The video was recorded during the Moscow Autumn Tourism Industry Week. This annual event traditionally attracts professionals in the sphere of Luxury Travel, Spa and Hospitality services, with a special section on Moscow tourism. And in the video (which is 8mins long) you can see a dancing collective from Kaluga Region. Apart from watching the dance, you may also give some estimate to my filming skills. This year I took a course in film-making, so I hope I put zoom to a good use here.
Category: VideoFiles
Andrei Tarkovsky Turns 80
Had he lived to this day, Andrei Tarkovsky, a genuine Russian film director, would celebrate his 80th birthday. Instead, we celebrate the lifetime of work marked by a never-ending philosophical quest, poetry, and constant probing.
Born into a family of the Russian poet Arseniy Tarkovsky, Andrei went on to graduate from the State Institute of Cinematography with a short film, The Streamroller and the Violin. The script was co-written by Tarkovsky and Andrei Mikhalkov-Konchalovsky, another outstanding Russian director and the brother of Nikita Mikhalkov. I found a subtitled version, which I am sure will be a treat to all those who have already discovered and long loved such masterpieces, as Andrei Rublev (about the Russian icon painter and creator of the famous Trinity), Solaris (an adaptation of the novel by S. Lem), Ivan’s Childhood (a war-time drama about a boy), The Mirror (where Andrei first introduced to the public the poetry of his father), The Stalker (an adaptation of the novel by the Strugatsky Brothers), Nostalghia (with the script by Tonino Guerra), and The Sacrifice (again based on a script by Arkady Strugatsky, the film scooped many coveted awards, including the Grand Prix at the Cannes festival in 1986).
Still, it all started here, with The Streamroller and the Violin. Here already we notice Tarkovsky’s masterful use of colour and reflections as dramaturgical means.
Moscow Camera: Roof-Surfing at the GUM
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| Julia and the yellow Porsche |
GUM, which is short from Glavnyi Universalnyi Magazin, is the oldest and the largest department store in the capital. Having started long before the 19th c. as the trading hub of the city, it evolved to become a predecessor of shopping centres and department stores in combining the boutiques, cafes and restaurants with entertainment facilities.
The present building was erected by the architect A. Pomerantsev between 1891 and 1893 and consecrated by the Great Prince Sergei Alexandrovich and his wife, Elizaveta Fyodorovna. To quote from GUM’s official website, today
“GUM presents worldwide renowned names of fashion industry such as Louis Vuitton, Corneliani, Dior, La Perla, Ermanno Scervino, Escada, Sonia Rykel, Marina Rinaldi, Burberry, MaxMara, Max&Co, Kenzo, Hugo Boss, Wolford, Iceberg as well as different competent bags and elite luggage manufacturers such as Samsonite Black Label and Mandarina Duck. Popular jewelry companies as Chaumet and Frey Wille are also located in GUM. At the same time we don’t specify GUM a luxury direction. The trading house offers in its goods assortment some leading sport brands as Adidas, Reebok, Nike, Puma and popular casual clothing and footwear manufacturers as Pinko, Gant, Dimensione Danza, CK, Levi’s, Ecco, Monsoon, Accessorize, Chevignon.”
You get an idea. Nonetheless, the cafes are not expensive, meaning that you can pop in for a visit without a need to break your bank. Just enjoy exploring the place. Currently, for instance, there is an exhibition of Porsche cars from different years, and as I was wearing by hand-knitted yellow scarf I couldn’t resist posing in front of the yellow Porsche.
Without a doubt, one of the most striking features of the GUM is its roof. Designed by the engineer V. Shukhov, the roof represents a half-circle construction, 14 meters in diameter, made of over 50 thousand pounds of steel. It is a fascinating structure, and I somehow thought I’d try to film it. I got carried away, but the result is quite interesting methinks.
Moscow Camera: Cars Moving along the Bridge
Last Friday I attended a press-conference at the RIA Novosti agency in Moscow, after which I thought I’d try to shoot a video on a bridge across the Moskva River. I tried it in colour, but eventually I switched to monochrome, and here is the result.
Vietnamese Sights: Turquoise Orchids and Dragon Fruits
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| Blue orchids, Vietnam |
A friend of mine has recently been to Vietnam. In the Soviet times you could see quite a lot of Vietnamese in Moscow, and even in my district there lived several families. I don’t know how the perestroika affected them, if they had grown old here, or had left for their native country. But Russians continue to like the idea of visiting Vietnam, and same goes for India and Cuba. My uncle who worked for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs spent around 15 years in total living and working in India and Cuba, but as far as I know he’d never been to Vietnam.
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| Prenn Waterfall, Vietnam |
So, a friend of mine and her husband went to the country and had the most wonderful two weeks of relaxing, visiting historic and tourist sites, swimming in the ocean, eating and sleeping. The usual stuff people do when they go on a holiday.
Yesterday she shared with us a wonderful species of fruit called Dragon Fruit. It’s actual name is Pitaya, and it comes as a wonderful fuscia-colour creation in the shape of a rugby ball, with yellow “fish fins”. It peels off easily, revealing the fresh white “flesh” with black seeds. It is similar to a kiwi fruit in taste, although without the kiwi’s tangy aftertaste. I experienced a real childhood glee, especially as I wondered how uncanny was my choice of yarn for a pullover I made years ago. It was pink and yellow, too. A Dragon Fruit pullover, you may say.
And out of all photos I particularly liked the blue orchids that apparently only grow at the premises of a Buddhist monastery, and the Prenn Waterfall in Da Lat.
Charlie Chaplin on Life and Love for Oneself
As I began to love myself, I found that anguish and emotional suffering are only warning signs that I was living against my own truth. Today, I know, this is authenticity.
As I began to love myself I understood how much it can offend somebody as I try to force my desires on this person, even though I knew the time was not right and the person was not ready for it, and even though this person was me. Today I call it respect.
As I began to love myself I stopped craving for a different life, and I could see that everything that surrounded me was inviting me to grow. Today I call it maturity.
As I began to love myself I understood that at any circumstance, I am in the right place at the right time, and everything happens at the exactly right moment. So I could be calm. Today I call it self-confidence.
As I began to love myself I quit steeling my own time, and I stopped designing huge projects for the future. Today, I only do what brings me joy and happiness, things I love to do and that make my heart cheer, and I do them in my own way and in my own rhythm. Today I call it simplicity.
As I began to love myself I freed myself of anything that is no good for my health – food, people, things, situations, and everything the drew me down and away from myself. At first I called this attitude a healthy egoism. Today I know it is love of oneself.
As I began to love myself I quit trying to always be right, and ever since I was wrong less of the time. Today I discovered that is modesty.
As I began to love myself I refused to go on living in the past and worry about the future. Now, I only live for the moment, where EVERYTHING is happening. Today I live each day, day by day, and I call it fulfillment.
As I began to love myself I recognized that my mind can disturb me and it can make me sick. But As I connected it to my heart, my mind became a valuable ally. Today I call this connection wisdom of the heart.
We no longer need to fear arguments, confrontations or any kind of problems with ourselves or others. Even stars collide, and out of their crashing new worlds are born.
Today I know that is life!
Charlie Chaplin (1959)
Happy Birthday! 🙂
И на русском 🙂
Полюби самого себя
Когда я полюбил себя, я понял, что тоска и страдания – это только предупредительные сигналы о том, что я живу против своей собственной истины. Сегодня я знаю, что это называется «Быть самим собой».
Когда я полюбил себя, я понял, как сильно можно обидеть кого-то, если навязывать ему исполнение его же собственных желаний, когда время еще не подошло, и человек еще не готов, и этот человек – я сам. Сегодня я называю это «Самоуважением».
Когда я полюбил себя, я перестал желать другой жизни, и вдруг увидел, что жизнь, которая меня окружает сейчас, предоставляет мне все возможности для роста. Сегодня я называю это «Зрелость».
Когда я полюбил себя, я понял, что при любых обстоятельствах я нахожусь в правильном месте в правильное время, и все происходит исключительно в правильный момент. Я могу быть спокоен всегда. Теперь я называю это «Уверенность в себе».
Когда я полюбил себя, я перестал красть свое собственное время и мечтать о больших будущих проектах. Сегодня я делаю только то, что доставляет мне радость и делает меня счастливым, что я люблю и что заставляет мое сердце улыбаться. Я делаю это так, как хочу и в своем собственном ритме. Сегодня я называю это «Простота».
Когда я полюбил себя, я освободился от всего, что приносит вред моему здоровью – пищи, людей, вещей, ситуаций. Всего, что вело меня вниз и уводило с моего собственного пути. Сегодня я называю это «Любовью к самому себе».
Когда я полюбил себя, я перестал всегда быть правым. И именно тогда я стал все меньше и меньше ошибаться. Сегодня я понял, что это «Скромность».
Когда я полюбил себя, я прекратил жить прошлым и беспокоиться о будущем. Сегодня я живу только настоящим моментом и зову это«Удовлетворением».
Когда я полюбил себя, я осознал, что ум мой может мне мешать, что от него можно даже заболеть. Но когда я смог связать его с моим сердцем, он сразу стал моим ценным союзником. Сегодня я зову эту связь «Мудрость сердца».
Нам больше не нужно бояться споров, конфронтаций, проблем с самими собой и с другими людьми. Даже звезды сталкиваются, и из их столкновений рождаются новые миры. Сегодня я знаю, что это – «Жизнь».
A Documentary about Svetlana Alliluyeva
The daughter of Joseph Stalin, Svetlana Alliluyeva, passed away last night. A graduate of the Faculty of History of the Moscow State University (just like me), she shunned the media for many years until 2008 when she agreed to help make a documentary about her life. I found the film online; it was produced by DIXI Films and Russia’s Channel One, director Igor Gedrovich.
http://vkontakte.ru/video_ext.php?oid=15568&id=161353586&hash=b6d31a113750d630&sd
http://vkontakte.ru/video_ext.php?oid=15568&id=161353587&hash=3df5fc26fabb8832&sd
To Vote or Not to Vote: A Question
The State Duma elections are coming up on December 4th. The power party, United Russia, has produced a video ad that they have since adjusted to take the mickey out of their political opponents, Fair Russia party. The original ad ran without a post scriptum. Now, I and many others who watched it were instantly of the opinion that, willingly or not, the United Russia ad playfully promotes the breach of a constitutional right to the privacy of one’s political opinion, as well as falls short of downplaying the whole “political business” to sexual adventure. The message adds to the ambiguity: “Let’s do it together“. The Quickie and Some Like It Hot instantly come to mind.
The question that concerns everyone is whether or not they should go to vote. With the President already clearing the way to the Prime Minister to run for presidency, the question is – what’s the point? Everything seems to have already been decided.
To me, this is very simple. By going to the polling station and filling in a paper, we use our right to express our political will. If this will is then compromised, then we have the leg to stand upon: because we actually were there, we voted, and we are being taken for a ride. If, on another hand, we stay at home and sabotage the elections, then we don’t use our constitutional right, and we thus delegate our political will to whichever political party that comes to power.
In the first case, we can argue for re-elections; in the second case, we cannot demand any more rights because we don’t want to even use the most important one we’ve been given.
The rest is simple. If we consider ourselfves individuals, then we can play an active part in the political life of the country. If we withdraw – for whatever reason – then we are just a part of the mass that breeds rhinos.
As for me, I’m a human.
By the way, if someone thinks that a Russian ad is daring, watch this Catalan video. Careful… don’t show it to your kids (unless they know something about adult sexuality already).
http://videosostav.ru/swf/hplayer.swf?fname=666fc5572a381141e471839edb1f4444
На русском/In Russian
Вопрос “идти или не идти” я решаю просто: идти. В данном случае наше главное право – это право выразить свою собственную политическую волю. Реален этот выбор или номинален зависит, в первую очередь, от нас самих. Мы настолько скептически ко всему относимся, а между тем все прорывы совершаются романтиками: не витающими в облаках “розовоочкариках”, а теми, в ком есть страсть и вера.
Если к нашему выбору не прислушаются, у нас, по крайней мере, будет повод для недовольства. Если же мы будем сидеть дома и саботировать выборы, тогда мы попросту не используем наше конституционное право, а заранее делегируем его любой партии, которая может победить на выборах. В первом случае, население может потребовать перевыборов. Во втором случае, оно вообще ничего не может требовать, т.к. оно не в состоянии и не имеет желания пользоваться самым главным своим правом.
Дальше все просто. Если каждый из нас – индивид, тогда мы можем брать слово и играть политическую роль в обществе. Иначе мы все – одна большая масса, из которой иногда рождаются носороги.
Interviews with Annie Leibovitz and Richard Avedon
One thing I wanted to ask Michael Cunningham but couldn’t was the choice of actress type for the role of Clarissa. I was watching Annie Leibovitz doing this interview, and then I went to read about her and found out that she and Susan Sontag were an item for a long time. I don’t know at which point I remembered that in The Hours the blond Clarissa has got a brunette partner, but it made me wonder if this relationship between two remarkable women made its way into the novel, or the film. For Meryl Streep, in big glasses with her mane of blond hair, does resemble Annie.
The retrospective of Annie Leibovitz is currently on show in Moscow. In the 1999 interview to Charlie Rose she was talking about her and Susan Sontag’s book, Women, that showcased females of different ages and walks of life, including Leibovitz’s own mother.
In the words of Richard Avedon, paying attention is the most important thing for a photographer’s work. I would also use reference to the work of Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi and say that this close attention signifies the level of involvement and concentration that in turn correspond to the degree of dedication to one’s goal or vocation, broadly speaking. You will see in the interview that he was a very bright and passionate speaker. One point I also picked upon was his longing for “fear” of working with people because this feeling was helping to keep the art of photography alive and keep it crucial. Also, that as one grows older, the different layers of life get peeled away like onion skin. “I don’t go to parties because I’ve been to dinner parties. I don’t read magazines because I’ve worked for magazines. So what’s left? Work. Making your work better. And a few close friends“.
http://vkontakte.ru/video_ext.php?oid=15568&id=161190094&hash=1578bc550460c3a5&hd=1
Roman Polanski, Ssaki, and Le Sacrifice Commercial by Stella Artois
Roman Polanski’s 1962 short Ssaki is a Surrealist tale of co-operation and compassion. The two characters (Henryk Kluba and Michal Zolnierkiewicz) wander across the snowy wonderland. We don’t know where they are from, or where they are going to. Initially they have a sledge and they drive one another in turns; then the sledge is stolen, but the spirit of camaraderie never fails them as their journey continues. Polanski who co-wrote the film and directed it received two awards, one at the Cracow Film Festival, another at the Oberhausen International Short Film Festival.
As I was watching Polanski’s short, I couldn’t help recalling this famous Stella Artois commercial, Le Sacrifice. The legacy of Surrealism is hard to overestimate, with its absurd and eery landscapes and rooms inhabited by clowns and phantoms.