District 9
Directed by Neill Blomkamp
Written by Neill Blomkamp and Terri Tatchell
Produced by Peter Jackson
Starring Sharlto Copley
Key Creatives, 2009. 112 minutes.
District 9 has taken the American box office by storm. The film depicts the arrival of aliens in the unlikely locale of Johannesburg, South Africa. Establishing contact with alien life forms in the movies is never as simple as we’d like it to be.
But this picture moves beyond a B sci-fi flick with some penetrating social commentary. At times satirical and other times allegorical, the story skillfully interweaves the history and culture of South Africa with mecha-robots and spaceships.
The vagaries of the film industry have resulted in the film being released in the U.S. before South Africa, subverting one of the central themes of the film — that America is not the center of the world. I still expect the reception in South Africa to be a positive one.
Here are 10 Things that you may not know about District 9.
READ THE FULL REVIEW HERE.
Alan’s War: The Memories of G.I. Alan Cope
by Emmanuel Guibert
Translated from the French by Kathryn Pulver
First Second, 2008. 336 pages.
I do not like to use the word genius because of its ability to divide some people from the rest of us. But I can think of no better description for the French author Emmanuel Guibert.
Guibert strives to invent a new artistic style for each work that he illustrates. He has drawn goofy, almost grotesque children’s characters for Sardine in Space and photorealistic landscapes of rural Afghanistan in The Photographer. But while his artistic explorations reveal a constant desire to challenge himself, his brand of genius does not emerge from self-absorption. Rather, it is Guibert’s abounding generosity that sets his work apart. He doesn’t just write well — he listens with the patience of Vasudeva.
Alan’s War: The Memories of G.I. Alan Cope embodies Guibert’s skills perfectly. He pioneered a new water color technique that transforms each panel into a vibrant, sensuous image. And he turns the story of an ordinary American soldier into an extraordinary tale because of his own patience for detail. It is no surprise that Alan’s War took eight years for Guibert to produce. Released in three volumes in France, we are fortunate to enjoy the collection in a single American work.
Read the full review here.
I have been in search of a new lead photo for some time now. The one above (in the banner) was snapped by Kelly Newsome in Lisbon, Portugal. If you look in the bottom left corner, you’ll see that the boy is holding his father’s hand behind him.
Check out the beautiful original photo and Kelly’s travels here at kellysgoneagain.com. Kelly is a lawyer, yoga instructor, and human rights activist.
And thank you to Anna Louédec, whose photo of Omar (above, playing soccer) graced the screen for 18 months!
–D.O.
Waltz with Bashir
Written by Ari Folman, illustrated by David Polonsky
Metropolitan Books, 2009. 128 pages.
Global opinion towards Israel reached its nadir in 1982, when the country invaded Lebanon and stormed through Beirut on a questionable pretext. Hundreds of Israeli soldiers were killed along with thousands of Lebanese and Palestinians, mainly civilians. Israel’s ostensible aim was to purge the region of an increasingly belligerent Palestinian Liberation Organization. But it soon emerged that several hundred Palestinians were brutally massacred at Sabra and Shatila by Lebanese Christians — while Israel looked on. The Defense Minister in charge was no less than Ariel Sharon.
Waltz with Bashir revisits this troubling episode through the eyes of a former soldier. Part memoir, part creative masterwork, the graphic novel depicts Ari Folman’s difficult attempt to recreate his own role in the conflict.
Folman was present at the massacre, but his memory of it mysteriously vanished. The story unfolds as he speaks with former members of his regiment, patching together the disjointed fragments of his military service. He quickly discovers that he was not the only one to have repressed memories of the incursion into Lebanon. Each encounter draws Folman closer to the disturbing realization that he may have been involved in the massacre — and he may have even been a perpetrator.
Read the full review here.
