Blackfish

"A mesmerizing psychological thriller with a killer whale at its centre, Blackfish is the first film since Grizzly Man to show how nature can get revenge on man when pushed to its limits."

Blackfish opened my eyes to the inhumanities and atrocities of something I'd enjoyed my whole life; Sea World. When I was very young, my mother and father took me to Sea World to see Tilikum, the resident orca known for being a bright and happy whale with the cute floppy fin. Seeing him is one of my earliest memories; being blown away by the size and magic of such a whale was an experience that really can't be recreated. It sparked a lot of passion in me, and since then I've been infatuated with the sea, taking on surfing and scuba diving as I grew older. Blackfish raised the veil of magic I had enjoyed, and exposed the ugly truth behind whale entertainment and SeaWorld's concern for animal welfare.The film, directed and produced by Gabriela Cowperthwaite, focused on the life of Tilikum. The film begins with the capturing of baby Tilikum from the shores of Washington state. Taken from his pod as a baby, Tilikum lived his entire life as a 'show whale', first in a local aquarium and then SeaWorld, Florida. Interviews with trainers, managers and admirers of the whale slowly expose Tilikum's fall from grace, as one deadly incident after another become more and more of a problem for SeaWorld and it's image. As Tilikum transforms from a gebtle baby orca to a frustrated bull whale, SeaWorld kept the killings quiet, blaming trainers for the accidents, not the whale. SeaWorld shamelessly defended itself against the accusations the whale shows were unsafe to keep profits high. Blachfish exposed the scandal behind the whale attacks, and SeaWorld's concern for profit over the lives of trainers.The film was thought-provoking and eye opening. For a documentary style film it was longer, but kept interesting with varied topics and interviews. I recommend this to anyone with a passion for animal welfare or a love of the seas.

Tokyo!

 Every weekend, my father and I make a tradition of scouring the local library's "At the Ritz" movie section for a new foreign film. We like to consider ourselves, "connoisseurs of subtitles" and "accent aficionados." In reality, we're just hungry for something more thought-provoking and satisfying than the average bang bang American action film.

Foreign films, as a rule, are pretty hit or miss. They can be too long, to dull, or too complex to follow in a language not your own. However, finding a film, any film really, that moves you or keeps you engaged all the way through is what the search is all about. Tokyo!  was all of those finds; artistic, engaging, thought provoking, and highly symbolic. The entire film was a triptych of three shorts, each about 35 minutes.

  Directed by Michel Gondry, the first story is about a jaded young woman in Japan, without a real job (and therefore, identity in Japanese culture) who finds herself feeling useless next to her up and coming film director boyfriend. The French director has also directed popular films like Boy Meets Girl and Mauvias Sang, as well as many other shorts. This was my favorite out of the three overall, because of the great attention to subtlety and dialogue. despite the language barrier and subtitles, the couples romance is blossoming, however strained under their finances and social status.  In the crammed space of a friends apartment, the main character (Hiroko)  overhears her friend talking about Hiroko's lack of a job and usefulness. Hiroko has been dealing with her internal feeling like a burden for a long time, and it finally manifests in the dramatic ending of the short.
In the second short, a Caucasian man, the Sewer Creature, emerges from underground and terrorizes the city. A look-alike lawyer is the only man known to speak his language, and the city awaits to see the Creature taken to justice. in this short, the unique cinematography and powerful symbolism bring distinction to the piece. the Creature, haggard, with one blind eye and a long red beard, eats only flowers, and paper money.  he lives in Japanese sewers alongside cast-off war time materials and graffiti. When he's finally captured after a rampage, he and the (human) lawyer exchange dialogue in their own language. the content of the conversation is never revealed, leaving the viewer with a sense of mystery.In the final scenes of the Creature's trial and execution, the split screen view of all the people in the courtroom keeps the otherwise drab courtroom scene exciting.
 Finally, we encounter a man who has not stepped outside his own home in ten years. He falls in love with his enigmatic pizza delivery girl, and is faced with a feat of bravery to pursue her; directed by Joon Bong-Ho. In the home of the Hikikomori (our main character, and introvert of ten years)  scenes show the man's house, a delicate combination of sterility ( his organisation and systematic stacking) and intimacy (overgrown plants, vintage furniture and flowered mugs). this unusual love story was personal, endearing, and i certainly fell in love with the Hikikomori.  Bong-Ho is also known for his involvement in other indie films such Mother and The Host.

Tokyo! broke my heart and stitched it back up again. I laughed, cried, and marveled at the beautiful stories and characters.  The ephemeral overtones seamlessly disguised the harsh and sometimes political feelings rooted into the plot lines. I would recommend Tokyo! to anyone with an appreciation for imagination, cinematography, or symbolism.

Suburban-Nightmare, A Manifesto for Youth

Readers, everywhere! I'm starting my very own mini-zine, Suburban-Nightmare, A Manifesto for Youth!

The zine will include essays, poetry, art, mixed tapes among other things, and will be focused on young feminism, coming of age, and teenage love and lust. I'll be printing and distributing from my home town in New Jersey to anyone who is interested. You can follow this blog to stay informed and up to date with all the cool stuff going into this. I'd really appreciate your comments and thoughts about the zine, as i do spend a lot of time making it and compiling the media.

Happy reading,

Sarah.

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Good Eats

Illegal Art

Ai Weiwei's art is world-renowned for its powerful message and political potency. Wei, born during 1957 in China, has been arrested and held in solitary confinement for months, even years at a time, due to the political nature of his art and censorship laws in his country. Despite China's relentless efforts, Wei's artwork has breached the borders, and his message has spread worldwide. Wei's vision is one of civil justice, a dream of liberties, safety, and security for the people of China. Working as a writer and curator, he has used social media and other forms of communication to lift the veil of mystery behind China's censorship laws and social concerns. Wei uses symbolism, juxtaposition, and potent sarcasm to create invigorating scenes that leave the viewer with a new take on Chinese policy.

His art has proven Ai Weiwei as one of the great visionaries of the twentieth century. He uses reclaimed materials in combination with modern technique to create a paradoxical piece. After a great Earthquake in Beijing where many young school children perished due to the lack of building codes and poor engineering of the schools, Wei used this tragedy as a ploy to express the danger in Chinese public code. Using the backpacks of the deceased children, Wei built a huge serpent, white and black in color, that extends over 100 feet and winds along the ceiling of his gallery. The serpent is symbolic of the collusive nature of China's public policies; leaving citizens in blatant danger while turning their eyes away from the problem.

Wei also makes a bold statement in his piece, Dropping The Urn. Wei is photographed dropping an ancient, sacred urn into the ground, smashing it to bits. The photo set is then surrounded by urns, age old pottery that has been revamped by the artist and covered in bright glazes, to obscure the traditional designs beneath.. Together, the pieces depict Wei's rebellion against traditionalist society, waiving in a new generation of artists and idealists to advance his country.

Wei is in no way opposed to his roots. In fact, the artist takes great pride in his heritage and connection to China. He does, however, speak out against the government through his creativity and has been punished for doing so. Current;y, the artist resides in Beijing, unable to leave his home and under constant camera supervision. Rumors have it that Wei's piece in the works features the very cameras that keep him chained to his house.
The world is always eager for new material from Ai Weiwei, and the artist has certainly earned his righteous place among some of the most innovative, and influential artists and activists of all time.




As always, comments are greatly appreciated. Information on the artists history/vision was derived from here.

Intimate things

Artist Appreciation- Henry Hargreaves

     Henry Hargreaves' collection No Seconds has been turning heads since it's release. The photographer features the last meals of some of the most horrific men ever to walk down Death Row- including Timothy McVeigh (Oklahoma City bombing 1999), and John Wayne Gracy (serial murderer). Hargreaves' pieces are aesthetically pleasing as any other culinary photography, but also chilling, giving the viewer an intimate view into a criminal's last few moments of life. In Vice.com's interview with the artist, Hargreaves explains his fascination with the final meals.
"I’m really interested in people’s choices with food. It’s one of those things that everyone does several times a day, but you never really see it out of context or think about what it says about someone. I was reading about a campaign to abolish the last meal in Texas, so I went online and researched it. And as I was reading through these records, I felt that I could identify with these people for a brief moment just from what they ordered.'     The hidden meaning behind Hargreaves' choice of subject was a political one. Being a native New Zealander, Hargreaves saw the American justice system (specifically, the death penalty, still legal in many states) as inhumane and contradictory with American values."It’s seen by most of the world as this outdated, barbaric act. And it’s strange that it still exists in a country that spends so much time advertising their democracy and morals to the rest of the world."
Hargreaves, through creative and (and appetizing) means, has stabbed at one of the most pressing and controversial issues in America today- should the Death Penalty be abolished completely? Or is it a reasonable means of justice, an eye for an eye? Let me know what you think in the comments below. 

Quotes were taken from here, a formal interview with the artist.