An almost black and white afternoon

We spent the afternoon watching a grey/white/brown horror film and a black/white/golden biography.

Esther or in English, Orphan was a classical story about a child who is not as nice as she seems.
This Dark Castle production was nice but much too long.
Very much resembling similar stories about 'evil' children or maybe totally normal children(?).
This might be the result of the experiences different directors has concerning children, making them creating movies about children with a certain manipulative gift, excercising their dark sides.
Not at all to different from children in this age.
Come to think of it, quite a truthful description of children, although their abilitiy to work out vicious plans like this might differ from child to child.
There are no such thing as 'innocent', angelic children, although some of us would like to think so. (Gunnar)

Coco & Igor was a very beautiful film but we didn't manage to get the point or understood the end of the (love) story.
Neither did we understand what the film wanted to tell us, apart from the fact that sex can be great ?
Coco and Igor was made into two very superficial figures and maybe this correspond to the 'real' persons but I wonder? (Gunnar)

Avatar again

As a short notice in connection to this film:

Avatar is now the 'greatest' film ever, if we look at the money it has earned its production team and not least James Cameron:
1 billion 800 million US$ (27/1 2010)!
Number two: 'Titanic'!
As I wrote elsewhere: It's a sad day for the Seventh Art!

(Photo poster copied from: http://www.lemag-vip.com/images/avatar.jpg)

(Photo James Cameron copied from: http://www.realbollywood.com/news/up_images/11112286.jpg)

Avatar

A sunny and rather warm day (to be in the middle of the winter), we decided to see Avatar at Cinéma Lux in La Châtre.

This is a film very talked about and we didn't expect any surprises concerning content or technical skill.
We were neither surprised nor taken aback but not disappointed either.
The most interesting aspects of this film is of course the timing.
When climate talks in Copenhagen has failed, Global Warming and climate change is on everyones lips, this is another contribution to this debate.
Mixing different parts of human history as the genocide of Indians/natives by the immigrants from Europe in North America during the 18th and 19th centuries, the story of the conquistadors raping, murdering and plundering the South American continent combined with the century long devastation of the rain forests in Borneo and other similar events in the tragic human curriculum vitae, the film urges us to consider and reconsider aspects of our way of life we sometimes try to forget.
This ambition is combined with the more or less justified fear of scientists creating hybrids in the form of the popular conception of Avatars, as far as I know only existing in cyber space - yet.
The artificially made Avatars in the film becomes a symbol for the human ambition to create some form of humanoids, artificially made, replacing or eradicating the defects of human beings, as in the case of the main character - Jake.
As an Avatar he is able to walk and run, using his body and mind (not least his mind) in quite a different way compared to his 'real life'(?), where he is 'suffering' from paralysis - both physically and - in our opinion - mentally.
The idea of a super human is of course obvious but on the same time the Na'vi's are not as technically advanced as humans. In this case not at all negative - as seldom in real life either.
It's also a symbol for the colonialist ambition to learn from natives, blending with them and trying to make them believe that this is a genuine interest, not - as most often - a way to rule over them and finally destroying their way of life and replacing it with 'progress'.
History displays all to many examples.
Interwoven into the story is of course a critic towards what president Dwight D. Eisenhower called, the Military-Industrial Complex.
The idea of the sunken Atlantis or Eden or whatever we want to call the Schlaraffenland man always have sought, is of course also obvious.
Another even more obvious ingredient is the naming of this planet: Pandora.
The story about Pandora opening the box she shouldn't open and letting all diseases and disasters lose, before she finally manage to keep the hope locked into the box, is in this film (as in many others) symbolizing the technical development and its negative consequences.
This extremely clear reference is directed towards American viewers (I'm sorry if I sound prejudice), as American directors seem to assume that an American audience otherwise wouldn't understand the symbolism in the film. Maybe they are right.
As I wrote initially: This was what we had expected from the story, no more no less.
The film was technically better than the trailer gave us the impression it would be.
We didn't see it in 3D but it was quite a joy for the eyes anyway.

The film didn't leave any traces even though Didier Godet - responsible for the cinema - told us that there where those who had seen this film several times, as they had found the images very beautiful and multifaceted, filled with details they had missed at the first screening.
May it be so.

Sunshine and shadows in La Châtre 17th of January 2010

Nicolas Forissier et une galette des rois

Earlier last week Aurore - together with her husband, that is to say , me - received an invitation to 'Salle des fêtes de La Châtre' where the Mayor (Le Maire) - Nicolas Forissier - wished to celebrate the New Year with some of the citizens and at the same time talk about the city, the region, its investments and so on.
Not everyone was invited (that would make more than 5000 people), only those who, at one time or another, had been in contact with him concerning some issue of importance for them.

Monsieur Forissier has also worked within the government a couple of years ago, the Department of Agriculture, where he, among other things, had to negotiate with the agriculturalists in France.
I can't say I envie him concerning this specific task.

On the whole his speech circuit around the economic crisis and how this had affected the region and notably La Châtre.
He meant that the economy in the city and the region, in spite of the crisis, could be regarded as being quite solid.
Investments in roads and other infrastructure had been undertaken and more where to come during 2010.
Quite some enterprises had established themselves in the region but on the same time we know that quite a few have closed.
He also talked about 'le patrimoine' - the cultural heritage - and how important this had been and still is and how rich this region concerning this specific aspect of societal life.

Monsieur Forissier also, to some degree, touched questions like 'L'Identité Nationale' - the National Identity - a recurring debate the last two years. It became a very potent discussion from the point when president Sarkozy had a specific department within the government looking in to this issue and its different implications on the society.
In a town like La Châtre this discussion and the more specific discussions around the female clothings like the burqa/niqab etc. is not as relevant as in major towns in France as we see no burqas and few veils in this town because of it's relative ethnic homogenity.

After the speech we ate a French speciality, namely 'galettes des rois' and drank cider.
We recognized some faces and met with some people we know.

(Photo Nicolas Forissier copied from: http://www.nicolasforissier.com/sessions/data/img/Nicolas%20Forissier%20biographie.JPG)

(Photo galette des rois copied from: http://lesjeunessarkozystesdu27.jeunessarkozystes.fr/files/2010/01/galette_rois-9d55f.jpg)