Good films are easy to make

Check this out, a link my friend Maya sent me: http://www.lernert.nl/haas.html. Too bad I cannot attach here the actual video, it's brilliant, and sad.

The film student skips classes

So I skipped the Wednesday scriptwriting class. I felt sick the whole week so I couldn't write the synopsis, though I wrote this short sequence for production. I also had a few ideas, but I couldn't sit and write. The screen is very hard for me those days. Should I take the paper block and the pen now?

Anyway, we went to the first ultrasound Wednesday night. It was funny, but very predictable. Today I skip classes again, cos I have another meeting with a doctor. It's also my sister's birthday, she's 26! Mazal Tov Michal!!

Actually I remember Michal and my other sister, Maya (who is now at Sarasota, FL - come back already!) they used to love this movie, Ferris Bueller's Day Off. I saw it many times mainly because of them, they wouldn't hand me the remote. I like this film. I love the actors mainly, and the idea of a movie that takes place within 24 hours is also cool. As a kid it's easy to understand, cos your days are also very long. I guess.

Anyway, for next Wednesday I must hand a synopsis and a step outline. Grrr. Good thing now my days are better, the sick only starts in the evening.

A short script to produce

Finally i feel like shooting something. After days of feeling sick and lazy, I got up this morning and..felt sick and lazy again. But I ate my porridge in front of the screen and started to write. I had to come out with an easy-to-produce idea for my directing class. the teacher got real mad coz we don't shoot nothing no more. He gave each of us a date to bring something, no matter what, with three characters. I thought this would be a nice exercise for me, to check what I write about when all is open.

So i started to write. I thought of an ear. The easiest gateway to someone's brain. I wrote about the ear. It ended up being a sequence about technopathy, film noir style. I'm not saying it's too easy to produce, but it's not too difficult. I just need to decide how it will all look and feel.

For example, I don't want the scientist to be old and wearing white. He will be young and his lab will look more like an artist's studio than a doctor's room. Maybe he'll wear orange robe, like a prisoner, or a monk.

I'm quite excited about this, coz in the last year there was nothing I felt like making. I think I was trying to write like the movies I enjoyed watching, instead of just writing easy from my own head. It is a confusing thing, to understand that what you enjoy watching is not necessarily what you end up writing or filming.

I will start searching for a location (perhaps my parent's basement) and 3 actors. I'm happy!

Life on a strike

How To: Stencil Graffiti Art 101 - video powered by Metacafe

I want to be the person who does everything for himself. Less buying, more doing. Less shoping, more findings. I want to buy a sewing machine and learn. I want to become an empire (a very peacful and colorful one). I will start by making stencil art, then I will move on.

My feature script is becoming darker, taking a direction I had no idea it could take. Only in my head now, I don't write much.

Pitch was OK, not more. Since I knew I didn't have a full plot line, it didn't matter. But for next week I need to bring a synopsis. Yes, I guess tomorrow I tell to my hand to start writing.

What can a pregnant writer do?

So it's quite clear now that my pitch in class on Wednesday won't be brilliant. I'm sick constantly, can't write, can't think. It's a 24 hour pregnancy sick, I have no idea why they gave it the misleading name of 'morning sick'. I want to die. Iwill save the world some energy if I just sleep for the next 2 months. God. But only last week my teacher discovered me, and this Wednesday I'm supposed to pitch my feature. What feature???? Damn.

Watching DVDs is the only thing I can do. I watched yesterday some, and today. The last film by Robert Flaherty, Louisian Story I think was the title. Great. Human Nature of Gondry+Kaufman, good film. Interesting. I took the documentry about Deep Throat but returned it without watching. i feel so sick, even the smallest amount of porn brings me real down.

I remember I've heared about this movie about the woman....Cloe 17:00 to 19:00. By Agnes Varda. I'm bad at names now. She wrote it when she was pregnant sick. I wish I could use my time like this.

is this a writer's block?

As a film student life is easy. Ideas fly like dust, you pick them up, shoot'em down. But now I want to write a script that will be sent to a director, which supposed to love it and shoot it. I stare the empty page. I write half a sentence and erase it. I google for some ideas. I browse my mind. Nothing. I'm scared.

The teacher's fav

Last Wednesday we learned about characters development. We read 2 examples in class. The contact lens in my eye flipped and it took me 20 minutes to put it back where in should be. I didn't leave the class though, I waited 2 weeks for this class (last week it was canceled due to the strike). After class I talked to the teacher, telling her I'm writing a feature so my pitch next week will be for a full length film and not for a short. She seemed impressed, and asked me what do I want to be when I grow up. I said: "scriptwrite- ahm, scriptwriting". She looked at me and told me with a serious face: "Good, because I think you're a scriptwriter". My mind became pink and shiny, my eyes sparkled, but I remained calm. She asked me why didn't I take more scriptwriting courses this semester, I told her I understood myself a bit too late. Actually, I was about to start screenwriting BA at Bournemouth University in England 3 years ago but canceled due to lack of $$$ (plus, there's no work in Bournemouth, I lived there for 6 months, it was dreadful. Nice landscapes though. And many squirrels).

So the teacher told me she will make me one of the 3 students the other teacher takes for the final project. This other teacher he's a very good scriptwriter who teaches at uni. She told me he was the best. I was very happy, thrilled even, I only hope he's not too TV-oriented. Though i trust my teacher to give me the best advice, and coming to think of it, even Charlie Kaufman started of in TV.

Haven't worked yet on the script for this well-known director but I will start now, and will pitch it to the class next week. I also want to pitch my other idea, with the mind reader, but I figure out this will be slightly harder. Also no way I get to pitch both. Unless some of the 8 chosen students are sick or unprepered.

I don't feel like producing anything. Only still pictures and scripts.

Creatures with no comfort

Last night I was at my friend Sharon. She made the 7th candle eve with some friends, most of them scientists of some sort. It was a very nice evening, and since I don't have any scientist friend, I was quite surprised to find out how they are very similar to most of my artistic friends.

This morning I saw this amazing video of the big ear jerboa the zoological society filmed. This lovely creature deserves a feature film I guess. By Aardman. Or Pixar. Maybe the short film division of Pixar could make something out of it. Osnat Shurer, take action!

Today will be a slow day, with many small things to do. Also: I've decided to dedicate 4 hours a day for my script. Some discipline must help my sleepy situation.

Another sleepy day, but with one fairly good meeting

Since I gave up the rest of the workshop, I had some free time today. I had a meeting with one director. He won lots of awards for his two features, and the first one was a real cult movie in Israel. I won't mention his name but he's a very nice guy. Anyway, he is looking for an assistant to help him finding material for his scripts, as well as for reading the scripts he gets, sometimes in English. Cool. i'm not sure he'll take me though, cos i was soo tired I didn't try hard to make any impression whatsoever. But he asked me for films I've made and I told him about the first short I shot in university, about two porn actors. I think he loved the idea, at least that's what he said. He told me to send him the script when it's done.

It was interesting talking to him. Also made it very clear for me that I must do it more often. Luckily Israel is small enough (most media guys live in Tel Aviv) and by meeting the working people I can get some easier path for myself.

But one thing is certain: I must write this now. Yesterday I started to think my idea with the mind reader was a bit too much for a first script. Now I got an alternative, with a chance for an actual production of it. Well, lets not get carried away, but at least the logline was very good. I saw he really liked it.

The rest of the day was tired. I'm deffenately pregnant, and on the way to- and back from the swimming pool, on the bus, my eyes closed so fast I didn't have a chance to think about my characters.

Romantic comedies on TV

Yesterday the cinematography workshop was all about the same. Same film students ran towards the camera (we use the Sony DSR-450), same film students complained, same film students just had a laugh out of it all. The camera was quite heavy, and I didn't feel comfortable holding it, since I think I'm pregnant and in the first weeks I need to take extra care.


So Michael was guiding us through some dolly shots in the warehouse. One of the shots came out real nice, with the dolly goes one way and then reverse, the lights made the look and feel of The Godfather and a greenish hue gave it all quite a sad mood.


They went drinking afterwards, but I had people waiting for me at home so I couldn't join them. The workshop goes until Tuesday, but I think I will not return there. I just want to write. I don't enjoy those crowded sets, I don't hear anything overwhelming from Michael.


I'm now enrolled to one of the UCLA Extension Online courses. I can't wait for it to start. In university half of my teachers are still on strike, the 43rd day. They say it might end soon. I wonder what they will do next - make us all continue in the summer semester? Or just cancel those courses? I understand the necessity of strikes sometimes, but those lecturers didn't even try to shout out loud, so it just drags over a long period of time with no solution. Only when the students helped them, you could see some headlines in the papers about it.


I'm a bit confused about this script I'm writing. one of the characters is telepathic. he can read thoughts. I'm not sure how to use this kind of a character in my screenplay. At times I think it might be better to start off with a simpler idea, so this souldn't be the first feature script I write.



I saw Alex and Emma yesterday on the TV. It's a nice TV movie, not more. It's quite predictible, but the characters are cute so you don't mind watching them doing the things you expected them doing. For me the interesting parts were inside the second story, the story Alex was dictating to Emma. To see how imagination works. That enough made it fun to watch. But it's not a film to remember or anything. The bad guys weren't bad enough, the other woman wasn't a strong enough temptation.

I'm going to write my own stuff now.

P.S. somehow I find those great pictures of sleeping people lately. There is something very strong in a picture of a sleeping man. Where he sleeps, how he sleeps.

The tired film student - a new day

It was hard getting up this morning. I didn't go to the workshop. I felt so weak, and it was so stormy. Maybe I'm pregnant. I've decided to stay home. Michael Chapman and his enthusiastic crew will do without me.

I started to write my first feature. I was scared at first, telling myself it's bad to start writing without a beat sheet or an outline. But My head was too dry and just writing scenes seemed right. So I wrote 3 scenes, very short, no dialogs.

I'm registering for the UCLA Extension Online certificate program today. I already chose some courses. I thought I'd take the intermediate level courses, but since the beginners start earlier, I could just try one class with them and then decide if it suits my level. Since we never experiment with feature length ideas at uni, all I know is self knowledge. I'm not sure though how different shorts are, from the writing perspective. You still need to understand the structure, still need to define your characters. I'll register today and report here after the course begins, the second week of January.

Day two on cinematography workshop

If yesterday I was tired, today I was exhausted. From doing nothing at all. Again the tiny location was packed with strong men, all wanting to make the next tweeny to look great for the master Michael Chapman. I don't like too many people with no clear vision. I don't like working for no real intention. I had no drive. I sat and watched the monitor. Chapman sure knows how to operate a camera. Our guys are less crafted. It was cold. And I got bored. I went to sit on a different spot, in front of the other monitor. Chapman didn't understand how the light outside was changing. Someone just decided to play with it. He never really worked with students before. He told us to be quiet. He was very accurate in his remarks, he didn't expect much of us, the strong men didn't deliver. I got bored. I went to look for the loation to my own scene.

A huge factory. Chapman said it will be hard to control the lights there, since we don't have the time nor the equipment to handle the space.

I wanted to sleep. Reuven took my place on the dentist chair. He also found a cover and slept deep. Time just passed and passed. Then it was all over.

On the way home in the car, someone said Capman was the cameraman on Fingers. I just watched this brilliant film last week (never saw the French remake, but what for). I love Keitel, and first thing I'm doing tomorrow is asking Chapman about this production. God, I can't believe he did this film. I hope he will still have the energy to chat. This workshop is real exhausting.

A very very tired filmmaker: the first day of the cinematography workshop with Michal Chapman

Today was the first day of the cinematography workshop with Michael Chapman, aka Chappy. It's actually the only cinematography class the Tel Aviv University gives its students on their final year (another 1-week workshop is intended for April). So there are 25 eager students, all waiting to hear the master's voice and vision.

Luckily, this old master is a very laid back, easy going chap. he told us today: "don't think by any means of doing 'art'. Just solve difficulties, only this way you will bring fresh ideas to the screen'. Creativity comes from necessity, not by a decision. He said he "loaths storyboard", though he did mention Marti's as being very good, because he couldn't really draw, so he made them just to reflect the movement the shot had. Big strong arrows. Chapman said that nowdays the storyboards are so good, there isn't much sense in making the film anymore - they can make it an animation, which will save the money.

He's a very nice man, Michael Chapman. He said that now he's retired, and that Bridge to Terabithiya was the last film for him as a DOP. He also said he didn't want to be a director (though he had his trials). It's just a horrible job, everyone's mad at you, wanting things from you.

In this workshop every 2-3 students will work on one scene as DOP, with some other 5-6 as their crew. I chose to bring my own scene. I just must rewrite the location, cos instead of a cool city loft we will be shooting in an old ugly Kibbutz house. Yaaaiiichs.

Here's my scene:

INT. Queen's loft - night

A big open space furnished in a modern eclectic style: antique French sofa, 60s lamps, Ikea table. On the walls hang contemporary art works. On the side of the room a long table with 5-6 computer screens, on all a screensaver shows slowly-changing pictures from outer space. In the far through the open windows a truck is honking.

BAREKET (27) stands next to a horizontal metal chest of drawers, going through the prints that are stored there. She is searching for a particular print but cannot find it. The doorbell rings, its sound reminds an airport announcement tone. Bareket glimpses at the door and continues to rummage through the papers. Three knocks on the metal door. Bareket takes a deep breath and opens the door.
SAKKE (27) stands at the door. His hair, as well as Bareket's, is dyed grass green. Bareket's brown hair roots are few centimeters long.

Sakke
(smiles)
O-oh, what are you doing here, Bareket?

Sakke enters. They hug and kiss on the lips. Bareket returns to the drawers.

Bareket
I gotta find this something before I go.

Sakke looks around.

Sakke
Where's Queenie?

Bareket
Not clear.

Sakke
How'd you get in?

BAREKET
I had this key from when I watched his house.

SAKKE
Cool, leave it with me before you go, we fuck with Queen.

Sakke walks around in the house, looking for something to do. Bareket still searches the drawers. Sakke finds a magazine and leafs through it fast.

SAKKE
So. So I heard you had quite a night yesterday.

BAREKET
(smiling, without looking at him)
Oh you've heard.

SAKKE
Of course I've heard, what do you think? Queen tells me everything. E-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g! So, what happened?

Sakke leaves the magazine. He grabs a cat's toy from the table and starts to play with it, like a fishing rod. A cat appears and starts to jump, trying to catch the toy. Sakke doesn't pay attention to the cat.

BAREKET
Some kid picked me in this club, Queen picked him, we ended up all here.

SAKKE
Cute kid?

BAREKET
Yep.

SAKKE
Big?

BAREKET
Yep.

SAKKE
And Queen?

BAREKET
What with him? He doesn't have big, you know.

Sakke throw the toy rod at the wall, aggressive.

SAKKE
You fucked?

BAREKET
Who, me and Queen?

SAKKE
(anxious)
No, me and Queen.

Sakke drops the toy on the floor, looks at Bareket.

BAREKET
(Smiles, still in the drawers)
Yeah, a bit.

On the wall hangs a photograph of a man in his mid 30s, his hair dyed green. Sakke looks at the picture, press on it with his finger. The finger gets red from the stress.

SAKKE
So. How is he? (beat) Good?

Bareket doesn't respond, still busy with the papers. Sakke slaps her on her bottom and she turns around at once. Sakke pushes her on the drawers.

SAKKE
You slut! Let's fuck we also!

Bareket laughs. Sakke moves his hand on her breast and ties, on the cloths. He rubs his body against hers with no gentleness. The metal drawers squeak and clank.

BAREKET
(Pushes him slightly)
Aou,it pains. What you doing, you're not even hard, you fag.

Sakke backs off completely.

SAKKE
What a cunt. I can't believe Queen actually fucked a cunt. Brr. Where is he anyway, probably forgot you were leaving today.

Sakke sits on the sofa and switches on the TV. Bareket closes the last drawer, looks at Sakke's back.

Romance & Cigarettes - a tired film student watching tv

I love Kate Winslet a lot. I think she's one of the finest actors who brings every role she takes a full character. Her expressions change so much, you never think of the other characters she played. She is real.

Yesterday I was watching Romance & Cigarettes. I knew it cannot be good, how else haven't I heard of this star-exploded film before? I thought the movie was not coherent, and the songs in it (it's a kind of a musical) weren't good. I wasn't anything at the end - not funny, not dramatic, not beautiful. The only interesting thing was seeing the cast in roles that didn't fit them exactly. How James Gandolfini sang thesong of a man without love, how he cut his dick off for his mistress. Gandolfini, by the way, reminded a lot of Tony Soprano. Sometimes you thought it's just a family on the side the mafia boss has.

I need to write my script but my mind is drifting. I need my own room. I want a room with a sofa, a large desk and a tv. And a view.
Maybe I'll write another short before I go ahead with the feature. Writing the feature is still hard for me. I think I still don't know my characters enough, so every choice I make (location, situation, dialogue) seems coincidental.

Learning the basics of film music

Like every Sunday, today I had another class in Compositing for Film. The teacher, Mr. Bardanshvily, is a compositor, who worked on various Israeli films, including the seconf film of Dover Kozashvily, Matana Mishamayim as well as his first (and better known film) Hatuna Meucheret.

Today we looked at two films: Leon, of Luc Besson, and Laura, a film from '44. The music on Laura was fantastic. It became a real hero in the movie. It followed the point of view of the detective who tried to find out what happened to Laura, and who killed her. As the story evolves, the music changes. Also his understanding changes. It's interesting to see this film in relation to film score, and it's a shame we didn't wach it in class. Well, I will have to borrow it from the library now. but there's nothing like the big screen and the good speakers.

The music composed for the movie Leon represents the way European treat film score. Gentle, interesting, not illustrative to the film, but adding something else. The tango of death, as our teacher called it, showed the murder of Matilda's family and the begining of the connection with Leon. The end of the film leaves us with only piano music, all the rest of the music fades out. The piano, which wasn't there before, comes inside and places the love in the frame.

It was a good class today. Now if you'll excuse me, and also if not, I must write a feature this week.

The teacher loved my scene!! I'm on the winning track!!

That was a very good day. First, I had 4 Sufganiot (that Jewish sweet donut for Hanuka). Second, the teacher (Esti Namdar, the best and only true teacher I've had in film studies so far), she loved my scene!! We had to give in a scene that includes defamiliarization, and today she returned us the papers and asked me to read mine out loud.

It was very interesting to hear my scene being read out loud. Though it wasn't the correct cast for the roles, listening to the words being SAID was very...well, impressive. And convincing.

Of course it's not a perfect scene, but it was very good, and interesting. The teacher also complimented me on my dialogue, which surprised me, cos I never thought I wrote dialogue very good. But that also made me think. Say I write a script in English, the dialoge probably will not work as good as it did in this case.

Anyway, it was a very good day. I also have an idea for a feature. I hope no one will get shocked in university, coz they always expect students to make a final film of no more than 20 minutes. But actually, I don't say I want to shoot it, I just want to write it. I can be satisfied with shooting a very good short. A short I will love even more than A Summer Dress.

I also found this awsome scriptwriting software. It's totaly free and seems no less good than the famous Final Draft (which I used to love, but it's not free and slightly heavy). This new software I found is called Celtx and it has some great features, such as different types of projects it supports (audio-visual, radio, storyboard, film etc), user-friendly interface and very very cute look and feel. Did I mention it's free? It also has an online creative bank, with many interesting projects. Films, screenplays etc. Check it out, I find it the best screenwriting software so far. Of course it does not yet support Hebrew, but I hope this too will happen. Bloody RTL.

The network for creative people: Behance Network

So I got an invitation for this new network. I'm quite skeptical about it all. I do have my facebook account, but I try not to talk about private issues on Skype. I feel there's always someone who's listening.

Well anyway, Behance looks like a cool network. It's better looking, cos it's for creative minds. It also accepts scriptwriters and other writers. I haven't filled up my account yet, so it's totally empty. Not even a picture. But if you ever want to see my work, I will soon upload it. My user name is gilyotina.

The busy film student: two film reviews tonight!

S as I said yesterday, I bought the ticket well a head and went tonight to the cinemateque screening of Deat at a Funeral, the new movie from Frank Oz. Wnen I told a friend of mine I was going, she said: "well, it's kind of British film, isn't it?". So when I was waiting for the movie to begin I felt my expectations were not too high. I was afraid it will be shallow, with stupid humor and long noses pink people. But after one and a half hours of loud laughs, I'm very happy to say this was a very funny film. Don't expect big issues, or too complex relationships. It's all very obvious, very clear. All is said, and acted. I loved the acting. The funny parts were mainly of the reactions of the characters, and less of the actions (which were very predictible at times). I was trying to think of the script while I was watching, but it's very hard to do on first watch. I guess all I can say the characters served well the situations.

The other film, Waitress, which I saw last night, was delicious. I had a craving for pies after that, but in Tel Aviv in the area of the cinemateque the pies are not worth trying. The movie was funny at times, the art was charming, very girly. I didn't like tha use of the diners' owner character, it was too predictible. Almost a fairy tale ending that didn't fit the story. The characters were not so interesting, I must say. I guess I would keep this script in the oven for a few more hours. But the look of the film, the mood and the textures were inspiring.

Both films have good endings. I guess our world is so depressing we really must imagine it different.

December is my last month on the cinemateque. I'm not sure I'll continue my membership with them. Of course it's cheap and I cover the cost after one month. But also because I watch the movies there I stopped going to the other cinemas, so many of the new films I don't watch. I don't know, I guess I'll have to think about it a little bit more.

My script went nowhere in the last few days, cos I was working on excersises, scenes etc. It's like warming up an old car before you start driving. I feel like writing a feature, but I don't really have a big story yet. Or a long small one.

Learning scriptwriting by watching films

I know it's not the way to learn the craft of scriptwriting. After all, a made film is rarely like its script. And I found out that the best way to learn scriptwriting is from small to big: first make the scene, then the sequence, then the feature. Well it might not work for all the same way, it depands what your weakness is.

but Waitress is showing tonight at the Tel Aviv Cinematheque, and I can't wait to see it. I wanted for a long time, but waited until it came to the cinemateque so I don't have to pay a ticket. I'm a poor student, you know. Also tomorrow I go to see Death at a Funeral, I already bought the ticket. It's hard at the cinemateque to get the tickets on the same day, if it's a new film.

So...Tomorrow night I hope to post again, with short reviews on both films. Until them, I'll read another chapter in Cowgill's book for short film scriptwriting.

My script sucks, i'm getting suicidal

I had the scriptwriting class today with my favorite teacher. She was very good, as always. we talked about subtext and we started to talk about estrangement. She also gave us back our exercises, the scenes we had to write with a dramatic event that makes things go bad. She told me that mine lacked the dramatic event, and also because the will of the character was not very clear, the result of the scene (and its peak) weren't really there.

Those are such basic elements of scriptwriting, I felt immediately very bad. I wanted to die. I felt that with all my love to scriptwriting I suck. It's all just a waste of time. Also, because she gave us the papers in the beginning of class, I was just too sad during the one and a half hours of it. It was raining outside, and i thought that maybe after all the cliche is correct and weather does reflect the inner state of the hero. Hero, I didn't really feel heroic then.

During class things became clearer. We analyzed 2 scenes that apparently had no clear subtext. But then during the analysis it was pretty clear. the mother who tells her son that dad went for a long trip: the son was one force, trying to understand where his father was. The mother was the force against him, trying to hide the truth by lying, not coping with the situation.

After class I asked my teacher if I could fix my scene and give it to her again next week. She said yes, and we talked a bit more about my scene. She said it wasn't a dramatic scene, but a scene that gives a situation, characters and moods. She said it was beautiful and interesting, but not correct for this specific assignment. I will fix it and post here the two versions.

So our next exercise is about estrangement. Anything really, the teacher didn't give us specific guidelines. I don't have an idea yet, but I really love this exercise. actually, I do have one scene I'm working on now, that might suit. It's about a girl and a barboy and lots of cream. It's about hope and despair, and it's about loneliness. I'm going to write now.

Which grad school to choose?

I know i should be working on my script now. I started to write the second draft and it feels good, some things happen, things get clearer. This situation opens itself to me.

But all I can think of is grad school. I really want to start next year and not to have a gap year between my BA and the MFA. Thing is, I want to do my MFA in the US, and at a good university. So it comes to not which grad school to choose, but which grad school will choose me. It's frustrating, since I never had any problem getting into any program. I'm know how to present myself I guess. Interviews are candies for me.

I read yesterday a post about how to get into UCLA. I didn't save the link, too bad cos it was an interesting discussion. No special tips, but the guy who did get in had 3 LORs from a producer who bought his script, an agent, and I think a famous scriptwriter or something. Now, how can I compete with that, living in Tel Aviv and with no connection to known Hollywood producers etc?

Besides, do I really want to be there, at UCLA? I'm not sure. I really want to get to NYU, I know it should be more in my direction and style. But also NYU enrollment rate is around 3%, which means 97% I don't get it. They opened now the program in Singapore now, but I'm not so sure I want to live there for 2-3 years. Actually, I'm quite sure I don't.

I was considering the UK, Goldsmith college and the London Film School. I guess those two are an option. I mean, London is better than LA. Sanity, you know. But, above is a picture of an UCLA student. Obviously not a bad reason to try and get there, but lets hope the atmosphere in New York will be the same.

And now...my script....

(next time I'll write about casting through facebook...it's a blast...)

Reading scripts and feeling like a real film student

I started to read today the script of Being John Malkovich. This will be the second script of Charlie Kaufman that I read, after Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. I love the way Charlie Kaufman writes, and I don't at all talk about the way the films come out. I talk about his actual writing, just the way each word means so much.

I know that in screenwriting it has to work that way, because of the way words work on the mind. You want people to have a certain picture in their head, so you must work very carefully with the words you use. I think this is a very strong issue when you write in a language that is not your mother tongue. Like when I write in English. I must feel the word, have all the conotations of it. Each word is a living instrument that helps me create a clear coherent picture.

I always think of it when using the verb "walk". Almost never does a characters simply "walk". It plods, it strolls, it wanders. It only walks away. My teacher, Esti Namdar, and of cours thousands of other scriptwriting teachers and guids, always emphasise the importance of the script's mood and feel. The textures. Sometimes those appear in the details (the way characters look and talk, for example two kids wearing school uniform) and sometimes in the large picture (the weather, time of day, location, for example a new futuristic school building made out of glass).

I hope reading the script will not disturb me in developin my own script - I have some problems and I hope to sort it out soon. But getting to know my characters and their world is a real adventure, and I enjoy it a lot. Soon they'll start talking to me, I hope...

The best of scriptwriting studies

I've decided to put all my efforts in scriptwriting. I've always enjoyed this part the most, who am I kidding. Directing is great, but until it happens...and happens the right way...I feel scriptwriting fits better to my character. I hate when things come out less than perfect, for once. I want my vision to be clear.

I don't say I've given up directing, but I just think that at this point writing great scripts can satisfy me much more than sweating trying to make a film. I don't really enjoy short films. It's films made for filmmakers, and this is not what I aim.

So I'm writing now. I want to start my MFA in scriptwriting next year.

Tomorrow I have the scriptwriting class with my favorite teacher Ester Namdar. i need to write a scene that contains a dramatic turn point and a following a deterioration. i almost finished it, and I will translate it into English and post it here. I know this blog has still very small amount of readers, but I hope to get some feedback on it.

Don't expect any help if you're a film student

I don't mean to sound so desperate. I'm a student, everybody knows it's a hard job. Especially film studies, it's many hours, you can never do enough. You always feel stupid, you should have seen many movies you haven't, shoot more excersises, make more shorts. You must know more actors, you must understand yourself better, the films you want to make. You need to read more, you must read more, you can't write all the scripts yourself. You must save money for your next production. Who will pay the gas? the food for the crew?

You must be a good student. Attend classes, write the papers. You must be creative, connect to yourself. You must, you just have to, go to museums and galleries. You must know artists. You have to be able to make your own storyboard, who can make it better than you?

I have one year left. I have a short exercise to make with the painting of Van Eyck, The Marriage of Arnolfini. So many ideas. So little equipment. I want to paint more. I want to study music. I dl some classic music today and I enjoy writing to it. I'm confused. My last year at film school, I've never felt so stupid before.

The return of the filmmaker

That was a very short summer. So many exams and paper works, i stopped watching films for some time. I forgot i wanted to make them, as well. Also this blog was too far from me. But that's all gone now, a new school year just started last week and I'm planning on shooting my short.

I've decided the script needed more work, so i'm reading the book "Writing the Short Film". It's a brilliant book with good exercises (not that I'm doing them, I'm a passive reader now). i found the torrent online so I didn't even have to loan it from the library (I would never buy it, as my bank account is a big minus for months now).

We have a couple of new students this year, came from the jerusalem film school Sam Spiegel. They think Tel aviv university will be better for them. I doubt it.

Something is wrong with my ear, i don't hear anything on my right ear. It started after swimming. It's weird, I have a weird echo for days now. Sound is a powerful device.

When artists try to make a sale

Motorola took Michel Gondry to make an arty commercial for their cell phone. The result is a half coocked short, with nice sounds and some nice visuals, but the overall feeling that we've seen this one for many times before. Try to sell technolgy for technology loaded people, and you get zero. Zero fun, zero excitement, but probably good sells. I actually love the web site of this movie more than the movie itself.

Hairspray is fun and i don't want to analyze it

Why should I analyze such a cool film? A film that made me smile from the very first second to the last (ok, besides the too-long march sequence with the slow song)?
I loved it, I enjoyed it, this could be my new dirty-dancing-like obsession. i want to watch it again, I want to be friends with the cool guy and the sexy girl, (or is it the sexy guy and the cool girl). I want to download the soundtrack (in a sec) and maybe i'll even print a tshirt. I guess i miss that kind of fun in my life right now.

I met Michal today. She studies with me. I told her i need a kick in my ass or else my summer film is a phata morgana. She did what had to be done (god i have no idea what but it worked). I'll start with the script again. look for a producer. Talk to a camera man. Look for actors. Set the dates. It's going to happen. Not in the summer, but probably in two months.

I don't post much lately. I also don't read much film blogs lately. But i'll be back. Real soon now.

The Bourne Ultimatum - the world at war

I was not so thrilled about the new Bourne film. Number 3 is usually the weakest film and there it usually ends. Though I'm quite sure Bruce Willis will come back for another hard undeath. Anyway, I was happy to find Matt cuter than ever, with a film that for me was the best in the Bourne Saga. They didn't try to make it what it's not, less seconds of dumb drama, and pure great editing for cool chases.

It could be more intense I guess, but that was really better than I'd expected. I love matt Damon, and really I never thought I'd say it.

Just watched Steve's Interview

There were no tickets for the new film with edward Norton and Naomi Watts, so me and Sharon went to the Steve&Sienna Interview, based on Theo Van Gogh's film by the same title (which I haven't seen and now I'm a bit curios). The film is sometimes interesting with camera and editing (Robert Altman gets a special thanks for his inspiration at the end credits), and Steve is a fine director. But the script is quite predictable and not very good. That's why I'd like to watch the original.

My summer film is a one location film, so for me it was interesting to see how it's done here. I'm not so inspired by it, cos it's very easy to take a stunning location that grabs the viewer's attention, and a stunning actress as plan B.

But I love Steve, I love his teeth and the weird skin color he has. I like his voice and I love the way he puts the glasses on his nose. I would love to see him take a line with Sienna but that was not in the script. too bad.

I enjoyed the film anyway, and now it's time to say goodnight.

A busy film student in the end of the summer

After all it's really cool to study film. I talk with other students from other departments and their paper work is a real punishment. I was very happy to see I got all the courses I wanted for next semester (we had the thory classes registration last week). i will have one seminar (two semesters) and one course about japanese cinema. I also wanted to take Japanese language course but that's not possible with my 40 hours a week.

So i'm not really posting lately, I study for an exam in Italian and then I must continue and finish with the German cinema paper. I will talk to the head of productions tomorrow, Tausinger, will tell him I must postpond my summer film to the winter, around mid-end November. I'm really not happy to do this but I have no time to work on it now.

I read now a Roman written by the great Pasolini. It's inspiring.

Now i go to see the new Naomi Watts movie. Normally she annoys the shit, but I give her a chance. Basically it's cos I'm sick of home and computers.

Still looking inside the Turkish-German cinema

Today I went to the library again. i really hoped to finish my paper this week so I can start produce my film, but the chances seems low now. I ordered an essay from another university two days ago and it's still on process. In the mean time, I get hooked on Scorsese again. Instead of just being a case of comparison (Gegen die Wand vs. Mean Streets) I enjoy to read about scorsese and to watch some of his films I haven't watched before.

Gegen di Wand is a nice film, interesting film, but not so interesting and full to make me watch it again and again.

Fuck, my neighbours are so noisy. They have this kid who screams like a nutcase all day long.

I'm a bit scared of this final year. It will be busy and I will also have the urge of becoming "someone" or "something" at the end of it. What a stupid way of thinking, like one year of film school will do something that 30 years never could. Shit.

Gonna watch Martin now. What he thinks of the great italian filmmakers etc.

Don't you just love those mean boyz

i'm very happy today. Yesterday I spent hours in the library choosing the right books for my paper. I've decided to make a comparison between "Head On" and "Mean Streets", instead of "The Godfather". I just find the mood and general theme between "Mean streets" and "Head On" to be quite similiar. "Mean Streets" is my most favorite film ever, and I can watch in million times, in any condition (of the movie or myself), and Fatih Akin's "Head On" I don't really want to watch again. But still, I think this paper should bring some interesting points.

I thought that "Head On" starts where "Mean Streets" ends: the car crash. Also both films use popular music and oriental music (Italian/Turkish). And the use of violent. And the bond between the people that is like a punishment. Both films don't want to deal directly with ethnic problems. Fatih Akin said he just wanted to make a film that people enjoy watching. Scorsese talks about christianity.

i'm very happy cos I'll watch "Mean Streets" today again! And I also need to collect 3 more articles today from the library. One is called 'Juke box and Johnny Boy', from Sight&Sound, and I'm very curios about it.

Besides that, I just hope to write the paper fast so i can start thinking bout my movie. It seems so unrealistic to produce and shoot it in less than a month, but that's really the best I can do.

Music in films, the investigating film student's version

i started to work on my paper for German Cinema class. I just watched "The Godfather II" on TV again, and I think it might be interesting to compare the uses of music and violence between "The Godfather" and "Gegen die Wand". Coppola and Fatih Akin? They might have a few similarities. Or at least I want to check it. Second generation Italians in the US and second generation Turkish in Germany. The ghetto of origin. The music as utopia. Violence as connection. Spectacle? We'll see about that.

A film student at the end of the vacation

Today I realized that if I want to make my summer film (that's what they call the film you make at the end of your second year at school), I really must finish my German Cinema paper within one week. I must. So now I have this thing on my head, and I put everything else on the side.

As I mentioned before, I want to discuss the uses of music and violence in the films of Fatih Akin. I will only focus on one film, mainly because of the time frame I have, but also because music and violence in films are big subjects and to make it more focused it's better to analyze one film only. So this film will be "Gegen die Wand" (aka "Head on"), though i really want to check his gangster film, forgot the name. My teacher said she has a copy for me, but it's VHS and i'm not sure my VCR works well. I'm afraid it will ruin the tape, so i'm considering ordering it from Amazon.

Well, anyway, I started to go to the swimming pool this week, instead of the beach, and I think i like the swimming pool much more. It's more quiet, clean, and you can really swim more. Any good swimming pool films? I can only think of "swimming pool" of Ozon. But that's too obvious.

Lets admit it: I'm a film student, but that's ok

You think you can create while studying? Think again. I know, you always do more when you're busy and when you have nothing to do you don't use this time to do the things you always wanted. Time should be hard to get in order for you to actually get some of it. But still.

It's like my creativity goes down to zero, and I don't even miss it - it's sad. I have so many small things to do, nothing can become really big. My soul must be splitted to so many parts, I don't even know what I'm doing anymore. My script? How can I even think about it? Nothing is real, my life is a film, and not a very good one!

What a filmmaker misses while he studies

The picture above is from a film "Sarah and Dee", about two cleaners on a journey. Or at least I think this is what it's about, cos I haven't seen it. I just saw that picture on the internet and read a short article about the director, but didn't have the time to go to the dvd library and ask about it. I'm so busy.

I still have one paper to write about German cinema (I will write about Geraman-Turkish cinema), an exam in Italian for Beginners, some works in Flash (a player and a short animation) and of course, last but not least, my film.

Still haven't finished the second draft and I'm quite sure I'll shoot it later than planned. It makes me sick, cos anyway next semester will be very hard, with 10 courses, 5 days a week.

I even have a copy of "I'm a cyborg but that's ok" that I haven't watched. After reading this review of it I really wanted to watch it myself. Perhaps today I'll find the time.

The busiest film student in school

What a day, maaaaan. Took my bike to uni, to register for film production courses (not theory classes) with the head of the department. That was 7:30AM. I had a long ride on the beach, about 40 minutes of sweat. Got there, waited for almost three hours in the line, then went to the Stinky small office of the master. He was very nice and helpful. He has a kind of an army man charisma but that's OK. He knows what he's talking about and he's not bullshitting you. I like him. Anyway, came out of his room with double courses than I intended. Next year will be nasty. 5 days first semester, 4 days the second. But at least I'll complete my first degree and be free to go further.

I told him about my plans to register for the MIT CMS program, and I think he liked that. Anyway, he also liked my script and told me it reminds him the films of the experimental filmmaker (who teaches in the department) Igal Burstein. Yay, i think that's good.

Don't feel like writing bout the rest of my day, it was full of family drama. Movie material maybe, but I prefer my life quieter.

Must become a serious student

My teacher sent me back my script with his notes. Generally he was very positive, said it was very cinematic and he was curious about the characters. He told me not to be afraid to go deeper with the past relationship of my two characters, and to further develope the third character (that of the nude cleaner).

So if my teacher took time, read my script, and gave it a though, i should too. I'm a bit confused, not sure if I'm in the right place at all. I want to develop games and applications in flash now, so my script seemed far from me. But there's always something that makes you run again, and my teacher's email was my ecstasy. Or at least I hope. will see at the end of the day.

A film student takes a weekend class at the cinematheque

The Tel Aviv cinematheque has 10 films of Bergman on its September program. Today I got up especially at 10 O'clock to watch "A Lesson in Love". I am no Bergman expert, so I trust my school friend Dana when she told me today this is his best comedy. It was indeed funny, and I didn't feel like i was watching a film from 1954. It actually felt modern, like a Woody Allen's film (of course not the same feeling during watching the film, but perhaps the same result. could that make sense?). So far it's the Bergman I like best, but as I said I'm no expert for Bergman. After this month I might be able to say something meaningful about him.

After the film I went with another friend, Sharon, to have a coffee. I was hungry cos I was watching "A Lesson in Love" before my morning's coffee. Sharon told me she was thinking of quitting school and go to canada. But since she just splitted from her film-frick boyfriend, she might change her mind in a few days.

I rushed to the cinematheque again for a film I haven't heard about before. In the program they said it was a film known for its camera work. And that this was the movie where Tatum O'neill got her Oscar for. I was a bit upset to sit in the hall for a movie that might suck, thinking of all the great waves and cool water at the beach just 5 minutes away...But that was such a brilliant film, from the first shot (where you see tatum's sweet sad face) to the last. Great, great, great! It became over-noon one of my favourite films ever. Such a beautiful surprise, like that, suddenly on Saturday noon. Thanks Peter!

there's another film at 17:00, "Jacquot de Nantes", that i really wanted to see, and also "Nelly et Monsier Arnaud", but I wanted to spend some time outside the cinematheque. After all, there are also some life outside that needs to be lived!

Things they don't teach you at film school

I was partying quite intense the last days. just finished a series of exams and papers, so I took a week for pure fun. In between I went to the cinematheque to watch Edward Yang's "Yi Yi" (aka "A One and a Two"). I had this film on DVD for 2 years and never watched it, probably the length scared me a little (almost 3 hours). I'm happy to watch it on the big screen, it's a brilliant film. Great shots, great stories, great actors. I will try to see other films by him. I love Taiwanese films.

It seems like next year will be quite easy at the film school. 3 days a week, 5 courses each semester. I will focus on my final film, cos I dont want to stay in school for another year (many do that, and even stay for 2, 3 years more). No, my plan is to finish fast and register for my MA in Comparative Media Studies (MIT or NYU I think).

I just said No to another party now. Just because they are all in the club already and I dont feel like taking a taxi there. I should at least try to live cheaper, as I'm shooting my no budget film soon. Am I? Even the script is not done yet. I'm so confused. At least I booked a soundman today.

I try to build a small and fast media player on Flash now. ActionScript 3 is so different. Why do I always feel bad saying No to parties?

They play outside, and I think of the Best Poker Films

Almost two years ago they screened at the University "The Coupier". You had to stay late for those screenings, usually of rare and unknown films. "The Coupier" was different, it seemed to be a film that could easily become a blockbuster. Well maybe not "Pulp Fiction", but not too far also.

Now there are 7 men on my terrace playing poker. I lost on the first fun-round so decided to stay out for the next, more expensive, rounds. A filmmaker is a no poker player. Our minds are filled with memories of lives we never lived, of hopes we have no reason for.

The last Bond movie I saw in Berlin, in the Sony CineStar cinema. They took the first 45 minutes (!!!) for advertisements. After that a men asked who wants ice cream. After that we started the journey with Daniel Craig and his woman in red. Was brilliant.

I try to think of other Poker films I know. My head is blocked. Any ideas?

Film studies abd the art of boredom

Just finished writing a short paper about Chantal Akerman's "I'm hungry, I'm cold". I started yesterday and today I'm done, so I'm very happy about it. Usually I'm happy to write, but this work was very boring (to prove the film is a work of art). Besides, the teacher didn't want it to be too deep - he told us himself it was just instead of an exam so we should take it easy. What a turn off.

But this film (in french it's called "J'ai faim, J'ai froid") is brilliant, and the way this film talks about art and life made it after all quite interesting to write about.

Now this film student can move to the next project: an essay about german cinema and fatih Akin. I also must write it quickly if i want to shoot my film in October (though I think I'll postpond it anyway).

I also took the TOEFL today (just for practice, here at my desk). I got 85%, which is not bad for a surprise test (I didn't know i'm going to do it until it started). So actually, sitting on my student chair, this was a pretty cool day.

A busy film student

What can I do, I really don't have time to post myself something today.
During my reasearch online on Chantal Akerman, I found a wonderful pst about Robert Bresson on girish: http://www.girishshambu.com/blog/2006/06/robert-bresson.html

Make sure you read the comments too.
What a wonderful net of film thinkers we got here!

A film student's program for new German cinema

Can't believe it's Sunday allready. I started during the weekend to work on my paper for the German Cinema class. I'll write about violence and music in Fatih Akin's work. I'm very interested in both areas and they seem to connect: usually they are "out of narrative" elements. I will try to make a connection between the developments in post unification Germany and the cinema of Akin, and I will use the violence and music in his films to make my point. But my point is unknown yet, and I still haven't watched all the films. Still need to find "Kurz und Schmerzloss", I hope my tutor can get it for me. Too bad, I was two months ago in Germany. Well, I guess we cannot plan our lives in reverse!

So yesterday I watched 3 films: "Gegen die Wand" (aka "Head On"), "Im Juli" (aka "In July"), both of Akin, and a third one, "Berlin is in Germany". All films are highly recommended and very interesting in regard to pust unification Germany.

>>Sorry, cannot write more, must leave....t o b e c o n t i n u e d...>>

Film revirew: Lars Von Trier's The Boss of it all

I was trying to look for a different picture to put here, one that will reflect the film: a completely "wrong" composition, something that Vadim Yusov (Tarkovski's cinematographer, and whom I met during an excellent workshop he gave at Tel Aviv University's Film department) would never even consider as a take. You know, very extreme Dogma95.

But i guess no one put those "horrible" frames online so there you go, some tits from the film that made me like Lars Von Trier again. Here comes another list, because after watching a movie I'm a bit slow with building readable sentences:

1. It's a good film.
2. They say it's a comedy, and many times I laughed, but it's not the kind of comedy that you test its quality by the number of laughs in the theatre. It's a comedy beyond laughter.
3. The only thing you (and Von Trier) laugh about is people. And humanity.
4. And that's OK.
5. The extreme Dogma95 shooting style is funny and works well.
6. The wrapping of the story with the voice over is excessive.
7. The acting is great.
8. I'm happy that the editing was not jumpy. In "Dogville" I almost left the theatre cos I felt sick.

That's it. Now I will start my weekend. Lots of Fatih Akin and some good food as well.

A drunk filmmaker quotes:

I won't write much now, cos I'm drunk and quite tired. At least I got the OK from my lecturer for my paper. I will prove him that "I'm hungry, I'm cold", the brilliant short film of Chantal Akerman, is a work of art. And a good one. Even though he told me on the phone he couldn't stand her films. That they are boring him. He should thank me for choosing a short one then!

I just remembered a couple of things I wanted to say: first, if yesterday I made myself chinese after watching "Reign over me", then watching "The Mother and the Whore" made me drink red wine for almost a week (well, it is a long film).
And second was this quote from "Reign over me": "I saw it and I felt it at the same time". That was about Sandler watching the TV reports from the 9/11 towers collapse. Isn't that the nature of movies themselves? This movie should be further analyzed. It has some interesting points, also some regarding the nature of comedy and laughter in our lives. I think.

But right now I got 2 papers to write - the second one is about Fatih Akin and the violence in his films. I'm fascinated by violence, and it seems that I know what I'm saying. At least my grades are excellent and I am quite pleased with the things I write.

Fuck I'm drunk.

Reign Over Me & Krrish (A filmmaker relaxes befor and after an exam)

"The cinematheque best program", that's what i'd call the last week and (hopefully) the next. Last night I went to see "Krrish", the new Bollywood film which deliver us the first bollywood superhero, aka Krrish. I'm not a Bollywood fan, or better to say - I don't watch Bollywood films. I think I was superstitious about them. But now it's all ended. I'm hooked. I know they overact, and they do that for almost 3 hours, but that's part of the charm. The landscapes of Krrish are awsome, and I really don't care they use cheap-looking special effects to get it - as a city gal I felt I had my India tour. I was refreshed after leaving the theatre (and to say that after three hours in a closed room is indeed a chalange). I understand "Krrish" is about to become (if not already) a blockbuster, and I am very happy to be part of the people and simply agree.

Tonight I went again to the cinematheque, this time for a one-time-screening of the new Adam Sandler movie, "Reign Over Me". I love Sandler with serious face. "Punch drunk Love" is one of my favourites. A friend told me it's going to be a sad 9/11 movie, and a man in the theatre said we are going to watch "an Adam Sandler 9/11 comedy".

Only it wasn't at all about 9/11, and the real hero here was not Sandler (and no, it wasn't NYC either).

Maybe I shouldn't talk about the film so soon after watching it. So again I'll go with the list method, which helps me simplify my feelings and thoughts:

1. It's a great movie.

2. During the film I thought I wouldn't mind watch it again (I actually thought of writing my paper work about it - what is a work of art).

3. Adam Sandler is wonderful, but his voice is sometimes really annoying.

4. The soundtrack is not so good. Sometimes the score is too obvious.

5. Don Cheadle, who plays Alan Johnson, is simply great. Without words and with delicate action he makes you understand his situation precisely. This is also the place to say that this is a great director film, and even though I haven't seen none of Mike Binder other films, I would definately wait for his next one (something about knitting group in New York).

6. Some things in the scripts dont "sit" right. The characters of the parents-in-law. Their behaviour changes without marks. I say, character can change, but changes always leave marks.

7. I am so happy to see an American studio film I like. I thought those days were gone.

Is it just me, or do you also feel like eating what the characters are eating after the movie? I just made chinese after watching "Reign Over Me", and I'm thinking of buying a scooter. like this one Sandler had:

Filmmaker on Filmmaker

Just saw "The Dreamers" again. The first time was when it came out. I hated it then, it seemed tedious and pretentious. I hated Bertolucci for making such a shallow simple film, a film that was so immediate to figure out, and so predictable.

My second time with the film tonight (on TV, while studying) was surprising. I think it's the same with "Last Tango in Paris". I only enjoy Bertolucci if I don't expect art-cinema feel. I still think he must include more male nudes, to make the picture even. But besides that, it's not such a bad film.

Filmmaker out of the water

Today I woke up relatively early and continued reading the essays for the Israeli Cinema exam. Yesterday most of them were fascinating, but today much less. I was tired, first of all, and the printer had problems so i had to read from the screen, which I hate. After 5 hours I was exhausted, so I talked to a friend and we said to meet for a movie.

"Meduzot" (in Hebrew: Jellyfish) is an israeli film that won an award at the last Cannes film Festival. It was a great pride for Shira Geffen and Etgar Keret, the directors couple, which is for them the first film.

I have a few things to say about this film and i will make a list out of it, cause i'm in no state to write very well now. Too much screen time I guess. So here are my impressions from "Meduzot" (Jellyfish):

1. It's great to see an Israeli film that is not about or around war, heroism, terror, and is not a family drama.
2. It's great that an Israeli film has interesting visuals.
3. The way the tel aviv flats/hotel/street are presented in a way that is both realistic and cinematic. Accurate and rough at the same time.
4. Some stories were more interesting than others. The main story is not the most interesting. The story of the newly married couple and the other woman was more interesting.
5. The way the camera focuses on the faces of the lead actress (Batya) and the married woman was not flattering. They both have very strong expressions that almost never change, and this creates kind of a boredom for the viewer, or worse - uneasiness. One lady next to me said 60 minutes into the film: "She's so ugly!". Later I talked to my friend about it and we both felt the same, but it's not ugliness exactly, it's just the way the camera tried to be too poetic on those faces that meant to be common.
6. I enjoyed the film and I'm happy it was created.
7. The kid is sweet. But when she screamed I thought it was dumb.
8. some things were not reliable. And unnecessary.
9. It feels now (3 hours after I watched the film) that this film will not stay in my head for long.
10. The film is shallow.
11. Being abstract sometimes, and too metaphoric at times, AND tell the stories of many characters don't work well here. the result is .

Back to film studies and Israeli cinema in the eighties...

A Filmmaker blogger hooked up on the net

Since this is my third post today, I will not add any photo here. I didn't leave the house today, just learned for the exam. Reading books and essays, thinking about Israeli Cinema and about myself in the context I read about.

I had to ease my mind befor my evening yoga, and I found this interview with Tsai Ming Liang by Michael Guillen on The evening Class.

Now I can do the daily asanas.

A filmmaker as an alegory to the topography of his state

It's not that I enjoy taking a break from reading essays for my next exam, it's just that everything I read ispire me to write. I have now a new idea for a film, which of coursae will have to wait at least until November. It's about a girl who lives with her family in the 8th floor of a working-class building. The neighbours are in a long war with her family, over a part of the flat that they believe should be theirs and not the family's. A story of a solitude in the middle of chaos and war. I thought about it after reading an essay about the characters in the israeli cinema as an allegory to the social and political background they came from. the story of the neighbours war was my life story as a kid, and i think this situation (which lasted for 11 years) made me the weird little person I am today..

In the same context, I remembered Uri Zohar's films. "Hole in the Moon" is a good one, but the picture above is from "3 days and a child", which I actually haven't seen. I only saw one scene from it and thought it was great. I think the picture above tells a lot.

back to the essays. I'm about to finish Ella Shochat's book. It's written beautifully and really tells me a lot about Israeli cinema, and Israel and Israelies at all. You never understand who you are until someone else tells you. Shochat must have such patience watching some hard films, from the begining of the cinema in palestine, films that for me are simply too boring to even try and watch them. I must thank her for that, cause she sure has some interesting things to say about them.