"Sans Soleil"
This meta-film by Chris Marker begins with a clip of three children in Iceland who, for the fictional filmmaker/protagonist of the film, are the image of happiness. The clip is broken by long runs of “black leader,” and woman’s voiceover saying that the filmmaker told her, “If they don’t see happiness in the picture, at least they’ll see the black.” The children, in simple summer clothes and wild hair, bring to mind John Berger’s discussions on peasants, which in turn refers to the film. “I never have the impression that my experience is entirely my own,” he writes in Pig Earth. “The act of approaching a given moment involves both scrutiny (closeness) and the capacity to connect (distance).” And so Marker, through his fictional filmmaker by way of the smoky female voiceover, is close and distant to the subject of his film – admitting early ,under the insistent gaze of a girl, that one can not pretend in the absence of the camera. Berger writes that as a storyteller, he sees how things fit together, he gives meaning to experience. Sans Soleil is a voyeuristic film about the banal, the woman tells us. For the filmmaker, the images together have a meaning only transferable by the experience of watching the film. That experience, then, itself becomes a story the viewer shares, as peasants – in Berger’s example – create gossip out of the facts of an event, as I have created a conversation between Marker and Berger, as you might create an argument or addition to this piece. – MJI
Television
"Television: Drug of the nation. Breeding ignorance; feeding radiation"
These are the words of Michael Franti on the 1990 album Hipocrisy is the Greatest Luxury with Rono Tse on the turntables. The name of their band was The Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy, playing off the socialist phrase "disposable heroes of hypocrisy." Today, Franti leads Spearhead, and more often than not ends up at big festivals with aged psychodelic rockers (Phil Lesh of the Grateful Dead) and college bands (Dave Matthews), neither which speak to his sound or the urgency of his lyrics, but the intention of this post isn't to convince you of the integrity of his music. The purpose is to point you to "I Know I'm Not Alone," a film that Franti made with some friends in Baghdad, when he went there to see for himself how the people there were doing. This guy, I saw at a festival walking around barefoot, hugging and talking to people. The film is much the same. www.iknowimnotalone.com - MJI
Fiction International was selected as one of the "top literary magazines in America" among 2,000 eligible journals, according to Literary Magazine Review's survey of over one hundred editors and writers.
We are the only literary journal in the United States emphasizing formal innovation and progressive politics, with its thematic issues, wide variety of controversial fiction, non-fiction, indeterminate prose, and visuals by leading writers and artists from around the world.
FI has published works by authors as diverse as William Burroughs, Robert Coover, Edmund White, Joyce Carol Oates, Walter Abish, Kathy Acker, Ai, Alberto Moravia, Pierre Guyotat, George Perec, Michael Serres, Claribel Alegria, Tadeus Konwicki, J.M. Coetzee, Bessie Head, Roque Dalton, Luisa Valenzuela, Einar Schleef, Lya Luft, Mridula Garg, Kanuko Okamuto, and Michael Morrisey, among others.
Please visit our website (www.fictioninternational.com) & our blog (www.fictioninternational.blogspot.com).
..
..
Who I'd like to meet:
A Perfect Collaboration
Bertolt Brecht and I discuss The Threepenny Opera (Die Dreigroschenoper) and argue about whether Louis Armstrong, Bobby Darrin, Ella Fitzgerald, Tito Puente, Tony Bennett, Ruben Blades, Kevin Spacey, Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, or Kenny Garrett recorded the definitive version of “Mack the Knife” (“Die Moritat von Mackie Messer”). He doesn’t seem to care, so we listen to his testimony before the House Un-American Activities Committee in 1947. It’s playing on an old vinyl LP, and we laugh at some of his remarks before he asks me—with a cigar in his mouth—to show him how to mix and scratch on the turntables like DJ Kool Herc, Afrika Bambaataa, and Grandmaster Flash. I download Sonny Rollins’ “Moritat,” and I ask him if he knows how to program a drum machine. - TN
Although Brecht would likely pass on mixing &/or scratching records in general, since those conventional, hip hop "elements" are much too routine & vanilla flavored for an individual such as Brecht, who would certainly be turned off by metered, punchline raps that do nothing but profess someone's old-school credibility & myopic belief that "real hip hop" has, is, & will always be an oxymoron. - JPA
Yes, but Brecht is scratching his own voice—his testimony to McCarthy—and it’s being mixed with Sonny Rollins’ interpretation of Kurt Weill’s song. There is no rap here. The meter and melody are ones that Weill created and Rollins interpreted. The only punchlines are the ones that Brecht created. Perhaps Brecht wants to learn how to program a drum machine just to turn it off? Or, perhaps to make noise? - TN
Coffee Shorts is back for the new year! We're going through a few changes but are back adding films every week both here on Myspace and at coffeeshorts. co. uk, drop by sometimes, and enjoy this film in the meantime; a black comedy film from New Zealand following the latest case of a private eye specialising in finding lost things; heading to the femme fatale's home on a mission to find some lost keys something more sinister appears to be at work... Shot by David Collins and Lollicake as part of a 48 hour film challenge this film rises well above the constraints of the 48hr approach to create a simply all round great short film.
Drop by for the latest indie film trailer on the network, this time for the critically acclaimed cult Australian thriller film Modern Love. This incredibly visually striking piece is pulling director Alex Frayne comparisons like Kubrick and Tarkovsky and the full film is well worth checking out, order a copy of the DVD at Ezydvd.
I still have Issue #34: Madness II on my book shelf. I take it down from time to time and re-read "Expectations Of The Needy" by John Edward Lawson. I laugh (and cringe) every time.
Hey, thanks for being our friend! Hope you had time to stop by the page; we're a web channel showcasing some of the best independent short films on the web, from drama to animation to music videos like the one we've attached below as our little thank you, hope you enjoy it and drop in to watch some other stuff from time to time, it's free!
Thanks for the add! GUD (pronounced "good") is a print/pdf magazine of 200 pages of genre and literary fiction, poetry, and a splash of art. :) See our profile for information on reviews, freebies, and submission guidelines!
The Smoking Poet first annual short story contest is open to all writers in any genre.
An entry fee of $10 per submission is required, payment to be made through PayPal.
Entries must be submitted as a Word doc file in Times New Roman, 12-point font, and double-spaced. The author’s name, address, and telephone number must appear in the upper right hand corner. Word count must not exceed 5,000. Please include a short bio in the body of your e-mail.
Prizes will be awarded to the top three stories: first prize, $100; second prize, $50; third prize, $25, two honorable mentions will receive a copy of Dominic Smith’s new novel, The Beautiful Miscellaneous. All winners will be published in the summer issue of The Smoking Poet, online in mid June, 2008.
Submission deadline for the contest is May 31, 2008. Please send your submission with the subject line stating CONTEST/Last Name to thesmokingpoet@lycos.com
February 14th marks the US launch of Fair Trade Certified flowers. This V-Day is very special because for the first time Americans can buy Fair Trade Certified flowers and chocolate. Fall in love with Fair Trade and make the pledge to have a Fair Trade Valentine’s Day. Please pass this on to all your Fair Trade Valentines!
.. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..
<a HREF="http://sanfrancisco. going. com/build_profi
THX 4 YOUR SUPPORT!!!
greetz outa Berlin!!
peace
JoVeN
CLICK PICTURE 4 DOWNLOADPAGE
HERE IT IS!!!
www. myspace. com/klarkommproductions
Coffee Shorts is back for the new year! We're going through a few changes but are back adding films every week both here on Myspace and at coffeeshorts. co. uk, drop by sometimes, and enjoy this film in the meantime; a black comedy film from New Zealand following the latest case of a private eye specialising in finding lost things; heading to the femme fatale's home on a mission to find some lost keys something more sinister appears to be at work... Shot by David Collins and Lollicake as part of a 48 hour film challenge this film rises well above the constraints of the 48hr approach to create a simply all round great short film.
..
Happy Birthday fiction international,
I hope you Have a Rock'in Day... Vince
Vinces music CDs are available for purchase directly to his fans through MusicByVince. com website and digitally on:.. iTunes, MSN Music, Rhapsody, Amazon, emusic and many more digital download sites.
fiction intern'l,
Drop by for the latest indie film trailer on the network, this time for the critically acclaimed cult Australian thriller film Modern Love. This incredibly visually striking piece is pulling director Alex Frayne comparisons like Kubrick and Tarkovsky and the full film is well worth checking out, order a copy of the DVD at Ezydvd.
..
..
..
thank you for the add,
hope all's well...
- dirt.
..
I appreciate the add!
You are welcome to listen to my work, read my words, look at my art... stay in touch!!
Almost the weekend, so have a good one!
I still have Issue #34: Madness II on my book shelf. I take it down from time to time and re-read "Expectations Of The Needy" by John Edward Lawson. I laugh (and cringe) every time.
Cheers, peace, good wishes, and fight the power!
Thanks for the add!
TheComicCollective. com
Hey, thanks for being our friend! Hope you had time to stop by the page; we're a web channel showcasing some of the best independent short films on the web, from drama to animation to music videos like the one we've attached below as our little thank you, hope you enjoy it and drop in to watch some other stuff from time to time, it's free!
Ciao,
thanks for the add! Greeting from Italy. Hugs
Antonia.
Myspace Comments
"What's requisite for happiness? A little ink." -Jacques Rigaut (1898-1929)
x
The book that will blow the roof off everything!!
(click4unity)
Thanks for the add, I appreciate it. I wish you much success in 2008 and 2009 and I hope you have a great week!
*hugs*
Starr Sanders
Thanks for the add! GUD (pronounced "good") is a print/pdf magazine of 200 pages of genre and literary fiction, poetry, and a splash of art. :) See our profile for information on reviews, freebies, and submission guidelines!
$3.50 PDF, $10.00 Print.
TAKE YOUR MEDICINE!!!!!
Click Below For Our Blog!
Thanks for finding us in the Myspace mess…
(…click the pic…)
Support the Arts.
Amen.
The Smoking Poet first annual short story contest is open to all writers in any genre.
An entry fee of $10 per submission is required, payment to be made through PayPal.
Entries must be submitted as a Word doc file in Times New Roman, 12-point font, and double-spaced. The author’s name, address, and telephone number must appear in the upper right hand corner. Word count must not exceed 5,000. Please include a short bio in the body of your e-mail.
Judges are Zinta Aistars, managing editor of The Smoking Poet; Russell Rowland, fiction editor of The Smoking Poet and author of In Open Spacesand The Watershed Years; and Dominic Smith, author of The Mercury Visions of Louis Daguerre and The Beautiful Miscellaneous.
Prizes will be awarded to the top three stories: first prize, $100; second prize, $50; third prize, $25, two honorable mentions will receive a copy of Dominic Smith’s new novel, The Beautiful Miscellaneous. All winners will be published in the summer issue of The Smoking Poet, online in mid June, 2008.
Submission deadline for the contest is May 31, 2008. Please send your submission with the subject line stating CONTEST/Last Name to thesmokingpoet@lycos.com
Welcome to the 4th.
Will you be my Fair Trade Valentine?
February 14th marks the US launch of Fair Trade Certified flowers. This V-Day is very special because for the first time Americans can buy Fair Trade Certified flowers and chocolate. Fall in love with Fair Trade and make the pledge to have a Fair Trade Valentine’s Day. Please pass this on to all your Fair Trade Valentines!