Update!

Wow, it's been ages since I've posted anything substantial here! So, a quick rundown of the past few weeks:

> I quit the 365-project. Too much hassle of always having to think 'I need to take a picture!' while I wanted to just enjoy whatever it was that I was doing at that time without taking pictures.

> Work is really busy, but really good as well. It almost feels as if I'm (almost) playing with The Important People. Very fun.

> Two more sleeps and I'm on my way to China! Harbin, Dalian, Beijing. Very hectic and full work schedule but I'm so so excited.

> Am back to (internet) dating - why do I always get the weird guys? Gah.

> Every January's highlight: the International Film Festival in Rotterdam. Saw some very weird (Lazarus 1-2-0; A Climate for a Crime) things, some interesting things (Jerichow; Er Dong) and some really good things (12 Lotus - fantastic!; Left Handed).

> Am househunting! Very scary. Eek.

> Am also finding new friends. Very fun :-D

Will be posting some travel stories hopefully in two weeks' time. Will definitely be posting travel pictures in two weeks' time. Stay tuned.

Flower in the pocket

Yesterday Last week, I saw the movie "Flower in the Pocket" - one that I have been curious about this year as it was playing at the Rotterdam film festival in January and won a big award there.

By accident I discovered that it was on television late last Saturday night.
It's a very nice movie but what struck me most was the similarity in story (partly) and atmosphere to the movie Nobody Knows/ Dare mo shiranai.

'Nobody Knows' is about four siblings living in Japan, whose mother has left them to fend for themselves. Absolutely beautiful film, but very sad also. 'Flower in the pocket' is much less sad luckily, but is about two brothers, who basically also have to look after themselves. The stories have very different plots and endings, but interesting to see the similarities.

What was also good about it is that it gave a good idea of the complex society in Malaysia. The boys are Chinese Malaysian, and speak Chinese with their dad and between them both. Only the older boy speaks Malay and can communicate with some of the other kids, and people in the movie. Then a doctor who appears seems to speak only English, but can understand the father speaking back in Chinese. Malaysia has a very mixed, and complicated, society which I've also written about when I was there earlier this year and it's very apparent in this film.

Definitely a recommended film.

Sukiyaki Western

I just read DJBroadcast's review of Miike Takashi's latest movie Django - sukiyaki western. I had no idea it was programmed at last month's Amsterdam Fantastic Film Festival but it sounds great. Definitely want to see this now.

Late discoveries like this always make me realize there's too much that I want to do. Aargh.

Caved in

I promised myself a few months ago that I needed to stop buying books for a while because of the ever-increasing stack of unread books on my shelf. Plus all the books that I borrow from friends.

It had been going pretty well, slowly moving through that stack, and keeping away from bookshops. Until last week.

I am now the proud owner of Colin Thubron's Shadow of the Silk Road, which had been on my wishlist for a while, and De Russische Kater by Laura Starink - after having seen her speak in a very interesting debate on contemporary Russian politics a few weeks ago.

I vaguely remember claiming that my Russia-fascination would be done with after my last trip to Russia exactly a year ago. I guess that hasn't happened huh. Oh well. Am now off to Amsterdam to see a documentary on Anna Politkovskaya to keep up the theme.

Review: Persepolis

I just finished watching the new movie Persepolis. I have wanted to see it since it premiered on the Rotterdam Filmfestival in January, but knowing that it would come out in the cinema's I didn't bother seeing it then.

It's an animated movie after the graphic novel with the same title of author Marjane Satrapi. It recounts her life growing up in Iran after the 1979 revolution, and coming to Europe for highschool. Great insight to a major historic event from a personal point of view.

While I enjoyed the movie I think the very simplistic drawing did harm the presentation of the story as a movie. Although I haven't read the book (but a friend of mine apparently has it) I imagine it to be much more powerful on paper. Even though less is sometimes more, I feel that on screen you need more visual power to convince the viewer - and this is one of those cases.

Especially the beginning of the movie felt too much like a documentary and too slow-going to really catch my attention. Maybe this is also because the beginning describes a period in Satrapi's life when she's still very young, and things seem to be moving faster as she gets older. And I started to enjoy it more as the story continues as well.

It is a very interesting part of history though, and I love the way that this story shows a little bit of that. And it has made me interested to know more about the actual happenings and history of this part of the world. Nevertheless, I do think I'll like the book better.

Repeating myself

One of the best things about the IFFR is the fact that directors and actors show up to introduce their own movies and do a Q&A afterwards.

And how can you not love a film which is introduced - by the director - as: "This is to celebrate really really bad music and really really bad fashion."? Hilariously kitsch and very emotional at the same time.

Two down, six to go

As mentioned before, Rotterdam is completely absorbed at the moment by the filmfestival. As am I, for a few days.

The change going from one movie to another always surprises me.

Yesterday I first saw The best of times, the latest movie from Russian directer Svetlana Proskurina. A thoughtful movie about two women and the love/hate relationship between them throughout their lives after loving the same man.
Then it was time for REC, a Spanish blockbuster and as far removed from the previous film as you could imagine. I had already read a friend's review which made me somewhat prepared. Hilarious horror - gross, but done very well.

Next up today are:
It's hard to be nice
De verloren kolonie

Later this week will be:
881 (my attempt at fitting something Japanese in there, but it turns out to be Singaporean. Oh well, close enough)
Chouga
Charly
Black Snow

Yay, can't wait. So, for now, back to Rotterdam, where I'm being taken out to a mystery restaurant before hitting the cinema's again.

January regular

In a couple of days the Rotterdam Filmfestival starts again - a regular event in January and I've been studying the programme since it came out to find some good films.

Looks like I'll be there at least 3-4 nights, can't wait! Very curious what kind of stuff I'll end up seeing - because I never really know, and it's always a good surprise.

Festival time

A couple of film festivals are happening, or are about to happen, so I'm seeing some good stuff:

* last week a documentary about child soldiers, political dilemma's and the very fine line between truth and fabrication at the Cinema & Justice month in Den Haag

* tickets booked for IDFA! By heart, I think I'm going to a movie on women in the Congo, on dictators in Chad, on something about Sudan and - just to be different - on elections and politics in contemporary Russia.

You'd almost think I am moving away from Asia.... Not quite so, just returned from a pretty interesting discussion night about whether to stay or go in Uruzgan, Afghanistan. Pretty good. And actually useful for work!