THANK YOU! Firefighters!!

"Big Brother" from the film based on George Orwell's "1984"

English: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nineteen_Eighty-Four
Espanol: http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/1984_(novela)

I found it very appropriate that they included, in this display about dystopias, a Time magazine report on the rise of right wing Christian fundamentalism in the US. Thanks to our friends to the North, you can read the entire book online, and it is a must! http://wikilivres.info/wiki/Nineteen_Eighty-Four Or thanks to our mates across the pond, you can watch the BBC production online or download it: http://www.archive.org/details/Meatpies_1984

Adjoining the EMP, is the Science Fiction Museum and Hall of Fame, that does not allow photography, but I was shooting 'from the hip' literally, without flash, by sliding my camera out of my pocket, and clicking off a shot without looking, from the hip. So sorry, nothing is in focus or composed....

"The Science Fiction Museum and Hall of Fame (SFM) is the world's first museum devoted to the thought-provoking ideas and experiences of science fiction. SFM’s exhibitions promote awareness and appreciation of science fiction literature and media while encouraging visitors to envision new futures for humanity. In the Science Fiction Hall of Fame, the museum pays homage to the most respected of science fiction practitioners—writers, artists, publishers and filmmakers." http://www.empsfm.org/aboutEMPSFM/index.asp

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Recently, we watched a couple of interesting films on Dvd. The first is called, in English, "Lights in the Dusk," http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0458242/ by Finnish director Aki Kaurismäki http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aki_Kaurism%C3%A4ki whose dry and deadpan films always seem to intrigue me with their subtle black humor. His style is not for everyone... he usually has a very sparse plot, and his actors seem to be wooden, with terse dialogue, to create his mood. But if you don't mind being patient, the resulting film is usually very creative and full of irony. In this film, he examines a character struggling to stay out of poverty, working a job where he is treated with little dignity, With a touch of Satre and Camus, Kaurismaki tells the story of the desperation of poverty and loneliness of urban society, under capitalism. He has subplots of love, gangsters, robbery, prison, and revenge, but they are not central, and shown in a new way. His films are an acquired taste, but I believe once you try one, you will want another :)

The other film we enjoyed on Dvd was "Atash Bas/Cease Fire" http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0838254/ by Iranian Tahmineh Milani, a courageous female director who seeks to improve the lives of Iranian women by portraying some of the difficulties they face in todays society there. For her struggle, she has been imprisoned by the government, but international protest eventually led to her being released. This film is much lighter than her earlier films, as she portrays the 'battle of the sexes' by telling the story of a marriage between two strong spirits, a man who wants an obedient wife, and a wife who wants a full, fulfilling life. The pace and feeling reminds me of a 50's movie, maybe with Katharine Hepburn :) But in the Iranian context, it becomes fascinating. This movie is a nice break from some of the more intense films I usually see, but of course, underlying it, is a criticism of a society where the treatment of women is far from a light subject.

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Seems like fotolog has been full of speed bumps lately. Our dear friend Sarinka still cannot post. And I can not post to my richseibert page. I guess I have been greedy having more than one page, though :)

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