Milindo Taid - Part 18

Jan Švankmajer: Animation Shorts I

Jul 22

I am a great admirer of Czech filmmaker Jan Švankmajer. I wish not to put a label to his work, but very often the tag ‘surrealism’ comes into play in describing his ‘super-real’ and very often, irreverent and thematically dark animation. Living and practicing his film craft in his native Prague in the Czech Republic, Švankmajer’s vision of the world is uncoloured by chewing gum commercial imperatives. Which is, a good thing. Take a look.

Shakti: Isis (from ‘A Handful of Beauty’) | 1976

Jul 22

Lady L - Shakti - A Handful Of Beauty - 1977

Watch this video on YouTube

1976 | John McLaughlin – Guitars | Lakshminarayana Shankar – Violins, Vocals | Zakir Hussain – Tabla | Vikku Vinayakram – Ghatam, Vocals

23rd National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest: Winners

Jul 21

Fernanda Credidio: Walking Beyond. San Pedro Atacama, Chile

Over 10,000 entries were submitted from all over the world, in these four categories: Travel Portraits; Outdoor Scenes; Sense of Place; and Spontaneous Moments. The stunning photographs captured an assortment of places, wildlife, and people that make traveling memorable. Here is a sampling of the best of the entries.

Judith Butler, Gender Theorist

Jul 18

Judith Butler is the Maxine Elliot professor in the departments of rhetoric and comparative literature at the University of California, Berkeley and this 2006 ‘bio-pic’ by Paule Zajdermann (for German French TV Channel ‘arte’) gives a perspective on her intellectual life and her influential thought. This includes interviews and sections of her lectures. (in English and French with French subtitles | split into six parts). The voice-over is in French (without subtitles), but thankfully its brief, and, she speaks in English (with a bit of German). Sync problem with part four, just listen in.

DOC NOMADS Short-term Scholarships for Third-Country Scholars 2013-2014

Jul 18

Opportunity for documentary film-makers and documentary scholars: DOC NOMADS offers short-term scholarships to third-country scholars to undertake teaching and research activities in the context of the joint programme. Scholars interested in an Erasmus Mundus scholarship should apply directly to DOC NOMADS Secretariat and their application will go through a competitive selection process organised by the Academic Board of the consortium.

The scholars will be invited to stay: in Lisbon in the autumn of 2012, in Budapest in the spring of 2013, in Brussels in the autumn of 2013, in Lisbon, in Budapest or in Brussels in the spring of 2014.

Danxia Landform, Gansu, China

Jul 17

When I first ran across the Danxia landforms a couple of years ago, I did a double take. What appeared to be accomplished pastels were actually the revelations of the forces of soil and rock erosion. This petrographic geomorphology apparently consists of red coloured sandstones and conglomerates of the ‘Cretaceous age’. On that geological note, take a look.

Kenji Mizoguchi: Ugetsu Monogatari. 1953. (Japan)

Jul 12

Mizoguchi’s Ugetsu Monogatari ( “Tales of the Moon Obscured by Rainclouds“) left me with a peculiar aftertaste. Appreciative yet not. What remained with me strongly though is the ‘atmospherics’ (for the lack of a better expression) of the cinematic effort. ‘Ugetsu’ continues to be a very fine example of mid century Japanese revisiting of traditional cultural material to prop up a morality tale of enduring charm. Look out for Kinuyo Tanaka’s Miyagi, Mitsuko Mito’s Ohama and Mizoguchi’s ‘feminism’.

Steely Dan: Peg. 1977

Jul 12

Steely Dan - Peg Lyrics

Watch this video on YouTube

Justin James Muir: Portrait photographer and ‘A Book Of Beards’

Jul 11

Portrait photographer Justin James Muir conceived the ‘Book of Beards’ after he moved to West Chester, Pennsylvania, USA, where he perceived what he called a ‘bold beard culture’. His friend Mike, who is featured on the cover suffers from cancer, and all the proceeds from the ‘Book of Beards’ go to cancer aid along with covering Mike’s medical bills. Take a hairy look.

Anthony Giddens lectures at the USC Annenberg: On Globalization

Jul 11

‘Globalization and Communication’ is what Anthony Giddens lectures about in this recording from 2008 at the USC Annenberg. A sociologist of considerable repute and a prolific author to boot, Giddens talks about the impact and debate of globalization, calling it the single most important debate of the beginning of this century. He also considers this as one of many debates pointing to the dislocation with the enlightenment project. Includes a Q & A with a pointer to India as well. Give it a listen, accept OR reject him.