to the somewhat gloomy town called Halloweentown where Jack Skellington (Chris Sarandon) is the mastermind behind almost everything being done there.Halloweentown is filled with different kinds of 'dark creatures' sucgh

Gunnar Bjursellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03092365141831350962noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34727309.post-29827113061809455042011-12-20T21:37:00.002+01:002012-01-20T14:29:31.579+01:00

This is the classical story about the Victorian miser Ebenezer Scrooge (Seymour Hicks) who, in all his spiritual paltriness, grudge other people to enjoy the Christmas, as he can't. Not that he can't afford it, on the contrary, but because he has denied himself this 'luxuary' due to events in the past that have made him a bitter old man.His poor clerk Bob Cratchit (Donald Calthrop) wants to enjoy

Gunnar Bjursellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03092365141831350962noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34727309.post-56712191072953206352011-12-18T22:12:00.003+01:002012-01-17T00:11:49.678+01:00

In this film by Anne Fontaine, we probably meet the most unlikely couple in French-speaking movies: the actress Isabelle Huppert and the Belgian actor Benoît Poelvoorde.Could anyone imaging them living together, even acting together? No, not til now.Huppert is Agathe, who's leading a prestigious art gallery, living near Jardin du Luxembourg, with a seven year long education, being "hi" and "hello

Gunnar Bjursellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03092365141831350962noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34727309.post-27492047403725843892011-12-16T21:53:00.005+01:002012-01-15T23:55:26.171+01:00

A cold-hammered mail robbery is carried out in the middle of Stockholm during Christmas rush and the two policemen Jarnebring (Sven Wollter) and Johansson (Tomas von Brömssen) from the investigation department arrives first at the crime scene. The robber escapes though.Evidently two of the witnesses have recognized the person committing this crime and it also seems as if they know him prior to

Gunnar Bjursellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03092365141831350962noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34727309.post-75167652969297704402011-12-11T23:35:00.003+01:002012-01-15T19:42:57.944+01:00

This film is somewhat absurd in the same spirit as 'The Little Shop of Horrors' but with another theme.We get to meet Walter Paisley (Dick Miller) a somewhat characteristical busboy at a café for bohemians, meaning artists of different kind or wannabes, some of them talented, others trying to act as if they were.When returning home one evening he hears a miaowing sound and discovers that it

Gunnar Bjursellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03092365141831350962noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34727309.post-20289975338830659222011-12-11T22:34:00.003+01:002012-01-14T18:48:42.923+01:00

When visiting Haugesund and The International Norwegian Film Festival there, we saw the film 'The Mill and the Cross' ('Brueghel, le moulin et le croix') by Lech Majewski. In that film we 'enter' the painting and get to see how it was made and who the different characters are. As Brueghel we saw Rutger Hauer, far from the psychotic and troubling roles he often plays.In this film we also get to

Gunnar Bjursellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03092365141831350962noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34727309.post-59536357406056230492011-12-10T22:33:00.006+01:002012-01-13T21:15:44.551+01:00

This is one of Francis Ford Coppola's first films, at least within - what we can call - the 'horror genre', if one exclude 'The Terror' (a film we've written about before). The latter was however primarily directed by Roger Corman who instead produced this film.First it was ment to be called only 'Dementia' but as a film with the same name had been made in 1955, they added 13.The film starts with

Gunnar Bjursellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03092365141831350962noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34727309.post-36381075019108566492011-12-09T21:32:00.004+01:002012-01-08T18:25:31.237+01:00

The literal translation of this film title is: "The fire engine that disappeared". The story is however not centred around a fire engine even though fire plays a certain role in this drama, as well as a small toy fire engine.This is a story built on a book by two of the very first - and very best - 'crime writers' in Sweden: Maj Sjöwall and Per Wahlöö.As its principal individual we find the

Gunnar Bjursellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03092365141831350962noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34727309.post-14870601456943048312011-12-08T22:30:00.006+01:002012-01-07T19:05:41.953+01:00

julefrokosten par chrosstv12This is a Danish crazy comedy with a 'family drama' as a backdrop.Anders Bo (Thomas Voss) is hired as a car salesman in a big company but as one of his first tasks, his boss tells him to infiltrate the annual Christmas party in the small competing shop 'Holger's Auto'. Why? To steal their custom file, of course.When succesfully working 'undercover' he realizes that the

Gunnar Bjursellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03092365141831350962noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34727309.post-9204295724106435162011-12-05T22:29:00.007+01:002012-01-05T21:11:02.534+01:00

This film is inspired by the real life story of Phillippe Pozzi di Borgo, quadriplegic since 1993 and totally dependant on others for his survival, both physically and mentally. The most important person in his life is Abdel Yasmin Sellou, his domiciliary care.Pozzi di Borgo has written a book called 'Le Second Souffle' ('The Second Breath', my translation) where he tells the story about his life

Gunnar Bjursellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03092365141831350962noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34727309.post-30673393296709963222011-11-27T23:27:00.008+01:002012-01-05T21:15:35.961+01:00

For those of you not knowing anything about this Swedish film - it's nothing to know!Yet I will continue writing:The film was made by one of Swedens most well known comedians, 'children-TV-entertainers' and artists/painters, Lasse Åberg.It's the first in a series of films, telling the story about Stig-Helmer (Lasse Åberg), an extremely 'geeky', bumbling person who for the first time in his life

Gunnar Bjursellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03092365141831350962noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34727309.post-69055163380830265252011-11-27T22:26:00.009+01:002012-01-04T00:09:18.867+01:00

This film by Maïwenn has a subject being very 'inflammatory', if one can put it that way.Abuse against children is by most people felt as being the worst crime one can commit, partly because children often are totally defensless, partly because the abuse is committed by grown ups in whom children put their trust. This in combination with the fact that children all over the world - whether in

Gunnar Bjursellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03092365141831350962noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34727309.post-67852642742894861792011-11-26T21:24:00.011+01:002012-01-03T20:14:05.359+01:00

Svenska (English below): Denna Arne Mattsson film är en Agatha Christie-inspirerad thriller som dessutom utspelas på ett tåg. Till detta kommer ett antal psykologiska individporträtt, som tillsammans bidrar till ett ganska effektfullt slut på denna historia. Filmen innehåller också en hel del humor, ibland t.o.m. av något 'slapstick'-liknande karaktär.Vi träffar en ganska brokig skara människor

Gunnar Bjursellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03092365141831350962noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34727309.post-87040005038454301562011-11-25T23:23:00.004+01:002012-01-03T19:26:05.545+01:00

Svenska (English below): Detta är en i raden av filmatiseringar baserade på Henning Mankells böcker om polisen Wallander, denna gång med Krister Henriksson i huvudrollen.I denna episod hittar man en död kvinna i en lägenhet, tömd på sitt blod och hängande upp och ned från taket.Detta i kombination med att polisen Martinssons dotter försvinner och man i hennes rum finner stora mängder blod, gör

Gunnar Bjursellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03092365141831350962noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34727309.post-33305963257743834322011-11-25T22:13:00.005+01:002011-12-28T00:33:24.857+01:00

Roman Polanski is responsible for this 'crime passionnel'-drama where one can trace some influences from 'Ultimo tango a Parigi' ('The Last Tango in Paris'/'Le dernier Tango à Paris') by Bertolucci (among other cinematic and literary influences).In this quartett by Polanski we meet a British 'gentleman' by the name of Nigel Dobson (Hugh Grant) and his wife Fiona (Kristin Scott Thomas), a perfect

Gunnar Bjursellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03092365141831350962noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34727309.post-11456419902403299722011-11-22T22:11:00.009+01:002011-12-23T00:36:36.908+01:00

Using Boris Karloff and Jack Nicholson in a film called 'The Terror' is rather ingenious as these two actors have personified a lot of different characters through their carrers but are both, mostly, remembered for their 'horror' or psychopath roles.Roger Corman is said to be the director (and producer) but according to different sources, parts of this film were shot by Francis Ford Coppola,

Gunnar Bjursellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03092365141831350962noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34727309.post-25337816512925558452011-11-18T22:07:00.003+01:002011-12-20T09:39:19.063+01:00

Svenska (English below):Detta var en film som Aurore somnade ifrån. Visserligen såg vi den mycket sent och vi hade haft en lång dag men det var inte endast detta som skapade gäspningarna.Svengali (John Barrymore) är en "music maestro" som via hypnos kan kontrollera människor och inte minst den kvinna han är förälskad i och som han tar som sin elev.Innan detta möte, övertygar han en annan kvinna

Gunnar Bjursellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03092365141831350962noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34727309.post-38829965527889742402011-11-17T22:45:00.004+01:002011-11-21T19:32:21.014+01:00

As each and every year, the last 5 years, we buy a bottle of Beaujolais Nouveau in november and this year is no exception.The bottle above is ours but we were invited to eat a 'raclette' at my parents-in-law and there we drank two variants of Beaujolais, each one with their own characteristics.The mushrooms above - called cèpes in French - were found by my father-in-law when he, together with

Gunnar Bjursellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03092365141831350962noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34727309.post-75029203769031946432011-11-16T22:06:00.003+01:002011-12-19T20:47:51.282+01:00

In Ancient Greek the expression 'The Ides of March' had several connotative meanings.First of all it was the 15th day of March in the Roman calender, most likely referring to the day of the full moon.Ides is derived from the word 'Idus' meaning 'half division', in the first place in relation to a month. Half of the month had passed at this point.The Ides of March - as the name indicates - was

Gunnar Bjursellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03092365141831350962noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34727309.post-32555529689691702652011-11-12T23:00:00.006+01:002011-12-19T01:16:11.979+01:00

This is a film by the same director who made The Artist, Michel Hazanavicius, but this time he is not trying to recreate an ancient way of making film, that is to say, silent movies, this time he has used a parodical process and in doing so created a new personal œuvre.In this creational process he uses a lot of Warner Bros.-films made between 1952 and 1980 including excerpts from 'Maigret' (the

Gunnar Bjursellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03092365141831350962noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34727309.post-58310451272159434542011-11-12T22:59:00.008+01:002011-12-19T00:19:41.915+01:00

Svenska (English below):Jag tror inte vi behöver skriva så mycket kring denna film eftersom den nog vid detta laget är ganska välkänd bland de flesta av er. När jag skriver detta (en tid efter att vi sett filmen, Aurore och jag) har den nominerats till ett antal Golden Globes.Historien kretsar kring en av de mest självupptagna skådespelarna i ett stumfilms-Hollywood à la 1927: George Valentin (

Gunnar Bjursellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03092365141831350962noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34727309.post-70773590566126318742011-11-11T22:56:00.002+01:002011-12-19T00:21:36.484+01:00

Svenska (English below):Roy (Björn Andersson) är en håglös man som spenderar sina dagar i hemmet och som gör allt för att undvika arbete eller ens att hjälpa till med vardagliga sysslor.Hans fru ylva (Eva Fritjofson) står inte ut med detta utan försöker hitta något som kan motivera Roy att komma ur denna inaktivitet.Hon hittar av en slump en form av alternativbehandling och ser till så att Roy

Gunnar Bjursellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03092365141831350962noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34727309.post-10573300464232242282011-11-10T23:40:00.002+01:002011-12-06T21:14:21.231+01:00

Detta var en film vi initialt fruktade men som de facto vi fann bättre än våra föraningar hade givit vid handen.Det hela är en parodi på Kommissarie Beck men har också integrerat delar ur filmer som 'Nakna pistolen' ('The Naked Gun'), 'Hot Shots' och 'Scary Movie' m.fl.Mårten Späck (Leif Andrée) (som självfallet har sitt namn efter det faktum att han konstant äter och inte direkt magrar av detta)

Gunnar Bjursellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03092365141831350962noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34727309.post-37979546520040283172011-11-06T23:38:00.009+01:002011-12-15T00:53:22.394+01:00

Svenska (English below):Detta är en film vars namn kommer från det uttryck man använder då en ny påve har valts av kardinalkollegiet: "Vi har en påve!". I detta fall hade man en men tappade honom på vägen!Historien kretsar kring valet av ny påve och de troende på Petersplatsen samlas för att se om det ur skorstenen under konklavens möte, kommer ut vit eller svart rök. Sistnämnda innebär att man

Gunnar Bjursellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03092365141831350962noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34727309.post-25443001814138895142011-11-06T23:37:00.011+01:002011-12-04T23:19:16.163+01:00

Svenska (English below):Detta är en charmig historia som kombinerar 'Skönheten och Odjuret'-temat med 'Fantomen på Operan' och 'Cabaret'.Berättelsen utspelar sig under året 1910 i Paris, det år då staden upplevde sina värsta översvämningar någonsin.Mitt i denna rotblöta utspelar sig både kärlekshistorier - i pluralis - och dramatik samt politiska intriger.Émile (Sébastien Desjours) är en blyg

Gunnar Bjursellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03092365141831350962noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34727309.post-12693335516357416862011-11-05T23:55:00.000+01:002011-11-19T01:12:52.766+01:00

105 persons had gathered in Montgivray to eat a 'choucroute' and we were invited by my father-in-law, a passionate hunter (chasseurs).My mother-in-law, her sister with 'boyfriend', my father-in-laws brother and wife and some other relatives, besides the different hunting teams and their families and friends.Music and dance.

Gunnar Bjursellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03092365141831350962noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34727309.post-86400642980589506122011-11-04T23:36:00.010+01:002011-12-05T01:26:57.055+01:00

When watching this film, one come to think of the song by Queen: "Save me", with the initial lyrics: "It started of so well...". Not that we thought: "Oh Save Us" but it didn't turn out as well as we had hoped.The film is planted in the northern parts of Sweden (Värmland), on the border between Sweden and Norway. The year is 1942.There, at check-point 83, two young soldiers, unauthorized, leave

Gunnar Bjursellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03092365141831350962noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34727309.post-8932486474724785982011-11-02T23:34:00.007+01:002011-12-05T01:35:21.650+01:00

Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau's Faust is an aesthetically appealing film, creating suspense and horror through his frequent use of shadows and light in his very interesting and personal way.The story is known: Faust (Gösta Ekman) sells his soul to the Devil/Mephisto (Emil Jannings) for youth.In the amazing opening scene, we see God (Werner Fuetterer as a mighty Archangel) and Satan discussing who is '

Gunnar Bjursellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03092365141831350962noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34727309.post-43784437631028620162011-10-31T23:33:00.005+01:002011-11-11T23:42:17.207+01:00

This is a film so well known and so well analyzed throughout the decades, wherefore there is no need for an introduction.It's still a very charming film, although 'the monster' is not as terrifying as one experienced him as a child.What can man achieve and create and what should man try to achieve and create?What moral and societal responsibility do the scientist have?Still we ask these questions

Gunnar Bjursellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03092365141831350962noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34727309.post-76613218823407668522011-10-27T22:07:00.024+02:002011-12-06T00:55:28.904+01:00

Our expectations on this film was not to high but we were positively surprised, Aurore and I.Some trailers we had seen didn't make an impression on us but as we often say:We prefer a mediocre trailer and a good film instead of the opposite (yes it's a truism but anyway).First of all we found the technical part extremely well realized, not least the movements of the different characters. Of course

Gunnar Bjursellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03092365141831350962noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34727309.post-34546084226510258272011-10-24T22:04:00.016+02:002011-11-05T11:29:26.915+01:00

The idea of this film stems from the personal experiences of the two main actors also being the writers and directors of this film, namely Valérie Donzelli and Jérémie Elkaïm.In the film their names are Roméo and Juliette and already here, we began to wonder if this was a comedy or not and we are still wondering.On IMDb it's described as a "drama" and on Allociné's site: "Comédie dramatique" ("

Gunnar Bjursellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03092365141831350962noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34727309.post-57533434665766486472011-10-21T23:25:00.013+02:002011-11-05T11:30:59.962+01:00

Open your mind, your ears and see if you can guess when you hear Gunnar's voice on this track:The Dark Fleet by Lord ShadesFor those who have never heard of this project, let me sum it up shortly.Alex, the world famous PHP coder, founder, leader, bass player and howler of Lord Shades was my superior during one year.Since we both like Scandinavian extreme music and since he appreciated Gunnar's

Aurore Berger Bjursellnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34727309.post-86432653857226901362011-10-14T22:02:00.014+02:002011-11-05T11:31:56.169+01:00

1 Corinthians 13:12: "For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known".In this film, the story is enacted on an island where Karin (Harriet Andersson) - who suffers from schizophrenia, recently released from a mental institution - her husband Martin (Max von Sydow), her father David (Gunnar Björnstrand) and her

Gunnar Bjursellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03092365141831350962noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34727309.post-71323731577666473392011-10-09T23:00:00.006+02:002011-11-05T11:33:32.320+01:00

The title is almost Biblical and it could be understood alluding to the Parable of the Prodigal Son, slightly modified. Other similarities:The events in this film takes place in a vineyard, wine and vineyards from several reasons being an essential part of the New Testament. Wine is used by Jesus in parables, or when he transformed water to wine (what a dream for a Frenchman) and not least during

Gunnar Bjursellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03092365141831350962noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34727309.post-32817683442385267872011-10-03T21:44:00.015+02:002011-11-05T11:34:48.861+01:00

In the little town by the name of Høtten, a girl with the Down syndrome is sexually assaulted and murdered and the inhabitants in the town are 100% sure that the crime is committed by two brothers being a part of a family being treated as social outcasts, rightly or wrongly.The two brothers are suddenly missing and when one of them is found drowned, detective Nicholas Ramm (Reidar Sørensen) is

Gunnar Bjursellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03092365141831350962noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34727309.post-77175239249402787262011-10-02T23:01:00.013+02:002011-11-25T15:07:50.857+01:00

This is How It All Began, that is to say, a reboot of a remake, the latter being Conquest of the Planet of the Apes directed by J. Lee Thompson (1972).Besides this we have - in cinematically chronological order: 'Planet of the Apes' (Franklin J. Schaffner, 1968), the groundbreaking first film about the intelligent apes having taken over the Earth in a distant future, all this discovered by two

Gunnar Bjursellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03092365141831350962noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34727309.post-6062664020242417422011-09-28T22:57:00.016+02:002011-10-28T14:29:36.244+02:00

Another western with a hoary-headed 'hero'! We all remember 'True Grit' (with Jeff Bridges as the 'greyish' main character); 'Open Range' (Robert Duvall and Kevin Costner, the latter not so grey perhaps); 'Cowboys and Aliens' (Harrison Ford) - even though the latter is a combination of two popular genres - and earlier during the 1990's: 'Unforgiven' (Clint Eastwood, Gene Hackman and Morgan

Gunnar Bjursellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03092365141831350962noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34727309.post-55584558557571287602011-09-26T21:54:00.002+02:002011-10-26T20:12:35.115+02:00

Gravis Mushnik (Mel Welles) is running a flower shop and the business is not at all a gold mine, to say the least. First of all he has the regular costumers not wanting to pay the full prize for his plants and he doesn't change much concerning the assortment either.One day Seymour Krelboyne (Jonathan Haze) - his young and not to bright assistant - finds a remarkable plant that he starts to

Gunnar Bjursellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03092365141831350962noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34727309.post-70149582323388481092011-09-25T21:30:00.002+02:002011-10-26T18:44:21.274+02:00

Svea och jag from Reaktor Sydost on Vimeo.This is an experimenatl short film asking questions about Sweden 'today' and what privileges, norms and jargons our citizenship conveys to us (or rather to "them", as none of us is living in Sweden anymore, luckily enough)."Svea" is a National Personification of Sweden and often used together with "Mother (Svea)".

Gunnar Bjursellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03092365141831350962noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34727309.post-61373280472595028162011-09-25T21:15:00.001+02:002011-10-26T18:36:32.393+02:00

Shorts programme: Growing Up Tough from Cicada Studio on Vimeo.

Gunnar Bjursellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03092365141831350962noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34727309.post-34084105468748883262011-09-25T21:00:00.001+02:002011-10-26T18:33:26.986+02:00

This short film - also a part of "1 km film 2009", (Stockholm Film Festival) stars Serena Reeder and Gustaf Skarsgård.When driving his car Jimmy (Gustaf Skarsgård) suddenly sees a woman running away from a man. He stops the car and asks her if she is in need of help. "The Girl" (as Serena Reeder's character is refered to - I don't remember what name she mentions in the film), is in need of a

Gunnar Bjursellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03092365141831350962noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34727309.post-74457514665464803652011-09-25T20:45:00.004+02:002011-10-26T13:11:11.850+02:00

Another short where a young man tells us that he as a boy once killed a classmate in school.The title of the film in English is (direct translation): 'You draw ugly'.We get to know that the name of the young boy he killed was Pierre - "a strange name", as our anti hero states.What then follows is a description on how all this happened and as the title indicates it starts when the two young boys

Gunnar Bjursellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03092365141831350962noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34727309.post-49378209056647035932011-09-25T20:30:00.002+02:002011-10-26T12:25:47.919+02:00

Den Mörka Ön/Dark Island – excerpt 1 from Jöns Mellgren on Vimeo.Another short within the "1 km film" project at Stockholm Film Festival from 2009.This film is made with puppies where we get to meet a boy and a girl at an island.The boy is there in order to visit his grandparents but when arriving he meets a girl telling him that his grandfather is sick.They start to create a world of their

Gunnar Bjursellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03092365141831350962noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34727309.post-24190601313588728982011-09-25T20:15:00.001+02:002011-10-25T23:21:53.714+02:00

The title - 'Att sova och drömma om mat' - indicate the content, although it's not always obvious whether or not food is the important issue or the issue at all.As with some Scandinavians films recently, we are in this one also introduced to a 'troll'.They do exist you know!Director: Kolbeinn Karlsson.

Gunnar Bjursellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03092365141831350962noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34727309.post-75671667870124790652011-09-25T20:00:00.007+02:002011-10-25T23:14:58.853+02:00

Att dela allt -filmklipp from HannaSofia on Vimeo.'Att dela allt' ('Sharing all') is a short film, displaying the problems with people having certain ideals, trying to convince others about them, wanting - as in this case - to be free but when they are faced with the results of their 'ideology', not being as keen on continuing walking this path to the end.In this case we get to meet Oscar who

Gunnar Bjursellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03092365141831350962noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34727309.post-30393520292694472522011-09-24T20:40:00.005+02:002011-10-25T22:59:55.343+02:00

Films about choirs have surfaced from time to time during the first decade of the 21st century: 'Huutajat' ('Screaming Men', 2003); 'Les choristes' (2004); 'Så som i himmelen' ('As It Is in Heaven', 2004); 'On the One' (2005) and lately 'Joyful Noise' (2012).This is a documentary (as with 'Huutajat' above) and it tells the story about a choir - Berlevåg Mannsangforening (Berlevåg male choir

Gunnar Bjursellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03092365141831350962noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34727309.post-40934390668720267872011-09-23T21:30:00.018+02:002011-10-22T14:40:46.936+02:00

France is highly respected throughout the world in the field of gastronomy, and it is an integral part of our heritage and identity. The festival will provide an opportunity to enjoy socialising and dialogue, while at the same time becoming more aware of the wide choice of products, the great variety of local produce, and the many professions connected with gastronomy.Live my life as a

Aurore Berger Bjursellnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34727309.post-28792339453374656722011-09-22T23:39:00.015+02:002011-10-23T00:49:35.952+02:00

The title of this film can be understood both as the awakening of the patients in this film but also the awakening of the doctors and other medical personnel working day by day without engaging themselves in reflection around the treatment and development of their patients.It's a film based on a book by Oliver Sacks with the same name (written in 1973) and tells a true story about a doctor

Gunnar Bjursellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03092365141831350962noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34727309.post-54433495378479885832011-09-22T20:36:00.005+02:002011-09-22T20:41:40.085+02:00

While emptying the iPhone earlier today, I realized that I was married to my own private Dr. Guillotin.Evidence one:my scalp...Evidence two:my back...Evidence three:my profile.Should I start worrying about Gunnar's decaptitating tendencies?

Aurore Berger Bjursellnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34727309.post-62562168059112712842011-09-21T22:41:00.005+02:002011-09-21T22:51:01.375+02:00

Though we met at a Norwegian film festival in Stockholm, Gunnar had never visited Norway before 2008.Gunnar who speaks a pure and well articulated Swedish can't understand Rogalandsk. It means he doesn't understand a word when Kristoffer Joner speaks in a film. It also means that I, the French woman, had to translate what people said in Haugesund ("2 blocks", "1 soda" or a price).Gunnar cannot

Aurore Berger Bjursellnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34727309.post-43248000666715345572011-09-19T20:37:00.010+02:002011-10-22T19:38:32.925+02:00

This film by Jonathan Demme came ten years after the HIV-infection and AIDS became known to the public. The problems surrounding people's lack of knowledge concerning how this infection was transmitted caused a lot of problems, not least for the infected of course.As having worked (me Gunnar) with drug addicts and homeless people and also within a HIV- and infection ward at a Swedish hospital (

Gunnar Bjursellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03092365141831350962noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34727309.post-41284143261705117652011-09-19T11:38:00.040+02:002011-09-19T15:35:24.852+02:00

Oslo, september 12thVisiting Oslo on september 12th with no other ambition than seeing Bjørn Floberg ♥ on stage on his birthday, the Berry inhabitants that we are had booked tickets for our first Norwegian-spoken play ever about an überfrench icon: Jeanne La Pucelle.I think every reader knows the story of Jeanne, a manipulative woman who might have been King Charles' sister and the way she was

Aurore Berger Bjursellnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34727309.post-45661794009319857422011-09-18T23:50:00.011+02:002011-10-22T19:44:40.305+02:00

This is a poetically, beautiful film where the name is derived or taken from the Polar star shining so bright in the northern countries, the countries of the Midnight Sun.The story is set in Norway, Finnmark, as far north (north east) as you can come in Norway and a geographical point from where two recently made films emerged, namely Død snø (2009) and Kill Buljo: The Movie (2007).Stella

Gunnar Bjursellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03092365141831350962noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34727309.post-77127134416679675282011-09-18T21:34:00.022+02:002012-01-01T11:32:11.885+01:00

Another doomsday film you might say and of course, in a way it is as everyone dies, that is to say the whole of humanity, not only the main protagonists in the film.This is a film where the germ to the story could be found during a period of depression that Lars von Trier - the director - experienced some time before the filming. During that period he found that people experiencing a depression

Gunnar Bjursellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03092365141831350962noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34727309.post-60949438555380946602011-09-17T23:31:00.009+02:002011-10-11T12:27:26.640+02:00

In this rather crazy but on the same time "true story" about the criminal world, we get to meet some unsucsessful representatives of the "underworld".Ali (Leon Bashir), Nico (Anders Danielsen Lie, recently known for his role in 'Oslo., 31. August') and Bobby (Farrakh Abbas) are three extremely incompetent criminals heading for "the top"!They try to figure out how to stage "the perfect crime" (

Gunnar Bjursellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03092365141831350962noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34727309.post-53133360542245574902011-09-16T22:29:00.001+02:002011-10-10T01:03:02.269+02:00

This film is an adaptation of the book with the same name written by Jon Ronson in 2004.It deals with the US Army's intentions to use New Age and the paranormal in order to fight the enemy and the title refers to the ability to kill a goat by just starring at it!The paranormal is combined with the "ordinary" psychological warfare and way of using psychologigal knowledge to surpress the enemy.A TV

Gunnar Bjursellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03092365141831350962noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34727309.post-45298132234962292722011-09-13T22:15:00.001+02:002011-10-09T19:02:38.913+02:00

This is in short another horror movie from Norway, this time not starring a group of naïve and unpleasant young men and women, all to disagreable to find mercy before the viewer.This time it's a young couple - Marti (Sondre Krogtof Larsen) and Lina (Marte Germaine Christensen) - preparing for a party and heading between Norway and Sweden in order to buy liquor, being much cheaper in Sweden than

Gunnar Bjursellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03092365141831350962noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34727309.post-81222300817664757672011-09-09T22:14:00.002+02:002011-10-09T00:42:16.131+02:00

This is a film made as an adaptation of the book "Ondskan" by journalist and writer Jan Guillou.The book (and film) tells the story about his youth when he came to a boarding school where the rules where set by the students, the teachers looking away as it served their purposes.Guillou's alter ego in the film - Erik Ponti (Andreas Wilson) - is sent to the school as a result of his step father's

Gunnar Bjursellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03092365141831350962noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34727309.post-46883581322197984782011-09-08T22:12:00.003+02:002011-10-03T01:20:42.729+02:00

If you read IMDb, you will find that the write: "The true story of how Commander Arne Treholt and his Ninja Force saved Norway during the Cold War.".Of course it's not true but Arne Treholt is "true". He was a former Norwegian Labour Party politician and diplomat. During the cold war he was convicted of high treason on behalf of both the Soviet Union and Iraq. This case is seen as the most

Gunnar Bjursellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03092365141831350962noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34727309.post-70482219695694421492011-09-06T22:07:00.004+02:002011-10-02T19:49:56.339+02:00

Another "misfit-cop-duo-becoming-the-perfect-cop-duo-in-spite-of-or-thanks-to-the-differences-film".This time it's not the black and the white cop, the black and the Asian cop but the cowardly-prefering-paper-work-cop (Allen Gamble/Will Ferrell) vs the more-courageous-prefering-action cop (Terry Hoitz/Mark Wahlberg).Within the precinct, among their colleagues, we also find two extremely cocky

Gunnar Bjursellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03092365141831350962noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34727309.post-72371166814423499912011-09-05T22:04:00.001+02:002011-10-02T00:20:37.478+02:00

This is a film that - strangely enough - by some are regarded as one of the best Norwegian films of all times!! If you look at this film and measure Norwegian film by it, I think most of you would become disappointed. We were at least disappointed.It's a situation comedy about a man called Poppe (Leif Juster), a manager of a hotel who gets totally confused by the fact that two different guests

Gunnar Bjursellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03092365141831350962noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34727309.post-52761016347622663992011-08-19T19:47:00.004+02:002011-08-26T18:59:44.222+02:00

Between the 17th and 24th of August we are visiting the Norwegian town Haugesund for the above film festival. Aurore visited this festival in 2000, when she saw 63 films in 10 days. We'll see how many films we will be able to see this time but Aurore probably more than me as she has got a press ackreditation, giving her a chance to see films before they are released publically - on the condition

Gunnar Bjursellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03092365141831350962noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34727309.post-65237965255364596622011-08-14T23:00:00.002+02:002011-10-01T23:07:41.599+02:00

Another Marx-film (and again, not about Karl) with monsieur Moustache, Groucho Marx, alias Quincy Adams Wagstaff as the new president of a college called Huxley College.Zeppo plays his son Frank and Harpo, and Chico are doing the roles as "icemen".In this film we get to follow the competition between two colleges, Darwin and Huxley Colleges, when they meet in a game of football.Wagstaff (Groucho)

Gunnar Bjursellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03092365141831350962noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34727309.post-90462911412235230532011-08-13T22:59:00.014+02:002011-10-01T23:14:27.775+02:00

This film by Søren Kragh-Jacobsen and Anders Thomas Jensen, is the third one being directed according to the, nowadays, worldwide known concept of "Dogme 95".It also became an immensely popular film, not only in Denmark but in many countries all over the world.It tells the story about Kresten (Anders W. Berthelsen), a man having left his rural roots and become a Young Urban Professional, getting

Gunnar Bjursellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03092365141831350962noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34727309.post-72407397945230285042011-08-10T22:55:00.008+02:002011-10-02T00:22:22.544+02:00

If your familiar with 'Cars' (not in general but the film in particular) you've already met 'Lightning McQueen' (Owen Wilson) and his friend 'Tow Mater' (Larry the Cable Guy) and their aim to become the best racing team in the world from their starting point in Radiator Springs (what a lovely name for a town!).In this second part, their are invited by Sir Miles Axelrod (Eddie Izzard) to

Gunnar Bjursellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03092365141831350962noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34727309.post-22264638511328572532011-08-09T22:54:00.007+02:002011-10-02T00:23:39.583+02:00

The title might indicate that this is a documentary about the whale hunters on Iceland and their savage way of hunting these animals and thereby also a critique against Norway and Japan but no, it's not.This is a not so succesful horror movie with a few glimpse of a more elaborated ideas, never being succesfully implemented in this œuvre.The film makers - with director Júlíus Kemp at the front -

Gunnar Bjursellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03092365141831350962noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34727309.post-43393118107469536832011-08-08T22:53:00.013+02:002011-10-02T00:29:03.864+02:00

Hans Petter Moland, the director of this film, has made some very interesting and personal films. Besides this one I - Gunnar - have seen 'Secondløitnanten' ('The last Lieutenant') and 'En ganske snill mann' ('A Somewhat Gentle Man'), both films with interesting male characters reflecting over their lives, choices and responsibilities. Aurore liked them too.On the contrary I don't recall having

Gunnar Bjursellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03092365141831350962noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34727309.post-13882376669808248192011-08-07T22:51:00.029+02:002011-09-14T00:11:27.308+02:00

"This film is based on a true story" as one write or say in connection to a movie (or a book), based on an actual event, more or less modified.In this case we follow a Moroccan immigrant - Omar Raddad - and his fight for justice.An elderly woman - Ghislaine Marchal - is found dead in her house, in the basement, bathing in blood. This happening in a small town called Mougins.On a wall she has

Gunnar Bjursellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03092365141831350962noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34727309.post-53921489801306944132011-08-06T20:49:00.006+02:002011-10-02T00:34:41.804+02:00

Another film from the - in our opinion - brilliant director Pierre Etaix. This time we also get to hear some Swedish spoken in the film.Etaix is the main character (as in most of his films), a young bachelor by the name of Pierre, living with his elderly parents though he since long is a grown up man, at least seen in relation to his age.He interests himself in astrology and this has become an

Gunnar Bjursellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03092365141831350962noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34727309.post-30091750258038443802011-08-04T22:47:00.003+02:002011-08-15T18:20:47.625+02:00

What is a kappa? In Swedish it's a coat but in Japanese it's a legendary creature sometimes described as a water sprite, ressembling - in it's functions - the Scandinavian 'Neck' or 'Näck', the Scottish 'Kelpie', a dangerous figure, able to lure both children and adults into the water, drowning them and taking them to their realm at the bottom of a sea. In this film we get to meet one of those

Gunnar Bjursellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03092365141831350962noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34727309.post-52719674583829477032011-08-02T22:42:00.026+02:002011-12-20T14:18:47.921+01:00

Persona is a film having been interpreted in various ways depending on what reference system you want to use: An historical, sociological, religious or psychological, perhaps a combination of some of them - or all of them.One can't add much more to this special and cinematically very interesting film, written during some weeks at the hospital where Ingmar Bergman were recovering from pneumonia.

Gunnar Bjursellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03092365141831350962noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34727309.post-29610731997349703792011-08-01T22:41:00.010+02:002011-08-15T17:51:22.979+02:00

Contrary to popular notions, 'Tystnaden' is not a totally quiet film in any sense neither when it comes to dialogue, nor the surrounding environment, the unknown society where the two sisters stay. The silence is perhaps more related to the metaphysical silence of the 'beyond', that is God, who doesn't answer the inner prayers of at least one of the sisters - maybe both - and the little boy, the

Gunnar Bjursellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03092365141831350962noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34727309.post-27545468297719589512011-07-31T22:39:00.003+02:002011-10-02T00:42:28.345+02:00

Le Petit Soldat is a film made in 1960 but not shown in France until 1963, because of the content dealing with the conflict in Algeria between the French colonialists and the Algerian people wanting independence, the independence they got in 1962.The film also openly discuss the use of torture in the war between these two countries, a method neither country admitted having used, though they both

Gunnar Bjursellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03092365141831350962noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34727309.post-32415127816752404762011-07-29T22:36:00.004+02:002011-08-14T20:04:27.667+02:00

Another Marx film and it's not about Karl. In this film Groucho plays the character (of weak character?) Rufus T. Firefly, a man not taking life so seriously but yet being appointed president and even dictator over a country called Freedonia. This country is bankrupt and the wealthy Mrs Teasdale (Margaret Dumont), having tried to save it with her money, has now had enough. Of course things

Gunnar Bjursellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03092365141831350962noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34727309.post-73964825907082775252011-07-27T22:33:00.006+02:002011-08-14T22:43:47.620+02:00

"It all ends" it says on the poster but what ends? The life of Harry or of Lord Voldemort or both? We thought Harry would die but of course he doesn't and now we'll see what kind of sequels the future will bring us. Maybe with the son, a 'resurrected' Voldemort, or Harry taking on his quest for other goals in his 'wizardly' life or maybe - as have been said - the story about the 'normal' Harry

Gunnar Bjursellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03092365141831350962noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34727309.post-75410464169707790432011-07-26T22:59:00.004+02:002011-08-14T19:02:38.507+02:00

This film by Jean-Luc Godard, displays the stupidity and cruelty with war (not unique per se) but on the whole, the stupidity of mankind, the quest for ecocentric goals, no matter the consequences for others: Exitus acta probat. We get to meet two poor men and their women, being almost beseiged by soldiers - 'carabiniers' - who exhort them to join the army and fight in the ongoing war,

Gunnar Bjursellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03092365141831350962noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34727309.post-34604672545972912742011-07-21T23:55:00.004+02:002011-08-14T13:13:40.834+02:00

This is one of the first adaptations for screen of Robert Louis Stevenson's book with the same name. In 1908 a film was made by Otis Turner, 1910 August Blom, the Danish director, made an adaptation in Danish called 'Den Skæbnesvangre Opfindelse', 1912 Lucius Henderson directed another version and in 1913 Herbert Brenon and (the more famous), producer Carl Laemmle made their contributions. Most

Gunnar Bjursellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03092365141831350962noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34727309.post-51263284838446392012011-07-19T23:55:00.009+02:002011-08-13T00:45:12.627+02:00

Pier Paolo Pasolini has directed this film, dealing - of course - with sexuality, often supressed dito and the consequences or edificatory effects of letting them loose, if this is the theme. The action takes place in a high class or bourgeois family, being visited by a stranger, a young man who seduces them all, beginning with the bigoted maid, the sensitive son on his way to discover his

Gunnar Bjursellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03092365141831350962noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34727309.post-30396859901515128462011-07-17T23:23:00.024+02:002011-11-07T11:33:01.669+01:00

Below selected photos from the festival at Château d'Ars:The two photos below show where Aurore and I worked at the entrance.Far right (photo just below) you can catch a glimpse of Aurore (or her profile)The inmarsch with musicians during the first day.One of the musicians playing on his nose as you can see.This is a well known musician, whos name we don't remember.What we do remember is that he

Gunnar Bjursellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03092365141831350962noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34727309.post-39421251349121889332011-07-17T19:42:00.000+02:002011-11-07T00:22:40.019+01:00

Garizim is - as you must know by now if you have followed what we have been writing on the blog - the music group, consisting of Johannes Geworkian Hellman (hurdy-gurdy/vielle), Elias Frigård (saxophone) and Jordi Carrasco Hjelm (contrabass) and below you find them on the list of groups who played at the so called 'Open Stages' during the festival ('vendredi 15/Friday 15th).I know however that

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Our friend Johannes Geworkian Hellman, is a very competent hurdy-gurdy musician but he is never pleased with his playing or his performances.Therefore it took some time for him to decide whether or not to participate in the competition for hurdy-gurdy's. Finally he did and what happened? He won of course!Below the announcement of the laureates and after this photos and a video displaying Johannes

Gunnar Bjursellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03092365141831350962noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34727309.post-83682717799190044152011-07-15T23:47:00.006+02:002011-11-07T00:39:45.738+01:00

In the photos below you can see, what we called, 'The Swedish Music Maffia', consisting of (from left to right): Bruno Andersen, Olle Gällmo, Thor Ahlgren, Johannes Geworkian Hellman, Elias Frigård and Jordi Carrasco Hjelm.In the two photos below you see Olle Gällmo, one of the pioneers on bagpipe/cornemuse in Sweden, having popularised this, since long, almost forgotten instrument in the

Gunnar Bjursellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03092365141831350962noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34727309.post-21361258006946252802011-07-14T21:52:00.005+02:002011-11-07T10:27:38.992+01:00

The 14th of July, the French National Day, we awaited the arrival of the three Swedish musicians, Johannes, Elias and Jordi. They together form Garizim, a folk music fusion group.We had planned to meet them at Châteauroux train station but as one of them (we don't say who) lost his Inter Rail-card on a train they had to go back and get it, meaning that they came in the evening, not the afternoon

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As being members of the so called 'Comité George Sand à La Châtre' (Aurore and I), responsible for the folk music festival 'Rencontres Internationales des Luthiers et Maîtres Sonneurs', we participated in the implementation of the festival this year.It's one of the biggest and most important folk music festivals in the world, last year visited by 35 000 people during the four day event.This year

Gunnar Bjursellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03092365141831350962noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34727309.post-51824746238588632202011-07-12T23:55:00.006+02:002011-08-13T00:48:37.687+02:00

This film could be said being made according to the Dogme 95 concept but on the same time there are those discussing whether or not this is correct as it uses background music. The music was though performed in 'real time' during the shooting, a detail that could 'defend' the idea that the film was made according to the above concept. This would in that case be related to the 'second law' of '

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Nói Albínói is the name of the film but Nói is also the name of the main character (actor Tómas Lemarquis of French ancestry as his father Gérard, also acting in this film, is a French teacher and correspondent for Le Monde on Iceland), not being an albino as the name might indicate but having a autoimmune disorder called Alopeca totalis, meaning that he has lost all his hair, this making him

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Best of du film: La cité de la peur par unreal_TLa cité de la peur could be said being a movie about how to make an uninteresting screenplay interesting by using extraordinary methods. On the other hand if these extraordinary methods - as in this film - are not controlled by the director, the producer, the actors, the film company and these very methods includes murders, it could become

Gunnar Bjursellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03092365141831350962noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34727309.post-33672168909467683002011-07-06T22:35:00.006+02:002011-07-27T01:16:51.733+02:00

The Mark of Zorro is a story known to most of you wherefore I won't spend time telling or retelling it.When I was a child I think it was the version from 1940 with Tyrone Power in the leading role, I saw at the local cinema in the suburb where I was born (Västertorp).What I can say is that Douglas Fairbanks - being Zorro in this version from 1920 - is one of Aurore's favourite actors and she

Gunnar Bjursellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03092365141831350962noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34727309.post-11805929413320500572011-07-04T22:33:00.005+02:002011-07-27T01:18:11.754+02:00

Jack is the screen adaptation of the book with the same name written by Ulf Lundell, writer, musician and poet. The book was written in 1976 and the same year Jan Halldoff made this adaptation for the screen.Ulf Lundell is a writer very much influenced by the 'Beat Generation' and their icons: William S. Burroughs, Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg, Neal Cassady and others. This book is in a way an

Gunnar Bjursellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03092365141831350962noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34727309.post-37960864024935241972011-07-02T22:31:00.015+02:002011-07-26T20:43:00.898+02:00

A Touch of Zen is renowned as being a more 'meditative' kung fu-film, if we can call it so.The story starts with us seeing the artist Ku who lives with his mother in spite of being long since grown up. His mother scornes him for being lazy and not taking initiatives in life, letting every day pass by in the same way as the previous.Close to their house there is an old fort(ress), since long

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'The Expendables' is a film having gathered the 'veteran' action heroes, with the 'middle aged' action heroes and some young women, combined with a plot that one could believe being taken from the 1970's action movies.Sylvester Stallone's character - Barney Ross - is a mercenary gathering other mercenaries, roles created by Jason Statham, Jet Li, Dolph Lundgren, Randy Couture, and Steve

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Design by Florent Choffel as usual.For those of you intrested in competing with the short films you've directed, this competition is open for everyone all around the world!!!It's held in La Châtre in the central parts of France but everyone is welcome to participate, no matter if you come from Greenland, Chile, Australia, Japan, Uganda or any other country in the world!Look at this page: Berry

Gunnar Bjursellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03092365141831350962noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34727309.post-58491185391796991592011-06-27T22:22:00.005+02:002011-07-23T14:05:17.457+02:00

La conquête is telling the story or stories about Nicolas Sarkozy's 'gateway to success' - if that's what one should call it.First of all one can establish that Denis Podalydès in the role as Sarkozy is very lifelike and this goes for Bernard Le Coq as Jacques Chirac, Samuel Labarthe as Dominique de Villepin and many others. This is however not the primary quality of the film.What we get to see

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