Somehow caught unaware by the voting period … been an extremely hectic last couple of weeks. Now left without enough chance to see two films before voting ends.
:(
Gabbeh 0 – The Girl who Sold the Sun 1
The Day I Became a Woman 0 – Nightingale’s Prayer 1
Where is the Friend’s Home? 0 – Black Girl 1
well it’s looking all a bit late for Iran, i think Sir Douglas has sewn it up, a miracle needed
scores now:
Gabbeh 5 The Little Girl who Sold the Sun 10
The Day I Became a Woman 3 Nightingale’s Prayer 7
Where is the Friend’s Home? 8 Black Girl 11
1. Gabbeh 0 – The Girl Who Sold the Sun 1
My favourite discovery from this round. I love, love, love this film! Soleil, soleil! (That’s ingrained my memory.) Thanks so much Blue for giving me the opportunity to watch another great film by Mambéty. :) Despite focusing on a girl with disabilities, it was never sentimental, overly dramatic or patronizing in any way.
2. The Day I Became a Woman 1 – Nightingale’s Prayer 0
I loved both films — I’ve always been attracted to films depicting strong women, which was the case in both — a rather coincidental and appropriate pairing I found.
The melodrama was adeptly portrayed in Nightingale’s Prayer, but in particular I found the use of lighting very effective in the film. The engineer’s house was forever veiled in shadow it seems, with a sinister feel about it due to events past that occurred within, but also showing the dark vengeful sentiments of Amna. In contrast, the ending, taking place outside in broad sunlight, and within the beautiful front garden of the house no less, contrasted a shattered sense of a possible utopian resolve for the two.
Despite all this, I had to vote for the Makhmalbaf film for its extended impact on me. The first was a bittersweet (I don’t think candy in this scene could have been more appropriately used!) ode to the closing of the first chapter in a female’s life and an initiation into maturity, which unfortunately for this young girl, is met with less than ideal consequences as she is forced to part with her best childhood friend, who just so happens to be male. This I considered as a form of confinement. I’m sure others have said this before, how powerful the second segment is, with the bicycle race. For this woman, I felt she was liberated in a sense from a controlling marriage, only to possibly be confined by society later due to her potentially ‘shameful’ divorce. I did feel as though the third story was weaker in a way, but no less important than the first or second — sometimes it is only later in life when a woman can be freed from her previous marital and societal obligations, which was the case — a story of true liberation. I felt as the old woman was taking off each string from her, a certain disappointment or burden from her was lifted. By setting all her furniture by the beach, it seemed a pictorial way of displaying to herself and to the viewer, how she fantasized her life past to be, had she been allowed to do to her heart’s content.
Was the film cohesive as a whole? Yes and no — the stories did all come together in the last story of the old woman. Irregardless of that fact however, I found it was a unique and compelling way to address what it may mean to be a woman in a different stage of life.
3. Where Is the Friend’s Home? 1 – Black Girl 0
Sigh, this pairing kills me as well. The hardest decision so far for me because both I hold in high regard and are my personal respective favourites from each director. Black Girl has one of the most haunting endings and is just so emotionally affecting, as well as historically important (being the first feature length film from sub-Saharan Africa I believe) but I have to go with the Kiarostami… Unlike others who may have started with another film from his Koker trilogy, or Taste of Cherry for example, this film was actually my first Kiarostami. It’s never left me, and for me his attention to detail in filming children is spectacular. The film’s message is rather subtle and almost reaches you subconsciously in a way. I feel awful for voting against Sembène though… :’(
MATCH OVER!
RESULT
IRAN 0 AFRICA 3
Gabbeh 5 The Little Girl who Sold the Sun 11
The Day I Became a Woman 4 Nightingale’s Prayer 7
Where is the Friend’s Home? 9 Black Girl 11
Iran 18 votes Africa 29 votes
Congratulations Blue K.
I´m honored to have Blue K as my next adversary. Congratulations and thanks for all the great discoveries you gave us.
Oh, I’m glad I made it in time… Sorry I was so last minute this time around. I’ve never rambled so much before in an explanation! Blue, I dedicate my extended explanations to you, however messy they are, for in a way compensating for not voting for all three of your three brilliant choices. :(
A big thanks and commiserations to User-de-Faux-Fuyants who i think has been an outstanding manager. Congrats to Africa, the surprise package of the tournament for sure. Time for Criterion and others to have a big rethink
Yeah, I was wondering where Myra was. I said yesterday that she deserves a double whisky but not a whole bottle.
As usual, I couldn’t vote cause I knew the wrong films (The Girl who sold the sun, the day I became a woman, and wehre is my friend’s house?), and I never have the time to watch any of the fine WC selections I’m not familiar with. :-(
Dimitris Psachos
we need more votes like Rudiger said in the other thread.
c’mon people,where are you all????