cinema

CCTV hacked by video artists

Sophie Team Observers — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 15:37:31 +0200

Along with the explosion of surveillance cameras comes a new type of filmmaker. Using a technique called "video sniffing"; they're pirating CCTV footage from shopping centres and the police to "retake control of their environment".

Video sniffing, or "warspying", was originally a game with the goal of getting hold of CCTV footage. With the help of a 2.4GHz receiver (which you can get on eBay) and an old camera, video sniffers can receive the images recorded by small shops and offices, and even the police. Once they know where the surveillance cameras are, they can put on a performance in view of them and retrieve the footage without spending an extra penny. The money-saving technique has become increasingly popular in the past few years and is now appearing in exhibitions and actual films.

Chavez has a go at filmmaking

Julien — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 15:03:43 +0200

Written with help from our Observer in Argentina, Johana Kunin.

“Miranda regresa” (“Miranda Returns”) is the first major film produced by President Hugo Chavez’s state-run production company. A historical saga, it depicts the life of Francisco de Miranda, leader of Venezuela's independence struggle against Spanish colonialism at the turn of the nineteenth century. Miranda dreamed of creating a republic called Colombia that would have covered a large chunk of South America.

The motion picture was produced with a budget of 2.3 million dollars by the state-run cinema production company, which Chavez founded in 2006. Over 1,200 extras were hired for the film, shot in Venezuela, Cuba, and The Czech Republic. American actor Danny Glover, a supporter of Chavez, plays a minor part.

The movie’s title, “Miranda Returns”, is the subject of much discussion and interpretation at home. Many wonder whether Chavez is attempting to cast himself as a reincarnation of the Venezuelan hero. The president has depicted the project as an effort to counter Hollywood's global domination, slamming American blockbusters like Superman and Batman as “excrement” and a “source of counter-values”. "There is no revolution if we don't recover our culture, our own values. It is part of the fight against [US] imperial hegemony,” he declared.

The film’s premiere was held in a military fort. Among those present were Rafael Correa, Ecuador’s president and a key Chavez ally. The motion picture is screened in 40 mainstream cinemas throughout the country.

Bush - from "alcoholic bum" to world president

Ségolène Team Observers — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 17:48:22 +0200

Oliver Stone has dedicated his latest film to the rise of the Bush family ugly duckling, George W. Three months before the film comes out, the trailer for "W" has already received over 400,000 hits in less than 48 hours. Stone is planning to release the film on 17 October, just three weeks before the American presidential election. Controversial?

Stone never made a point of hiding his dislike for the Bush administration, especially when it came to politics. He insists however that he'll tackle the subject in the same manner as the biographies he's done until now, and denies trying to influence November's election. He told the press that he just wanted to find out "how did Bush go from an alcoholic bum to the most powerful figure in the world?"

Arriving in the midst of the presidential campaign, the film has attracted plenty of criticism for its supposed intentions, on both sides of political America. While some worry that the film will create sympathy for the president, others say that its sole purpose is to bring down the Republican Party in time for 4 November.

The new Batman – "the best superhero film in history"

Sophie Team Observers — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 15:59:49 +0200

Batman fans dress up as the Joker outside the first showing in Vancouver. Photo posted on Flickr by "Corsiworld".

The latest chapter of the flying rodent-man's adventures, Batman: The Dark Knight came out in North America and Hong Kong on Friday. The release pulled in record audience numbers, even beating Star Wars III.

The film looks set to break all the records. It's already garnered $155.3 m (almost €100m) in its first weekend at the cinema - the biggest amount the American box office has ever seen.

Christopher Nolan directed a brilliant cast including Gary Oldman, Morgan Freeman and Christian Bale of course, who once again slipped into the skin of Gotham City's millionaire hero. But the starring character of this Batman was not the man himself, but his arch enemy the Joker, whose return was announced at the end of the last film, Batman Begins. As cynical and deranged as always, he brings a dark side to the story. But he also brings great interest from the public. Actor Heath Ledger, who played the part, took a lethal overdose just after filming came to an end. Warner Bros. admits that this rather morbid anecdote has its part to play in the success of the film.

Did John Woo steal shots from Jack Snyder’s "300"?

Sophie Team Observers — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 14:03:21 +0200

The suspicious part of the Red Cliff poster on the left and the original shot from 300 on the right.

Hong Kong director John Woo has created the most expensive film in the history of Chinese cinematography. So why couldn't "Red Cliff" afford its own poster? Chinese web users say that the central image used in the picture is actually a shot stolen from the 1997 film "300".

Jack Snyder's "300" tells the tale of the epic Battle of Thermopylae, 480 BC, between the Spartans and the Persians. "Red Cliff" on the other hand, is based on events that took place some 1,700 years ago in China's ancient Three Kingdoms period. But the poster's designers didn't seem to worry themselves over these historic particulars, nor the royalties held by the original artist. Maybe they should have. As the film was released a few days ago in China, plagiarism allegations had just been filed.

Maradona in Cannes: "more than a star - a god"

Sophie Team Observers — Fri, 23 May 2008 10:43:43 +0200

Photo: Street Art from Argentina

One of our Observers at Cannes got a place at the viewing of the documentary on football star Maradona, by Palme d'Or winner Emir Kusturica, screened on Wednesday 21. A quick juggle with the ball and a 20-minute-long standing ovation before the start of the film; the "god" hasn't lost his touch...

Far from the spotlight at the Cannes Film Festival

Sophie Team Observers — Thu, 15 May 2008 18:03:59 +0200

The beach at Cannes yesterday. Photo: "G-Rome" on Flickr

From our Observers on the scene, we're following the international film festival in Cannes. Not the stars, but young actors, directors and film addicts who are taking part in the prestigious event for the first time. Here, a young filmmaker who has come to promote his short film and a student who spends all day attending projections and all night in quest of a party invite.

Michel Gondry launches first "sweding" film contest

Julien — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 16:10:21 +0100

The French director Michel Gondry is about to release his new film "Be Kind Rewind"; a story of two friends who spend their time remaking famous films- called "sweding"- with the lowest possible budget. To celebrate its launch he's organised a "sweding" film competition in collaboration with Dailymotion.

The KGB goes into cinema

Julien — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 18:01:00 +0100

In 2006 the Federal Security Service of Russia (ex-KGB) set up a prize for ‘arts and literature'. Last year, the blockbuster ‘Apocalypse Code' was the winner of Best Film category. Not unique in its message, the film is one of many cultural products that glorify the Russian security agency released each year, some of them requested to be made by the FSB itself.

The Lives of ‘Us’ – or how one story of snooping is the same as others

Julien — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 18:41:37 +0100

Material from Team Observers.

In a country where the media is completely state-owned, this young Cuban blogger is extremely brave. In this post, she talks about the release of the Academy Award-winning German film, ‘The Lives of Others'. Set in Communist East Germany in the mid-1980s, the film tells the story of a Stasi agent assigned to monitor an East-German playwright suspected of subversive intellectual pursuits. The film details the alarming efficiency of the East German snooping machinery, including bugs planted in apartments and around-the-clock monitoring of a suspect's private life.

But for Yoani, the film is not so much about ‘the lives of others' as it is the lives of people she knows - as well as her own - in Castro's Cuba.

Post your questions to Yoani Sánchez.