Studio Ghibli and Hayao Miyazaki have inspired delight in international audiences for decades. The enchanted worlds of Princess Mononoke (1997) and Spirited Away (2001) transport us to worlds of complex ethics, captivating creatures, and a beautiful animation style. However, the overwhelming popularity of Studio Ghibli’s films can overshadow the diversity of offerings coming from Miyazaki’s… Read more »
I love cats! I especially love cats in movies, and I’m super excited to see the documentary Kedi (Ceyda Torun, 2016) at the IU Cinema this week. Kedi focuses on the free-roaming cats of Istanbul and how their lives intersect with human co-habitants (but not owners!). In anticipation of Kedi, I made a little video with some… Read more »
“Imagination is the biggest gift humanity has received. Imagination makes people human, not work.” – Jan Švankmajer One of my favorite things about filmmaking is that it can help you see the world in a different way. This is especially true of stop motion animation, which often repurposes materials in novel ways to build imaginary… Read more »
U.S. pop culture in the postwar era often presented a tidy world. TV moms vacuumed in heels and full skirts. Superman’s hair was always neat and presentable, despite flying around the city faster than a speeding bullet. And media preferred to avoid moral ambiguities. Collage animator Lewis Klahr draws from mid-twentieth-century pop culture –… Read more »
Born in Austria but raised in New York, director Josef von Sternberg is best known for a series of movies he made with Marlene Dietrich in the 1930s. Through films like Blonde Venus (1932) and Shanghai Express (1932), Sternberg established a reputation for glamour, but also for pretension. He added the “von” to his name for… Read more »
*This article contains SPOILERS for Jeanne Dielman, 23, Quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles (Chantal Akerman, 1975).* Day 1 Jeanne takes her time. We first see Jeanne Dielman (Delphine Seyrig) in her kitchen, wearing a blue apron, lighting the burner under a large floral pot. The bell rings. She unbuttons her apron, hangs it up, washes… Read more »