MY MELBOURNE FILM FESTIVAL 2006 – DAY 11, 13TH AUGUST

ITINERARY

• 5.15PM – SYMPATHY FOR THE DEVIL (FRANCE/UK)
• 7.15PM – MIND GAME (JAPAN)

MY MELBOURNE FILM FESTIVAL 2006 – DAY 10, 12TH AUGUST

ITINERARY

• 11.00AM – THE ANTS (JAPAN/CHINA)
• 3.00PM – SYMPATHY FOR LADY VENGEANCE (SOUTH KOREA)
• 5.00PM – THE SUN (RUSSIA/JAPAN)
• 7.10PM – PRINCESS (DENMARK)
• 9.00PM – THE HOST (SOUTH KOREA)

MY MELBOURNE FILM FESTIVAL 2006 – DAY 9, 11TH AUGUST

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• 5.00PM – A CRUDE AWAKENING: THE OIL CRASH

I DID BOOK TIL MY SCHEDULE WAS FULL, BUT I WAS TOO FAR INTO WATCHING THEM ALL AND ALL THE OTHER MOVIES WERE TAKING ITS TOLL.

A little break in between..

I am the armchair traveller, already been to watch 32 different movies, from about 20 different countries, i guess i should be having delusions about travelling the entire world from watching movies. Nope, i’ve not reached that point. And i must say i’m having an extremely good time being part of this year’s Melbourne Film Festival. I am not a student of film, though i’d like to be one, nor a movie-maker, but the visions and perspectives that can be viewed through the minds of so many individuals is what i would be looking for, coming to terms with words, depictions, stories, parables, lessons and why people do the things people do and why we are where we are. Movies go a long way reiterating what we would like people to perceive, and indie filmmakers have seemingly so, an agenda more than money.

My host here in Melbourne, Beatrice, asked me cordially about whether i’d enjoy movies more by not knowing anything before watching it, or having read up about it first and then expecting something. I didn’t know what to say; more often than not i would read up all i can about the movies i watch, without spoiling the fun. I would say that forming an expectation level can be good, for your expectations can be exceeded by the film and it turns out to be quite a feeling. However, the feeling of not knowing what to expect can create something different, but it really depends on the mood of the movie.

Enough bout movies for now.

Friday seems to be the movie-day i’m not particularly up for. Instead i’ll be pondering more about my future, my departing Sydney which i have grown accustomed to, my returning home. That there is a great deal to ponder, worries me, since i have probably ignored most of it all to the 15 mins i spend reflecting on my life before i sleep. And Lord, have i neglected You.

When one is focused on Him, there often is a voice reminding me that no problem conjured by man was impossible for Him to solve, and i do not hear that voice now. I hear doubts. I feel as though my footprints are going backwards. In my own way i have moved out of the glory of God in my life, and i only run raggedly whenever i need Him. A thousand times we’ve been reminded, to always stay in focus, yet we can be blinded by the events unfolding before us everyday, and everyday is a continuation of our routine habits divided into timelines called days, weeks and months. Our natural tendency to sin takes up residence every moment we’re not engaging in the habit of staying in the Light. But Lord, grant me the serenity to accept the things i cannot change, the courage to change the things i can, and the wisdom to know the difference.

MY MELBOURNE FILM FESTIVAL 2006 – DAY 8, 10TH AUGUST

ITINERARY

• 1.00PM – HOST AND GUEST (SOUTH KOREA)
• 3.00PM – THE WHITE BALLOON (IRAN)
• 5.00PM – A LITTLE TRIP TO HEAVEN (ICELAND/USA)
• 7.00PM – LOOKING FOR CHEYENNE (FRANCE)
• 9.00PM – THE UNFORGIVEN (SOUTH KOREA)

MY MELBOURNE FILM FESTIVAL 2006 – DAY 7, 9TH AUGUST

ITINERARY

• 5.00PM – EVERY OTHER WEEK (SWEDEN)
• 7.00PM – TOUGH ENOUGH (GERMANY)
• 9.00PM – GIE (INDONESIA)

MY MELBOURNE FILM FESTIVAL 2006 – DAY 6, 8TH AUGUST

ITINERARY

• 1.00PM – WE FEED THE WORLD (AUSTRIA)
• 3.00PM – TWELVE AND HOLDING (USA)
• 5.00PM – BLACK GOLD (UK)
• 7.15PM - A PRAIRIE HOME COMPANION (USA) BY ROBERT ALTMAN
• 9.00PM – THREE TIMES (TAIWAN)

MY MELBOURNE FILM FESTIVAL 2006 – DAY 5, 7TH AUGUST

ITINERARY

• 3.00PM - IN BETWEEN DAYS (KOREA)
• 5.00PM – MUTUAL APPRECIATION (USA)
• 7.00PM – THE HAWK IS DYING (USA)
• 9.00PM – EDMOND (USA)

MY MELBOURNE FILM FESTIVAL 2006 – DAY 4, 6TH AUGUST

ITINERARY

• 3.00PM – THE PIANO TUNER OF EARTHQUAKES (FRANCE)
• 5.00PM – HEADING SOUTH (USA/HAITI)

MISSED OUT ON:

• LOVE AND DUTY (CHINA)
• LINDA LINDA LINDA (JAPAN) – RATHER REGRETTING MISSING IT!

MY MELBOURNE FILM FESTIVAL 2006 – DAY 3, 5TH AUGUST

ITINERARY

• 1.00PM – LA SAGRADA FAMILIA (CHILE)
• 3.00PM – HOW I SPENT THE END OF THE WORLD (ROMANIA)
• 5.10PM – AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH (USA)
• 7.00PM – FLANDRES (FRANCE)
• 9.00PM – THE GREAT YOKAI WAR (JAPAN)
• 11.30PM – PUSHER (DENMARK)

MY MELBOURNE FILM FESTIVAL 2006 – DAY 2, 4TH AUGUST

ITINERARY

• 3.00PM – FRIDAY OR ANOTHER DAY (FRANCE)
• 5.00PM – MANSLAUGHTER (DENMARK)
• 7.00PM – CLIMATES (TURKEY)
• 9.00PM – C.R.A.Z.Y (CANADA)

MY MELBOURNE FILM FESTIVAL 2006 – DAY ONE, 3RD AUGUST

ITINERARY

• 5.00 PM: 9 SQUARE METRES FOR TWO
• 7.10 PM: THE GREAT HAPPINESS SPACE – A TALE OF AN OSAKA LOVE THIEF
• 9.25 PM: LUXURY CAR

I’ve arrived in Melbourne at 12pm, 3rd August 2006, all geared up to head to the movies that i have pre-booked way back in Sydney. I was originally scheduled to watch a 3pm screening of Our Daily Bread, a documentary about the ‘crises’ we call famine, when as a matter of fact, our food production capacities can feed twice our beloved Earth’s population. I gave that up, seeing that it was a little too rushed, having to take a 45 minutes bus ride from the airport to the city, and decided to go for lunch instead. I’m really thinking that my eyes wouldn’t outlast the movies that I have booked for anyway; realistically speaking, 50 movies in 10 days is a little incomprehensible to the average human being. And my thoughts for the day were about how long I can hold out my enthusiasm in the air, missing out on the luxury of another companion validating that what I am doing really is a good experience. Not many share this enthusiasm that I have for movies in this regards, the tagline already bearing warning; “IT’S A LONG WAY FROM HOLLYWOOD”.

With movies from across the globe, I am sure it will more than just re-spark my interests in looking at the world outside of the nutshells that I’ve cracked out from; movies here are either driven by Hollywouldn’t ideas or by perfectionist and masterful storytelling that either compel or bore the living hell out of you. What I’m so sure of is that I’ll be meeting different people here and there, that I will be so engrossed with everything about the movies that I might seem disinterested to talk about anything to anyone else and that some ideas will stick with me that I will repeat it to everyone I know when I’m back in Malaysia. What I’m not so sure of is that I would be able to keep my schedules, remember everything I have watched to maintain a proper dinner time conversation and actually make it a point for me to be part of a film festival every year. At least I know I’ll be sure in a week’s time.

They say…

It’s been a long week, graduating, birthday, and drinking that i’ve totally neglected posting here again. I’ve also been preparing to go to Melbourne again, and leave Sydney for good when i get back. I;m hoping to enjoy the last few weeks of my time here in Sydney before i make my way back home.

Well, enough on the pleasantries of my life. I should feel lucky to have the opportunity to be where i am, as long as God wants me to be there. In the wake of war, it doesn’t feel good to be anywhere.

i was told by someone, in a toilet in a bar, that he hates Christians, subsequent to asking if i was one myself, and the reason was “you’re $#%ing murdering all the Muslims”. At that moment, i was wary of two facts; he was a big bloke, and we’ve both been drinking. Based on that rationale i refused to say anything, even here and now.

In a totally separate event, i was told that ‘religions are $#%^ed up, they divide the world and create’ wars. I find that this impartial blame game as being totally absurd and ridiculous, for is it not the same to be saying that ‘race divides this world’ too, creating alarming blasphemy upon history (like the white supremacy theories) and nonetheless, violence and destruction. Why not blame sin? Why not blame our innate hungers and desires to be superior?

I was also told that “civilization did not create wars; wars created civilization” which was cause for pondering. I’ll leave discussing this for later.

This post was due before i went to melbourne, but here i am, continuing where i left off just before leaving Sydney. More posts coming up….