Noone’s voted yet, so i’ll get this started. I’ve yet to see the Haroun film, and not quite sure on the last pairing.
Moolaadé 1 Courage for Every Day 0
I was pleasantly surprised by Courage for Every Day, quite a neglected Czech film i think compared with some we’ve had. I like its natural unpretentious approach, it’s engaging with something in common with early 60s British realism, but Moolaadé is superior Sembene, expert in its use of colour and space, and typically both challenging and empowering rather than defeatist (which is not the same as having a sugary Hollywood ending!)
I’d like to apologise, sadly, in advance, for not being able to participate here: I’ve seen one out of six films, I think the one I’d select to follow up wouldn’t be the one paired with the one I’ve seen, I’ll abstain. I wish Africa well (but the Czech Republic too).
Dry Season 0 – The White Dove 1
Two great films to start things off. I thoroughly enjoyed how the theme of revenge was handled so subtly in Daratt. It was all done so naturally, with a great deal of tension throughout. Would the son avenge his father or not, with this man who treats him like his long lost son? The one scene where he aims his gun through the window at his older antagonist – who has his back turned to him at a distance – with hands shaking as he points, then turns his head aside, is incredible alone.
Still, I love the films of Vláčil – who is the major director find for me in this event. I have never seen any director handle his camerawork in a more creative and inventive manner. It is not surprising to learn he was also a skilled graphic artist, as this aspect shows in every scene, especially involving the painting of the dove by the artist. The white dove motif is carried through so subtlely on so many levels, that it is beautiful to behold. There are so many things going on in every scene, so many symbolic references and cues, such creative visual parings, that it boggles the mind. A magic film that I have only now discovered thanks to this event.
Moolaadé – Courage for Every Day
No vote for now, as I am awaiting the Moolaade, which is on its way, but maybe not in time. If I can get it today, I will watch and vote, as I have been able to view the Czech film.
Night of Counting the Years 1– Seduction 0
Erotikon is a significant work for its own time, and effectively handles its ‘erotic’ theme, but is no match for this wonderful Egyptian film. I got completely caught up in this stunningly shot film that recreates an actual event of tomb robbery. It was all done with great care and beautifully filmed in scene after breathtaking scene. It was like what an Indiana Jones movie should be like. Acting was good too. A winner on all counts.
I have loved the selections from the Czech Republic as much as – or often more than – any country in this event, but Africa, through Blue Kim’s creative choices, keeps pulling out these unexpected winners. Thanks to both managers for some great films in this AWC event.
I still need to watch two films before voting, but meanwhile I publish Rüdiger Tomczak´s vote for this match:
NIGHT OF COUNTING THE YEARS 1 – Erotikon 0
“That was the most difficult decision between two equal classics of two different countries. My vote goes to NIGHT OF COUNTING… because this film is still to be discovered outside of its country of origin.” (R.T.)
Not many votes so far, so i’ll add another. Not with any great enthusiasm i must admit, i’d long wanted to see Night of Counting the Years but it was disappointing- if Ecstase (also by Machaty) had been picked instead of Erotikon for the Czechs my vote would certainly have gone the other way. When a ship loomed up over the dunes, i was reminded of Khemir, and also Fitzcarraldo, but it turned out the explanation was less extraordinary. It created an atmosphere but felt ponderous and constrained, in such open spaces!
Night of Counting the Years 1 Erotikon 0
This match deserves more votes… I hope it’s not because it’s the weekend… :(
1. Dry Season 0 – The White Dove 1
Dry Season was an intriguing tale of revenge and I believe the first and only film I’ve seen from Chad so far. However, I was rather taken with the photography and plot of White Dove…
2. Moolaadé 1 – Courage for Every Day 0
A relevant and important theme, executed with beautiful composition and colours. One of Sembène’s best in my opinion.
3. Night of Counting the Years 1 – Seduction 0
This one was close. I enjoyed Seduction, but Night had a plot that developed in a uniquely gradual way.
I apologize to both countries.
My schoolwork just piled up and I didn’t get a chance to see any of the six films.
(sigh) :(
Dry Season 1 – The White Dove 0
I really enjoyed both, and this has been my toughest choice yet.
Current scores:
Dry Season 1 White Dove 2
Moolaadé 2 Courage for Every Day 0
Night of Counting the Years 4 Seduction 0
Moolaade 0 – Courage for Every Day 1
Moolaade
Female circumcision. I am against it.
Courage for Every Day
A socialist realist protagonist undergoing an existential crises.
Night of Counting the Years 1– Seduction 0
Night of Counting the Years
Mustachioed men in black robes robbing tombs in slow motion.
Seduction
Everything you would expect from a silent melodrama. And not an ounce more.
moolaadé 0 — 1 courage for every day
Moolaadé is very good, but Courage for Every Day is a masterpiece. The voice overs are overkill, true, but that’s a minor quibble when a film is so good and manages to encompass so much emotion, nuance, story, character development and discourse in a manner so spontaneous and visually striking. It’s one of the most brilliant works of editing I have ever seen, truly. Sembene’s opus is unquestionably good, but, had it been made by a director from the U.S. or Europe, we wouldn’t feel as tempted to forgive its ending. The idea behind it is acceptable, but the presentation I did not find believable in the context the movie itself had presented. Up to that point, it was all great
I expect to vote on at least another game from this match.
In my previous post, an EDIT: “…it’s one of the most brilliant marriages of camerawork and editing…”
(I can no longer edit my posts, for some reason)
Night of Counting the Years 1 vs Erotikon 0
Moolaade 1 Courage for Every Day 0
I’m sorry I couldn’t catch up on the other matches in this one but I do plan to watch Dry Season anytime sooner.
“Female circumcision. I am against it.”
and that is your reason to vote against a film?
what a joke of an argument…
dry season 1 — 0 the white dove
Along with the Cyclo-Marketa Lazarova contest, this has been the hardest decision so far… and like in that match as well, Blue K was involved in finding the movie with which to make me choose against Vlácil. Dry Season is an incredible achievement in that is undertakes one of the hardest premises to develop and makes it work so beautifully, completely devoid of excess. The White Dove’s virtues are easy to spot and quite numerous, but the overall audacious craftsmanship and humanism of the African selection ever so slightly tips the balance.
BTW, spoilers have not ceased to suck.
Dry Season – The White Dove 1
Moolaadé 1 – Courage for Every Day
Night of Counting the Years 1 – Erotikon
Something of a surprise here since the African team has, I believe, won all my votes so far with their wide-ranging and powerful selections, but Dry Season felt a little too Dardennesque to me and not entirely effective for that. I appreciate the seriousness of the subject they are dealing with, and the performances of the two leads, but it came across as a little heavy handed in it morality and too subject to narrative convenience rather than in depth probing. A good film, but not nearly as exciting as The White Dove’s beautiful stylistic extravagance. It’s great to see director’s pushing the limits in new ways like that.
Moolaadé and Courage for Every Day were a close pairing, but I slightly preferred the completeness of Moolaade’s examination of village life and how the tradition of female genital mutilation plays out amongst its people more than I did the somewhat obscure match of relationship and politics/work in Courage. I must say though that the main couple in Courage were quite excellent, and their relationship was handled far better than most I have seen which almost made up the difference between the two films. In fact all the pieces individually tended towards Courage’s advantage, but as a whole, I found Moolade to just work better.
The last pairing was the most difficult for me since I loved both films. Erotikon had the awesome Olaf Fjord, who gave what has become one of my favorite performances of a rakish lover, or kind hearted but unthinking seducer. There isn’t a single thing bad I can say about Erotikon since it is now one of my favorite films, but so is Night of the Counting Years unfortunately, so the decision that should have been easy for Erotikon’s sake, tilted towards Africa after all. I have a thing for the old Hollywood and Hammer studios mummy pictures since the Egyptian characters were more clearly in the right and, to me, sympathetic than the English/American ones. I found this tension between competing moral codes to be fascinating and it provided the films with a deeper meaning than was either readily apparent, or likely even intended by the filmmakers and often thought a film should be made exploring the issue from the Egyptian side, and there was one! And what a film it is! Multi-leveled dealings with ancient and recent history, economic conditions, identity and the intersection between historical past and fictional creation, and the soundtrack is amazing. I probably like this film more than I should, but that’s how it goes. This was one of my favorite paris of the competition so far, in no small part because of the unexpected greatness and personal connection made by both films involved. I’m only sorry that one of them has to lose, and that goes for the two teams as well. Africa and the Czech Republic have been two of my favorite teams in the competition and I hate to see either of them out of the running, both managers have my thanks for all their great selections.
Daratt 0 The White Dove 1
Moolaadé 1 Courage for Every Day 0
Night of Counting the Years 1 Erotikon 0
It was a great joy to watch some of these on DVD rather than youtube, but it didn’t affect my vote as Daratt, an engrossing look at repercusions from a decision to release political prisoners, where I even found the joy a character finds in making bread was shared, didn’t quite match the excellence of White Dove. The motor-bikes and rock n roll, and the rigidity of one man was a nicely made film, but the colour and compositions of Moolaade were so good, and the wives so impressive. Night of Counting the Years seemed to be saying so much more than Erotikon, although the flourishes of the latter almost won me over.
It seems that I will unfortunately not find the time to watch “Erotikon” before the voting period ends, so that I´m now posting my votes for the other two match-ups, and will have to catch up on that film as soon as the world cup is over.
Dry Season 0 – The White Dove 1
Haroun´s film is a great minimalist study of a young man´s attempt to “get rid of his shadow” while seeking revenge for his father´s death. He manages to find the culprit, and begins to work for him, but is uncapable of killing him. The situation becomes even more difficult when the man suggests to adopt him and even wants to meet his father, but the film ends with a statement on forgiveness and compassion. “The White Dove” on the other hand is the first proof of Vlacil´s genius, the shot compositions and camera angles turn an ordinary story of a dove that leaves a girl living in Germany and is found by a Czech boy into a claustrophobic and hallucionary experience, the film is very close to being a masterpiece.
Moolaadé 1 – Courage for Every Day 0
The decision for “Moolaadé” is based on the more abritary emotions between sadness and delight the film causes, while handling a delicate and gruesome subject matter with a sense of humor. It has so far been my favorite film by Sembene, and I´m glad to have had the chance to see the film on a premiere with the director himself present and talking about female circumcision in Africa. “Courage every Day” is another brilliant discovery from Czechoslovakia about a man trying to defend socialist ideology while having to face reality. Evald Schorm is certainly one of those directors whose films remains far too unknown outside of his native country, and I hope that this competition might be a first step towards recognition of his work.
Daratt 0 White Dove 1
Yes, White Dove is extraordinary and beautiful, on the strength of his 3 world cup films Vlacil should be ranked much more highly. The ending of Daratt isn’t all sweetness and light, we feel it heading towards forgiveness and reconciliation anyway, but something more complex i think. A film of integrity, no frills, but expert use of colour though seemingly simple. Many countries in the west seem to have a strange and sometimes oppressive attitude to colour, some African films i’ve seen make a lot of little without intellectual trumpet-blowing or mannerisms. The film isn’t preachy but says a lot, life isn’t all black and white, good and evil, we all have our reasons, and it raises questions not only of how easy is it to kill, but what is a father.
@Dimitris
I see two reasons that could have possibly contributed to this awkward misunderstanding:
1) I have a very dry sense of humor.
2) You are a moron.
I voted against Moolade because I didn’t like it as much as its Chech counterpart.
This movie is perfect for a bedtime story if you like you bedtime stories with a moral.
There is nothing wrong with the moral but the film itself is unremarkable and didn’t impress me.
Is this argument satisfactory to you or do I need to write you an essay?
Moolaadé (Sembene) 1 – Courage for Every Day (Evald Schorm) 0
I like both.
Daratt 0 – Holubice 0
Frantisek Vlácil goes on the right corner side after the wonderful save by the defender Haroun,the team captain for Africa…the Czechs are all forwarding near the post…Vlácil lobs the ball far and away…and oooo,it was too much,that’s out folks,what a nasty execution..the keeper can easily breath for now.
Moolaadé 0 – Kazdy den Odvahu 1
Schorm gets the ball from the center-for,deliberately teasing the defenders but now Schorm has to pass the giant center-back,Sembene….he starts running from the right side,Sembene tries to reach him…dang,that’s it,Schorm has stretched his lucky right and there it is,right above the keeper’s head!
Al-Mummia 1 – Erotikon 0
there goes Machatý,punching the ball from his left side,a magnificent goalie so far,and the ball stumbles on Salam’s feet…the defenders go straight to his spot to chop him off,but Salam manages to dribble in the center of the goalie’s field..he shoots…and it’s in,the post didn’t stop the ball from going on,what a lovely strike!
darn it,so many difficult choices,it all comes down to what the result will be i guess,both teams gave so many powerful line-ups all these months…….as for Sembene,i really need to see more from his older period because his swan song is definitely not on par to his 70’s timeline….
p.s.: oh Mymosh,i love being a moron,haven’t you known by now?
irony is one thing,mockery is worse…especially about Erotikon.
Dimitris, do your parents know about all the stuff you’ve been writing on the internet?
I am assuming here that you are very young because anybody with any life experience would surely realize that different people have different tastes in cinema and that there is absolutely nothing wrong with that.
For reasons unknown to me, you have self-appointed yourself the resident thought-policeman on these forums and every time you encounter an opinion that you don’t agree with, you see it as yet another proof of some philistine conspiracy against art in general and yourself in particular.
The totality of your posts reads like some children’s crusade against “western attitudes”, “subjective academics” and, apparently, humor.
I apologize for being deliberately mean here but frankly you are starting to get on my nerves.
In the future please refrain from commenting on my posts and stop polluting my wall with your incoherent and incomprehensible ramblings.
This thread is supposed to be a battlefield, though in a different way than it´s turning out to be right now. Mymosh, as far as I´m concerned did Dimitris´ criticism relate to your comments, and it´s ok if you explain yourself or reject the criticism, but there´s really no need for personal attacks on the world cup threads. This means in case that you want to discuss the selected films can you do it on here, but if you want to offend another user, please do this somewhere else.
scores with a few minutes left:
Daratt 2 White Dove 6
Moolaadé 7 Courage for Every Day 3
Night of Counting the Years 9 Erotikon 0
MATCH OVER.
RESULT
AFRICA 2 CZECH REPUBLIC 1
Daratt 2 White Dove 6
Moolaadé 7 Courage for Every Day 3
Night of Counting the Years 9 Erotikon 0
Africa 18 votes Czech Republic 9 votes
Africa go through to meet Iran! Who would have predicted that at the start of the tournament?
VOTING CLOSED – THE RESULTS ARE GOING TO BE PUBLISHED SOON
apursansar
THE AUTEURS WORLD CUP 2009 : 1/8 FINAL VOTING
We are now now on the last pair of 1/8 final matches. New participants are still most welcome and allowed to vote in the following match-ups.
On this thread, voting will be on AFRICA V CZECH REPUBLIC. The other match, FRANCE V IRAN, will be on another thread.
The extended voting period for this match lasts from 7 pm GTM on Saturday 21st November until 6 pm GMT on Sunday 22nd November, which means that users will have 23 hours in order to publish their votes. The world map which lists all current time zones can be found on www.worldtimezone.com, so that everyone can be up to date about how much time is left.
After the voting period is over the votes will be counted and the results published. We will then be having a one hour break, before the next two matches start, and a viewing break for the next round after the 1/8 final matches are over. The whole competition will finish in December.
The special world cup section has meanwhile been launched; the line-ups and complete 1/8 final films provided by The Auteurs staff can be found on: http://www.theauteurs.com/worldcup2009
Each user can vote on any line-up of each match as long as he/she has watched both films that are lined-up against each other. An explanation for the preference in each case would be greatly appreciated, as provided by most voters in the previous matches. You can vote on any single pairing; you do not have to vote on all 3 pairings of a match. Team managers are not allowed to vote on matches their own team participates in. The voting should be handled like this:
Film A 1 (or 0) – Film B 0 (or 1)
Film C 0 (or 1) – Film D 1 (or 0)
Film E 1 (or 0) – Film F 0 (or 1)
Please mark the winning film/score in large or heavy print. You can give your explanatory statements either after each vote or after all 3 votes.
The match you´re going to vote for on this thread is
AFRICA V CZECH REPUBLIC
Dry Season (Haroun) – The White Dove (Frantisek Vlacil)
Moolaadé (Sembene) – Courage for Every Day (Evald Schorm)
Night of Counting the Years (Abdelsalam) – Seduction (Gustav Machaty)