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Showing posts from November, 2013

The Counselor

The Counselor “ Love is being in bed with you, the rest is waiting.” The Counselor, 2013 I love an opening scene of a film that delves immediately into love making. The relationship is sealed, it becomes the pivotal denominator during the film, and there is nothing else that can happen that can take that importance away. The movie opens with The Counselor (Michael Fassbinder) intimately lying under white sheets with Laura (Penelope Cruz). In this tender moment he asks her to say something sexy, “I want you to put your hands up my dress”, she says, “but you're not wearing a dress”, he coyly remarks, “What does that have to do with it?”, sighing, relishing the moment, then commenting, “You've ruined me”, completely foreshadowing the tragedy that will unfold. For the rest of the film, it is this relationship that remains as the focus, and the demise of the Counselor, whose name we never find out, as he pursues his drug trafficking quest. In the mi

TABU

TABU a film by Miguel Gomes Nothing's said till it's dreamed out in words And nothing's true that figures in words only. Les. A Murray (The Daylight moon-1987) 'Poetry and Religion' TABU Occasionally a film comes along that makes you sit and watch it with eyes wide open, and any interruption will be snarled at. Tabu is so unique that as a filmmaker faith in the art itself will replenish the creative streak that at times hides for any number of reasons. Tabu is filmed in Black and White. This makes it all the more stronger. The visuals therefore are stark. The film is separated in two parts. Part one aptly named, Paradise Lost which follows the life of Pilar in contemporary Portugal who painstakingly attempts to support her friend, Aurora, who gambles and who thinks that her maid is practising voodoo against her. When Aurora falls violently ill, she asks for one man to come to her bedside, Gian Luca

4TH Greek Australian Short Film Festival

4TH GREEK-AUSTRALIAN SHORT FILM FESTIVAL Four years ago, Jim Koutsoukos and Ange Arabatzis, decided that a platform to showcase Greek-Australian filmmakers was needed in Australia. The talent they found was immense. The venue was the Loop Bar in Melbourne, and filmmakers were enthusiastic and forthcoming with their films. Filmmakers had included, Christina Heristanidis, Viron Papadopoulos, John Evagora, Jim Stamatakos, George Goularas, Christos Linou, Bill Mousoulis, Jason Raftopoulos, Madeleine Parry, Christopher and Christine Kezelos, Anna Kannava, Anthony Maras, and myself, Stella Dimadis. What they found was that the audience flocked, applauded and felt proud of these innovative filmmakers that were creating stories for and within Australia. This year, Jim Koutsoukos, Stella Dimadis and Katerina Kotsonis joined with the Greek Film Festival, as part of Antipodes, secured Napoloeon Perdis as a sponsor for best film and have encountered phenomenal success, again