We were required to watch 3-6 movies related to Photography, and give our opinions, so here is what I have to say:
Movie one - BORN TO BROTHELS
An Academy Award winning documentary by Ross Kauffman and Zana Briski, of the Red Light District in Calcutta. The movie is about a few children who are living in a Brothel, who's futures spell prostitution and drugs. With the parents and family addicted to drugs, alcohol, and working in the line, the kids have no hope for education or a decent future.
Until New York photographer Zana Briski steps in and gives each child a camera, to view Calcutta in a different way. Zana spends time with these kids, helps them take better photographs, and discovers what these kids can become if they could only get out of the Red Light District. Zana goes on to help these kids get into boarding schools, and into a better future. The film is very powerful and eye opening.
I really enjoy the film, because it's real. The events that happened in the film actually occur, and need to be stopped. It's awesome to see the lives of the little kids changing, and the parents willing to get their kids into a better future, all done through photography. When I see a movie that actually has meaning, and real events, it's more impacting than watching, lets say, PECKER, which is just for humorous pleasure.
Born to Brothels really made me think about just grabbing a simple point and shoot 35mm and photographing everything that goes on around me. Having so much gear just turns me off most of the time.
Movie two - PECKER
Wow. This movie was ridiculous. Pecker's voice was really annoying, and it had pretty unnecessary nudity in my opinion. BUT, it was pretty funny at the same time, and again, really made me want to snatch a really simple 35mm and photograph everything around me! It was a funny plot, with the kind of family he had, the life he lived, and the amount of fame he received so quickly from his photographs. I realized that he had absolutely no problem taking someone's picture, and I wish I had the guts to do the same. I mean, what's the worst that'll happen, if I try to photograph someone?
Two things I noticed about the movie, was that he'd NEVER change his roll of film and would shoot about 2,314 frames, and when his friend and him were developing prints in the basement, they only washed them for about 3 seconds, before hanging to dry.
This movie was amusing though.
Movie three - ONE HOUR PHOTO
Robin Williams does a great job playing a lonely, single Photo Clerk in this creepy Psychological Thriller. Sy (the Clerk) displays disturbingly great interest in a young family of 3, who's been his favourite customers since their son was born 9 years ago. After years of tracking this family through their prints displayed in his apartment, he discovers from another customers prints, that the man of the family was cheating on his wife. After being fired from bad behaviour and hundreds of missing prints, Sy goes on to straighten out the families' lives in a somewhat disturbing manner.
The film was really enjoyable for me, as I like Robin Williams, anything photo related, and Thrilling movies. The curiosity of why this man was doing what he was doing really kept me on the edge of my seat. I had a really good feeling when Sy found the photographs of the man cheating. I knew he cared too much for the family, to let the father/husband do this to them, but before I found out the man was cheating, I was really curious why the Clerk was stocking the family the way he was!
I enjoyed the dedication of the Clerk to his photo printing and the calibration of the printer. He really valued his customers and wanted the best for them.
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