My Picks for The 46th Chicago International Film Festival

Sep 22, 2010 by Sami

I LOVE MOVIES!

Yes, I screamed the above line.  Any one that knows me knows that every year I await the Chicago International Film Festival like a lover awaiting the return of their loved one from war. I count the days, wonder what films will be screened that year, what countries are they from, how many days will I be locked inside the theater with my favorite characters…

This year is no exception. The Festival is running from October 7th till the 21st. Check out the website on where to get your tickets! Act fast because usually they will go by faster than you can say “I want to check out this movie”.

I’ve made it easy for you folks. You know I have a great taste so I’m going to recommend few that I think are not to be missed. Comment and let me know what you think of my picks and what others do you plan to go see! Enjoy! The description is taken directly form the Festival’s site.

Asleep in the Sun (Argentina)

Lucio loves his wife Diana desperately, but her losing battle with depression prompts him to commit her to an institution in the hopes that their radical methods will cure her. Diana returns home only a few days later, pronounced healthy yet deeply altered by the treatments she underwent. Festival alum Alejandro Chomski creates an atmosphere of disquieting surreality with his arresting, off-center visual style in this Kafkaesque tale of mental illness.

Black Swan (USA)

This psychological thriller set in the world of New York City ballet stars Natalie Portman as Nina, a dancer in a ballet company who finds herself locked in a web of competitive intrigue with a new rival (Mila Kunis). Black Swan takes a thrilling and at times terrifying journey through the psyche of a young ballerina whose starring role as the duplicitous swan queen turns out to be a part for which she becomes frighteningly perfect.

read more

Sympathy for Lady Vengeance

Jan 19, 2010 by Sami

Let me tell you about why Lady Vengeance is one of the greatest films ever made. I say this over and over again, something magnificent happens when watching East Asian cinema, especially Korean cinema. Even more specifically are the masterpieces of Chan-wook Park. After all, he is responsible for why this cinematic romance started, when I wrote about Thirst. Film makers in East Asian cinema are able to communicate with me through so many other means than the spoken dialogue. That is exactly it: the films are so much more than just a script that’s being read. It is so beautiful, so inspiring. I wish there were other words that are not so trite for maybe then you might side with me and understand what it’s like to watch a film like Sympathy for Lady Vengeance. I feel that now, certain words are used more often which in turns takes away the sincerity of those particular words. Enough about this though. Let me tell you about why Lady Vengeance is one of the greatest films ever made.

read more

SPY(ies)

Oct 18, 2009 by Sami

I believe that most of our lives go on unplanned. As much organizing and effort one puts into having a straight line from point A to point B, most of the time, line has lots of curves and waves. If you did have a straight line, then the points you can stop at between A and B are infinite. Or so my math teacher taught me.

For me, a very important stop happened when I needed an elective and the only class offered was a photography class. What on Earth am I going to learn at a photography class?! I learned things I wish to never forget. My professor once told me, when she was in France, she witnessed something that she did not expect. Artists there are treated like doctors and lawyers. With so much respect and admiration. I was reminded of that by director Nicolas Saada when he said something very similar. He said “by declaring yourself an artist you are removing yourself from the class system”.

read more

A Place of One's Own

Oct 15, 2009 by Sami

I have two entries, one for Plastic City and another for Raging Sun, Raging Sky. I wrote them, read them and rewrote them again and still was not satisfied for what I have given birth to. Just like any sensible parent would do, I hid them away from the world so no one would be see them. I was not sure why I wasn’t happy with the results…until tonight.

read more