Abbas Kiarostami was one of cinema’s quietest adventurers. He asked hard questions and answered them effortlessly. Can you make a film that expresses the innocence and fidelity of childhood? Yes, just look at Where is the Friend’s House. Can you make a meta documentary that tells a true story in a way that cannot seem real? Yes, Kiarostami did so in Close-Up. There seemed to be no task he could not accomplish with technical brilliance and rich humanity. (more…)
Guest post by David A. McDonald.
With the recent release of the award-winning Israeli feature film, Junction 48 (2016), acclaimed Director and Activist Udi Aloni has made a significant intervention into the ongoing discussion of vulnerability, popular culture, and Palestinian activism in Israel. Starring DAM frontman and Godfather of Arab hip-hop, Tamer Nafar, Junction 48 tells the story of Kareem (Nafar), an aspiring Palestinian rap artist trying desperately to break into the Tel-Aviv hip-hop scene. Through a coming-of-age romance between Kareem and Manar (Samar Qupti), the film depicts the struggles of a new generation of Palestinian youth caught between multiple worlds: Palestinian citizens of Israel negotiating the colonial state politics of erasure as well as the demands of Arab nationalism and Islamic patriarchy. (more…)
Have you listened to A Place for Film yet? Well, it’s the official IU Cinema podcast, a podcast that I have nagged and bugged the powers-that-be to resurrect after it ended a great four-year run with 169 episodes. Thanks to WIUX and our producer Matt, my co-host Elizabeth Roell (IU Cinema House Manager and usher) and I have been at it for a few weeks now and I thought the topic we were discussing this week would be appropriate to post up here on the blog. (more…)
Man with a Movie Camera (1929) is Dziga Vertov’s most well-known film. Film schools teach it as a classic example of montage, the city film, and early documentary. It gets screened by repertory cinemas and can easily be located on DVD or online. However, Man with a Movie Camera did not always enjoy top billing in Vertov’s filmography. During his lifetime, Three Songs of Lenin (1934) was his most popular, most acclaimed film. (more…)
Guest post by Tim Miller, writer and co-producer of The Indiana Murals of Thomas Hart Benton: Visions of the Past, Lessons for the Present, and Treasures for the Future (2001).
My career has spanned thirty years. I’ve been blessed when it has dovetailed in wonderful moments of serendipity. Such was the opportunity to produce this documentary on the Thomas Hart Benton murals at Indiana University. (more…)
Every month A Place for Film will bring you a selection of films from our group of regular bloggers. Even though these films aren’t currently being screened at the IU Cinema, this series will reflect the varied programming that can be found at the Cinema, as well as demonstrate the eclectic tastes of the bloggers. Each contributor has picked one film that they saw this month that they couldn’t wait to share with others. Keep reading to find out what discoveries these cinephiles have made, as well as some of the old friends they’ve revisited. (more…)