Friday, April 27, 2007

I Watched...

I managed to 'catch' a couple of films that I am really interested to watch (call me bias, none of which are English or Chinese - only mainly from "The Secret Life of Arabia")

1. Sankara (Sri Lanka) - Good (Opening Film)


2. Losing Ahmad (Kuwait) – Good (Real time - True Story)
Abdullah (the Director), started to shoot this film impromptu when he met 2 ladies on a plane, and they told him of their journey to Kuwait-Iraq border to pickup Ahmad and bring him to NewYork for medical treatment (Ahmad - a 7 years old boy affected by a bomb blast on his way to school, which left him blind, cause him an arm and a distorted face). This film follows their real-life journey. However, upon realizing that Abdullah is not going to give them the whole footage of the film, the two ladies (& their team) ditch Abdullah in JFK airport!! Thus he lost contact with Ahmad & his brother Saad. A search that took him a year. When he finally got news from them, they are on their way back. Abdullah tracked them again. Ahmad finally returned with not much done! Just a 'stone eye' and an artificial arm without any moveable limbs!! And the biggest damage done is that his beloved brother Saad was killed in an accident !!
These ladies get big coverage from the media for their humanitarian effort – but what did they really do when they realize that there's not much publicity??.. very little !! Are they really sincere ??
They invade - kill thousands of woman, children, men & the old... and they get BIG publicity for 'helping' a few ??... and when there's no publicity - just dumb them ??.. BULLSHIT !!
I really enjoyed this film - 'an eye opener' - Good Job Abdullah!!

3. Scream of the Ants (Iran) - Fairly Good
A more spiritual film about an Iranian couple's journey to India in search of a spiritual teacher called "The Perfect Man". The wife being religious, & the husband being an atheist. Lots of questions about the existence of God.
Some part of the film does scare me though.. like the burning of the bodies in the Ganga river!! ...
eeeerrriiee !!
On the whole, it's a fairly good movie ... it makes u realize how 'lost' and ungrateful ppl can be without faith, without foundation ... and how blinded ppl can be about the existence of God and how naïve one can be when choosing a religion.
I was just wondering, why a Muslim director potrays all this thru' Hinduism and not thru' the Islamic side - thru' Sufism, for example. Maybe living in Europe makes him persee so ... Wallahu-alam


4. I am the on who bring flowers to her grave (Syria/France) - BIG Yawwwwnnnnnnnnnnnn :(
This one I really really regret watching and losing my sleep over (started at 9.15pm hokay!!)
A documentary, traveloque and diary of an ex-militant woman and her interview with 3 exiled woman living in France .. their lifes & how they are leading it now.
Sounds interesting - but in reality, a real BORE with a capital B !!... how it can win awards at some festivals really boggles me !! Yyaaaaaawwwwnnnnnnnnnnn ...

4. Crossing the Dust (Iraq) - Good
Another good film about 2 Kurdish soldiers journey to deliver food to the army during the toppling of Saddam. One their way, they met a lost 5 yr old boy named “Saddam” crying at the side of the highway... how they try to help him get back home. The film have its’ light moments, realistic scenes (shot just when the US army ‘invade’ Iraq), and ended up with a sad tragedy. The director had based his movie amongst the many stories he heard during the war….
Another nice film worth watching :)
================================
Catching a few more movies before it came to an end on Monday !!
* In Passion & Love (Egypt) - 28 April
* Fools Alley (Egypt) - 29 April
* Opera Jawa (Indonesia) – Closing Film 30 April
Join me anyone ??

Thursday, April 19, 2007

20th SIFF

The Singapore International Film Festival is here again : http://www.filmfest.org.sg/

Yesterday marked the Opening of the Film Festival at Lido 3.
Opening Film shown SANKARA from Sri Lanka (Lido 1)


Quite a 'slow' film with very very little conversation. However, the impact is deep.
It addresses the nature of human in general, how one's fight with your own desire and passion. It comes in the form of a young Buddhist monk, coming to a small village temple to restore its painting. Buddha teaches that man must not be swayed by passion. However, while painting, he is distracted by a beautiful young village girl – here, he have to face the demons within himself, his inner spiritual world is plunged into turmoil. The day after the restoration work was completed, the paintings were scrathed, destroyed (by himself). He managed to restore them again; without being able to erase the mark completely though.
-------------------


Isn't this how we are? Constantly 'fighting', 'tugging, pulling, then releasing' with our inner-self ??... Astaghafirullah hal-azeem.

May Allah always guide us to the right path and obstruct our way towards the wrong and evil ...InsyaAllah.


On the other note. To those whom enjoy watching Good Films... do spare sometime to watch movies from the Film Festival instead of those Hollywood Blockbusters shown in the theaters here... other countries do make GOOD films too you know (not only Hollywood !). These are specially selected good quality Film, many of which have won awards.

Some Films I hope I can catch : (Realist, LoveStory & Humour)
April 22 : LITTLE HEART SONGS - Country Japan
April 24 : LOSING AHMAD - Country Kuwait
April 25 : I AM THE ONE WHO BRINGS FLOWERS TO HER GRAVE - Country Syria/France
April 26 : CROSSING THE DUST - Country Iraq/Kurdistan
April 29 : FOOL’s ALLEY - Country Egypt


And mabye
April 21 : WE SHALL OVERCOME - Country Denmark
April 21 : HASINA - Country India
April 22 : IN THE SHADOW OF THE DOG - Country India
April 23 : STEPPE EXPRESS - Country Kazakhstan
April 24 : LIKE A VIRGIN - Country South Korea
April 25 : SCREAM OF THE ANTS - Country Iran/France
April 28 : THE SIDE EFFECTS OF LOVE - Country India
April 28 : IN PASSION AND LOVE - Country Egypt
April 29 or 19?? : 3 DAYS TO FOREVER - Country Indonesia

April 30 : OPERA JAWA (Closing Film) - Country Indonesia/Austria

Aiyyai..yai ... so many da .... !! and so many many more !!.. be it stories about War, Crime, Spiritual, Animation, etc .. from India, Middle-East, Korea, Denmark, Australia, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Germany, etc ...

For more detail about shows, schedules, prices - visit :
http://www.filmfest.org.sg/


P.S : (Do watch ‘us’ in Suria Segar this Sunday)

Tuesday, April 10, 2007

It's GONE !!.. those curls...

Some say "DON'T", some say "DO" ...
I wanted to keep... but not sure how to keep it neat !!

After much pestering from my dear hb for the longest time, I relented !! Anyway, it’s getting too messy and he hv been scratching much too often.

After my hb’s ‘treat’.. "Do it, or I'll bring him myself!!" I scamper to call my friend Faridah to fix immediate appointment for both of us (since I need one too) and Alhamdullillah, she's available !! Half an hour later, we are at her abode in Tampines... yes ! she have a special room to cater for it at her home !!

Here's the N-result !!

Before




After


My hb actually is not so hepi with the result, he said the 'round' cut makes "katkoot" luks more like a girl !! Ok la hb.. I give-in, the next time - you bring him to your barber !!

For Now it's this boy's turn !!

(my nephew Abdillah)

Thursday, April 05, 2007

IS THIS FREEDOM ?? - Vote

Pls vote AGAINST --



Why discriminate ?...
Is this what you call FREEDOM ??