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by Marja-Leena

McLaren again

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(Still: Norman McLaren’s La Merle via NFB)

Back in May, I wrote about Canada’s great animator Norman McLaren who had a long film-making career with the National Film Board of Canada.

NFB is celebrating 65 years of Animation and I discovered that we can view four of McLaren’s films on the Focus on Animation pages, small scale or full screen size.

Blinkity Blank and Hen Hop are delightful and lively – don’t forget these were done by hand in 1955 and 1942 respectively, long before the digital era. Le Merle is a simple and delightful animation based on an old French-Canadian nonsense song, Mon Merle. I plan to show these to my grand-daughter sometime soon.

The Oscar-winning fourth film Neighbours/Voisins (1952) is disturbing and a powerful parable on how easily humans can go into battle! Still very timely viewing but not for young children. (Maybe some world leaders we know should watch it!)

You may learn more about McLaren’s work at this overview.

I look forward to browsing though the other film-makers’ works as well, as time permits, but to me McLaren was THE master and his films were a part of many happy hours in my childhood.

August 16, 2006 in Canada and BC, Films by Marja-Leena 5 Comments »

by Marja-Leena

Helvetica, a film

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Helvetica is a feature-length independent film about typography, graphic design and global visual culture. It looks at the proliferation of one typeface (which will celebrate its 50th birthday in 2007) as part of a larger conversation about the way type affects our lives. The film is an exploration of urban spaces in major cities and the type that inhabits them, and a fluid discussion with renowned designers about the choices and aesthetics behind their use of type.

Helvetica encompasses the worlds of design, advertising, psychology, and communication, and invites us to take a second look at the thousands of words we see every day. The film was shot in high-definition on location in the United States, England, the Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland, France and Belgium. It is currently in post-production and is slated to begin screening at film festivals worldwide starting in early 2007.

It sounds quite interesting, or is it just for nerds? I think one of my artist friends, who is very knowledgeable about type, may find it quite fascinating. Set in the context of global visual culture, the film should appeal to artists and graphic designers – I admit to being intrigued.

Check out the interesting links at the Helvetica website. Thanks to Luksus, (a Finnish blog mostly written in English about art and design in Finland and around the world) and the Canadian mirabilis. I hope we get to see this film in Canada.

(Image above is my spontaneous and unprofessional little play with Helvetica in Photoshop. Graphic designers need not be too critical, please.)

August 15, 2006 in Films, Neat stuff by Marja-Leena 10 Comments »

by Marja-Leena

Blue Buddha

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This past Monday evening ‘The Nature of Things with David Suzuki’ presented Blue Buddha: Lost Secrets of Tibetan Medicine. It traces the odyssey of traditional Tibetan medicine from it’s roots in ancient Tibet, to a worldwide interest in it’s traditional medical wisdom.

Twelve hundred years ago the people of Tibet developed a comprehensive medical system. They understood how the mind affects the body. They knew subtle ways of changing the body’s chemistry with medicines made from plants and minerals. They blessed their medicines in lengthy rituals. And they encoded this knowledge in a series of 79 elaborate paintings called thangkas (scrolls).

I found the program fascinating and inspiring from many perspectives – the history, the training and practice of the traditional medicine, the spiritualism, and the art. If this interests you, do read the informative website and the interview with “Blue Buddha” director Aerlyn Weissman where she gives her perspective on Tibetan medicine and how it has influenced her personally.

I tried to find online images of the 79 thangkas but only found a few poor images shown, such as at this detailed ongoing study. The author of the study mentions that the scrolls she saw are not very old. If I recall the film correctly, most of the original ancient medical thangkas, used in their teaching, were lost when the Chinese forced the Tibetans to flee their country. The monk doctors who had memorized all the information, slowly taught these to younger acolytes who painted new ones. In the program these looked truly amazing artistically and scientifically.

If you are able to view CBC where you live, the program is repeated tonight at 10 pm ET/PT on CBC Newsworld. I highly recommend it and I’m going to tape it this time.

As an aside for those who don’t know our great David Suzuki – he is a Canadian author, broadcaster, environmental activist, geneticist, and professor, and is well known for motivating people’s interest in science. He has written eighteen books, his latest being “David Suzuki: The Autobiography” (Greystone Books). Check out also the David Suzuki Foundation.

And finally, I must put in a plug for the CBC – this kind of quality programming is what CBC does well and should continue to do more of instead of the highly commercial non-Canadian offerings best left to the private stations.

July 19, 2006 in Culture, Films, History by Marja-Leena 2 Comments »

by Marja-Leena

watch this!

Interested in Cave Art and Art History? Make a date with your TV tonight! I’d read about this earlier and put a sticky note here on my screen. Now comes a great reminder from CultureGrll that the PBS series How Art Made the World is beginning tonight on your local PBS channel. In Vancouver, that’s KCTS 9 from Seattle at 10 pm. The program website itself is quite interesting, and according to that I think I will enjoy the first two episodes the most!

LATER: Just finished watching the first episode. It’s very well done, an interesting thesis that I totally agree with – and it’s actually a BBC production! Beats all the hours of watching slides in art history lectures!

June 26, 2006 in Films, History, Rock Art & Archaeology by Marja-Leena 4 Comments »

by Marja-Leena

Norman McLaren

This interesting news item about the late great Canadian animator Norman McLaren (1914-1987) brings back a lot of wonderful memories for me:

The films of National Film Board animation pioneer Norman McLaren will be the subject May 22 of the 2006 Cannes Classics programme, an annual tribute that profiles a great filmmaker whose work is currently undergoing digital restoration.

This guy is as innovative today as he was when he came out, except that he did it with his hands and with his fingers and by drawing on film,” explains Bensimon who says the Cannes Classic event is a double tribute to the NFB, since McLaren is the first Canadian, and the first animator, ever to be so honoured.

Norman McLaren’s films were the highlights of school days for me and many children. Later on, as an art teacher, it was a pleasure for me to share my love of his work with my students. It’s been a very long time since I’ve seen any of his films so I don’t remember many titles except for Neighbours, and Blinkity Blank – a fine example of music creating image, the sounds you hear are mimiked it seems with the forms and flow of motion that is on the screen. From fireworks to Egyptian forms and birdcages, over a blue surface , the images being etched directly onto the cell print we are taken on a five minute voyage with basoon, trumpet, clarinet and drum.

So, the upcoming DVD that is being made of some of McLaren’s collection will definitely be on my wish list!

Links:
– National Film Board of Canada and Norman McLaren
– Norman McLaren in Wikipedia
– The source of this news is The Globe & Mail but darn, the link is now only available to registered readers – I should have copied the whole thing while I had a chance!
– Cannes Film Festival
– UPDATE: Toronto Star has the full story!

UPDATE 2 – May 14th, 2006: Check on NFB’s activities at Norman McLaren Year. Thanks to Pat Dillon of the NFB for emailing me this information!

May 12, 2006 in Films, Other artists by Marja-Leena 7 Comments »

by Marja-Leena

Toronto’s Lord of the Rings

lotrwallpaper_thumb.jpgThe much-anticipated musical theatre version of The Lord of the Rings made its formal début in a gala première in Toronto on Thursday evening, and the reactions of the audience suggested that the massive production would not be leaving town very soon.

From the Finnish point of view Toronto’s The Lord of the Rings production is particularly interesting, with its strong Karelian-tinged songs composed by the Finnish folk group Värttinä.

“Just as in Tolkien’s original work, music has a greater role in the stage adaption than it had in Peter Jackson’s highly successful film trilogy. The “Finnish connection” is not altogether a coincidence: Tolkien often referred to his own personal debt to the myths of the Finnish national epic Kalevala.” (from Helsingin Sanomat International*)

I’ve been waiting to hear more about this since first reading about the Finnish connection, and then learning that the debut would be in Toronto. Well, it has received mixed reviews in both the CBC* and the Globe and Mail*. I wonder if the expectations might be too high after the films, even the book.

Still, I wish I was closer to Toronto to go see this production. And that reminds me, I still haven’t seen all of the films and I must reread the book after 20 years or so. Ah time, time…

ADDENDUM March 28th: Here’s more from Helsingin Sanomat*: “Finger of fate pointed Lord of the Rings music towards Finland; Värttinä discovered largely by chance to compose the music for Toronto production”.

* Updated 27.08.2015 – expired links removed

March 24, 2006 in Books, Films, Finland, Estonia & Finno-Ugric, Folk Legends & Myths, Music by Marja-Leena 13 Comments »

by Marja-Leena

The Tommy Douglas Story

Wow – we’ve just finished viewing a very moving film Prairie Giant: The Tommy Douglas Story, a two-part drama on CBC-TV. It’s a fascinating biography of the man who became a long time premier of Saskatchewan and then the first federal NDP leader, and a pioneer of universal health care in Canada. The movie has some of Canada’s best actors with Michael Therriault doing a fantastic job in the lead role and it is beautifully filmed in Saskatchewan, with 3000 extras donating their time for the privilege!

Though we remember Tommy Douglas from our youth, we learned some new and shocking Canadian history, about a bloody riot and the oppression of the farmers and workers, dirty politics (what’s new?) and the rise of social democracy. Saskatchewan, under Douglas’ five term leadership, brought forth the first provincial car insurance, free education, electricity to farms, medicare against the objection of doctors, Bill of Rights and more. Nationally Douglas’ NDP fought for national medicare, old age pensions, unemployment insurance, five-day work weeks with paid holidays and more. You don’t have be an NDP member to admire this man’s contributions to our country. This film impressed us so much that we’re going to order the DVD (something we don’t often do!)

I really enjoyed the online information about Prairie Giant, including the official movie site. In 2004, Tommy Douglas was voted greatest Canadian in a special CBC television series, which (I think) provided the impetus to make this movie.

Wikipedia also has an excellent biography from where, for example, I was able to confirm a recollection that Tommy Douglas is the father of actress Shirley Douglas, and the grandfather of actor Kiefer Sutherland and a twin sister. She was married to their father, actor Donald Sutherland, from 1966 to 1970.

Chandrasutra* has more at her blog.

Addendum: March 14th: A commenter at Chandrasutra points out the Tommy Douglas Research Institute. Read Mouseland, one of Douglas’ most famous speeches that we heard, chuckled over and admired in the movie.

* sadly, her blog no longer exists

March 13, 2006 in Films, History by Marja-Leena Comments Off on The Tommy Douglas Story

by Marja-Leena

Isabel Bayrakdarian in Armenia

Last Thursday evening we decided to do a rare thing and watch TV, specifically CBC’s Opening Night which featured A Long Journey Home.

This is a beautifully filmed and spiritually moving documentary that follows Armenian-Canadian operatic soprano Isabel Bayrakdarian on her emotional first visit to her ancestral homeland. Her journey takes her from Yerevan, the modern capital, along an ancient silk road to churches and ruins tucked away in Armenia’s remote mountain regions. As the first country to embrace Christianity Armenia has the oldest Christian churches in the world.

Isabel Bayrakdarian is becoming an expert on the music of Armenia’s iconic composer, Gomidas or Komitas (1869-1935) who collected and preserved thousands of ancient Armenian folk songs before the genocide of 1915. In addition to the folk music, Komitas arranged a great deal of sacred music. So it was that she sang many of his compositions in several churches and ruins, sometimes accompanied by a girls’ choir or an adult one, or by a marvelous duduk quartet.

I particularly loved the ancient church she visited which was carved completely out of the rock of a mountainside (possibly Geghard Monastery?). I connected with her immense awe over this “living ancient” rock and when she sang in here with her glorious voice, the wonderful acoustics made me shiver.

Sometimes her singing made me remember the haunting music of the Romanys who travelled the Silk Road as so powerfully and movingly presented in the film Latcho Drom.

And all through A Long Journey Home, we kept recalling the film Ararat by Atom Egoyan that we watched over a year ago and in which, in fact, she sang some of the background music.

This CBC-TV production is available as a DVD for those who might be interested – I highly recommend it! Do read this recent interview and article in Globe and Mail’s Engineering News of all places! Can you find out why? (I’m not sure how long this link will remain active.)

Addendum Feb.15,2006: I just came across these excellent photos of sacred sites in Armenia

January 22, 2006 in Culture, Films, History, Music by Marja-Leena 2 Comments »

by Marja-Leena

on artists & celebrity

Poking around in my bookmarked “articles to re-read”, I was taken in once again by this Guardian interview of JG Ballard about a year ago. His thoughts on today’s art scene struck a chord with me:

Today’s art scene? Very difficult to judge, since celebrity and the media presence of the artists are inextricably linked with their work. The great artists of the past century tended to become famous in the later stages of their careers, whereas today fame is built into the artists’ work from the start, as in the cases of Emin and Hirst.

There’s a logic today that places a greater value on celebrity the less it is accompanied by actual achievement. I don’t think it’s possible to touch people’s imagination today by aesthetic means. Emin’s bed, Hirst’s sheep, the Chapmans’ defaced Goyas are psychological provocations, mental tests where the aesthetic elements are no more than a framing device.

It’s interesting that this should be the case. I assume it is because our environment today, by and large a media landscape, is oversaturated by aestheticising elements (TV ads, packaging, design and presentation, styling and so on) but impoverished and numbed as far as its psychological depth is concerned.

Moving off topic, I want to learn more about the author and discover there’s a lot of material on Ballard to sift through, but Answers has a nice summary. JG Ballard is the author of numerous books, including Empire of the Sun, which was made into a film directed by Steven Spielberg. It is one of my favourites that I’ve seen twice. Amazingly, the early part of the story has autobiographical elements and makes me want to see this very powerful and moving film again. (Maybe I should read the book too, something I don’t like to do AFTER seeing the film.)

June 14, 2005 in Being an Artist, Books, Culture, Films by Marja-Leena 8 Comments »

by Marja-Leena

‘Rings’ debut in Toronto

The much-anticipated stage adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s ‘The Lord of the Rings’ trilogy will have its world premiere in Toronto, producers announced in London Tuesday. The $27-million show, co-produced by Toronto’s Mirvish Productions, will open in March 2006 at the Princess of Wales Theatre with a largely Canadian cast […] The show had been scheduled to debut in London this spring […] However, there was no theatre available to accommodate the massive and technically complex three-hour production. (from CBC.ca*)

Last year I wrote about some interesting Finnish connections to the ‘Lord of the Rings’. First it was about Tolkien’s study of the Finnish language and the Kalevala. Then I wrote about the contributions of Finnish culture including folk group Värttinä’s music to the stage adaptation musical of the ‘Rings’.

Now I also discover several Canadian connections, including a Canadian creator of the music score and composer of a Rings symphony:

The music is by Bollywood composer A.R. Rahman, responsible for the U.K. hit Bombay Dreams, and Finnish group Värttinä’.[…] The Canadian Children’s Opera Chorus produced an opera adaptation of Tolkien’s The Hobbit last summer and Toronto-born composer Howard Shore, who created the score for Jackson’s films, adapted his music into a symphony work entitled The Lord of the Rings: A Symphony in Six Movements for Orchestra and Chorus. The piece has been performed to sold-out audiences around the world.

Some further reading in news around the world:
more in CBC*
BBC
the Aussie news*
Kaleva.plus in Finnish*

Thanks to a new reader in Finland who sent me a scanned clipping of the news item from the print version of Helsingin Sanomat. Now, I wonder if my cousin in Toronto has a spare bedroom?

** Updated 27.08.2015 – expired links removed

March 17, 2005 in Books, Films, Finland, Estonia & Finno-Ugric, Folk Legends & Myths, Music by Marja-Leena 2 Comments »

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