Films to learn from

[AnnO'Neemus]

Iraq in Fragments (documentary)

An opus in three parts, Iraq In Fragments offers a series of intimate, passionately-felt portraits: A fatherless 11-year-old is apprenticed to the domineering owner of a Baghdad garage; Sadr followers in two Shiite cities rally for regional elections while enforcing Islamic law at the point of a gun; a family of Kurdish farmers welcomes the US presence, which has allowed them a measure of freedom previously denied.

American director James Longley spent more than two years filming in Iraq to create this stunningly photographed, poetically rendered documentary of the war-torn country as seen through the eyes of Sunnis, Shiites and Kurds. Winner of Best Director, Best Cinematography and Best Editing awards in the 2006 Sundance Film Festival documentary competition, the film was also awarded the Grand Jury Prize at the 2006 Full Frame Documentary Film Festival, and nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature in 2007.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0492466/
http://www.iraqinfragments.com/

 

[AnnO'Neemus]

Ahlaam (Dreams) (film)

NB: Many cast members weren't professional actors, but that's not to detract from their performances, it was brilliantly done, not least because of the difficulties in filming, which involved crew being kidnapped.

Scarred Baghdad 2003... confusion, uncertainty and death engulf the bombed ruins of a Psychiatric Asylum. Voyeuristically we move between the past and the present of three Iraqi lives entangled by the chaos of the American 'Shock and Awe' campaign...

'Ahlaam' a bewildered young women, confined to the asylum after witnessing the violent arrest of her fiancee on their wedding day... deeply bruised she lives a confined existence in a state of delusion. Brutally damaged by the hands of the regime, Ahlaam is left with little hope, only a dream...

Dr. Mehdi, a hard working idealist, exiled to work at the institution despite his abilities, longs for a free Iraq where humanity is cherished not brutalised by hatred and fear, where the human quest for truth and goodness will triumph over the brutality he witnessed... But will Mehdi's spirit survive the devastation and his father's political past?

Ali, a patient and former soldier... once a proudly optimistic man eager to serve his country, now a shell-shocked shadow, traumatized by the American bombings. Ali's fearless insanity of his war zoned nation may be the hospital's only hope as he roams the terrorised gun ridden streets for surviving patients.... Ali's patronism may save others but will it save him?

http://www.ahlaamthemovie.com/

 

[AnnO'Neemus]

Indigenes (Days of Glory) (film)

This is a film that's loosely based on the North African soldiers who fought in the French Army around WWII. The subsequent discrimination experienced by those who fought was a real issue that was highlighted by the film and forced a change in French government policy.

It's been likened to a French Saving Private of Ryan/Band of Brothers kind of thing.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0444182/
http://www.daysofglorythefilm.com/

 

[AnnO'Neemus]

9 rota (9th company)

Film based on real events, Russians holding a hill in Afghanistan towards the end of their war.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0417397/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_9th_Company

A colleague put this on our DVD swap shelf at work and I borrowed it thinking it was in English but it's actually in Russian, but with English subtitles. I kept getting a couple of the characters confused, because they looked a bit similar to me. But again it was one of those quite moving military camaraderie movies. Considering I was dismayed to hit the play button and find out that it was in Russian (was on a night when I wanted something I didn't need to think about or concentrate too hard on) I persevered and watched it till the end, it was that good.

Oh, and it won loads of awards.

 

[AnnO'Neemus]

For a girl, I randomly seem to have watched loads of war movies...

I have Battle for Haditha in my 'to watch' pile as well. And Flags of our Fathers. (Along with Happy Times, La Mome, Motorcycle Diaries and Casablanca.)

 

[AnnO'Neemus]

Gawd I miss the Cornerhouse in Manchester I think I watched all three of Iraq in Fragments, Ahlaam and Indigenes there. Only get blockbusters at the multiplexes over here

 

[butchersapron]

Indigenes (Days of Glory) (film)

This is a film that's loosely based on the North African soldiers who fought in the French Army around WWII. The subsequent discrimination experienced by those who fought was a real issue that was highlighted by the film and forced a change in French government policy.

It's been likened to a French Saving Private of Ryan/Band of Brothers kind of thing.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0444182/
http://www.daysofglorythefilm.com/

This film was a weak echo of Ousmane Sembene's The Camp at Thiaroye
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0092716/

 

[Minnie_the_Minx]

I noticed that 'Bury my heart at wounded knee' was on MORE4 last night so should be available on demand and that Bowling for Columbine (ch4) and City of God (film4) are on tonight.
.

On tonight, or rather this morning, at 1.45 on More4

 

[SpookyFrank]

Good night and good luck, as a reminder of the days when journalists had some balls.

 

[8den]

Bullshit.

DeValera played a big part in Collins' death. Collins was a lamb to the slaughter, DeValera knew they wouldn't get anything more from the negotiations yet he was still anti-Treaty afterwards?

Oh do fuck off darling. The film has DeV in cohoots with the guy who shot him the night beforehand, nothing like that has ever been proven.

 

[N_igma]

Oh do fuck off darling. The film has DeV in cohoots with the guy who shot him the night beforehand, nothing like that has ever been proven.

Fuck you ya scum bag, lick the back end of my balls fruit cake.

 

[8den]

Fuck you ya scum bag, lick the back end of my balls fruit cake.

Well theres a measured and mature response with intelligence and a rational argument, supported by historical evidence.

 

[N_igma]

Well theres a measured and mature response with intelligence and a rational argument, supported by historical evidence.

Listen here you me sonny jim, SUCK THE BACK END OF MY BALLS. Bring it on BIG BOY, bring it fucking on! YUPTA!

 

[Bakunin]

'Cross Of Iron' is my all-time favourite anti-war film. It's also the only war film that Sam Peckinpah directed. Sam Peckinpah portraying the Russian Front isn't something for those with a weak stomach though.

'1984' (either version, but I prefer the one with Richard Burton (in his final performance) and John Hurt) is a pretty faithful rendition of Orwell's book, and provides a pretty nightmarish glimpse of a supposed Utopia gone, very, very wrong.

In a similar vein, 'Threads' provides a powerful, and quite frankly stomach-churning, vision of what Britain might look like after a nuclear war has broken out. For a more satirical view of the nuclear question, 'Doctor Strangelove' would be a good choice.

'Land And Freedom' is, for me anyway, possibly the finest thing that Ken Loach has ever made. Set in the Spanish Civil War, it shows the effects of civil war in general and its effects on a group of volunteers fighting on the Republican side in particular.

That lot should keep you going for a while.

E2A: I really wouldn't watch them all one after another, unless you want to feel as miserable as Marvin the Paranoid Android for the rest of the day.

And don't, whatever you do, attempt to watch 'Threads' or '1984' while you're on acid. Just don't, OK?

 

[8den]

And don't, whatever you do, attempt to watch 'Threads' or '1984' while you're on acid. Just don't, OK?

Jesus christ "threads" on acid.



I'd rather watch Margaret Thatcher rutting.

 

[8den]

Listen here you me sonny jim, SUCK THE BACK END OF MY BALLS. Bring it on BIG BOY, bring it fucking on! YUPTA!

Sobered up yet?

 

[gsv]

can anyone recommend anything about cuba?

13 Days. The Missile Crisis from within the Kennedy White House.
Loads of it is taken from meeting transcripts. Incredible shit - the administration fighting the joint chiefs, who want to nuke Cuba

GS(v)