“Muchacho Del Flamenco” – a feature coming of age film

Coming of age films which deals with youthful talent and inspiration have achieved a classic standing . We all remember the huge success of films such as ” Love and Dance ” and ” Billy Elliot ” – which is why the news about a new ground-breaking feature film about a boy passionate about music and dance really rose the interest in me. What`s more – the screenwriter of the new film with a working title “Muchacho Del Flamenco” is the legendary American screenwriter and producer Stephen Ryder. ( whom I recently interviewed for another film of his – ” The Last days of April ” )

According to a press release of Metropolis Films Inc ,”Muchacho Del Flamenco” would tell the story of a 13 year-old boy being raised by a single mom in Barcelona’s suburbs. “Pablo” aspires to be the greatest Flamenco dancer in all of Spain, much like his hero Rafael Amargo( Who signed on as the film`s choreographer). Pablo’s grandmother, a faded dancer herself, seeing his spectacular ability, secretly encourages the boy. This causes conflict with the boys’ mother, who is pragmatic and hard-working, and a strict mother to the boy. She has no love of the dance. A 9 to 5 job is her ideal.

Sounds interesting , doesn`t it ?

From the same press release we also learn that Metropolis Films has commenced a nation-wide search in Spain for the right boy to play the role of Pablo. Marianne Nilson-Nygaard of Casting Marbella said “This is a starring role which requires excellent dancing ability, and a very handsome face, much like a young Farruquito. Candidates must be no taller than 157 cm. No singing is involved and no acting experience is required, but the boy selected will be athletic, statuesque and able to take direction.”

If you know boy who fits in that description ( yes I throught of Antonio Jose ) and would like to be auditioned for the leading role in the film , mention the web site of the casting agency where their contact e-mail can be obtained . Note that Ryder and his co-producer Rick Lancaster decided on Barcelona and its environs for filming locations after conversations with Jorge Sobredo, Spain’s cultural attaché at the Spanish Embassy in Washington D.C.

An interview with screenwriter Stephen Ryder

An update – an exclusive review of the film at theskykid.com

The last days of April is the title of a new coming of age film to be released in September( USA) . I found out about it thanks to Stephen Ryder who is its script writer and producer . He is also the screenwriter of the masterpiece L.I.E and was kind enough to answer to some questions about his new production. Before proceeding with the exclusive interview with Mr. Ryder I would like to quote the film`s synopsis which so far is the only publicly available information about it :

“A beautiful young woman who is a murderous sexual psychopath returns from combat as a mercenary in Iraq and abducts a 14 yr-old boy, holding him prisoner as a bizarre relationship develops “

It is definitely not your average plot and my expectations for this production fueled by the official trailer (which can be seen below) are quite high.The last days of April seems to be a combination of thriller and a drama with a coming of age overtone . The young lead TJ Plunkett seems to be a very talented actor even if I only had the short trailer to form my opinion on that.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ClAxw08F4Ws

“The last days of April” – Official web site

TheSkyKid.com interviews Stephen Ryder – the screenwriter of L.I.E and The last days of April

Me : What inspired you do write the story behind ” The last days of April ” ?

Stephen Ryder : The director came to me with an idea for a movie in march of 2008 – he proposed that a man abduct a teen-aged girl and hold her captive. I felt that was too ordinary and that it had been done many times. When I rejected that suggestion – Rick Lancaster came up with the idea that the victim could be a boy.I said “Now that has not been done before!” and wrote the script . In 90 days or so we were in production.

Me : Did you have to make any changes of the script during the film`s production ?

Stephen Ryder : Since I wrote the script, I own Metropolis Films, and I produced the movie – who would have the authority to have me make any changes? Although – because George Bush was still President at the time – we deliberately didn’t film any sex scenes (you can’t take a chance with a radical right-wing Christian government) like we would have in a free country like Spain or Denmark or The Netherlands.

Me : How did you cast TJ Plunkett – and what made him stand out for the role from the rest kids who were auditioned ?

Stephen Ryder : We had a nation-wide casting call out in the industry. He responded. Talent, guts and personality. We interviewed over 480 kids, there wasn’t even a close second-place. Everything about him was head and shoulders above the rest – and he was the former U.S. National Junior Karate Champion at 14. We needed that skill for the fight scenes (our actress was an expert in Thai kick-boxing.) He was highly intelligent, serious, professional and his dad was no problem – he stayed out of the way.

Me : Does your background as a law enforcement officer influence your writing( I am no expert – but I am guessing that the Stockholm syndrome would play some role in your new film ) ?

Stephen Ryder : All of my colorful experiences inform my writing to an extent, of course. But 99% of all my script are strictly imagination. Although I actually wound up playing the part of the Sheriff in this film because the actor we cast dropped out 24 hours before we were scheduled to shoot the scenes with the Sheriff in them. Since the Sheriff’s character was old, fat, bald and stupid, I felt I was perfect for the part. And my experience as a Deputy Sheriff lent an air of authenticity to that role. “The Stockholm Syndrome” question will be answered for you when you see the movie.

Me : Thank you for your time Mr.Ryder.

Little brother

“Never underestimate the determination of a kid who is time rich and cash poor”

“When you have government always spying to the people is bad “

In the last few days I have been listening to an amazing coming of age tech novel which is all about privacy , human rights and abuse of authority. I have always had an affinity towards the fundamental human rights; such as freedom of thinking and expression . I have spent countless hours discussing privacy issues , encryption , spyware avoidance, etc.

What I found in those discussions is that some people seem to be oblivious to the abolition of their rights. I think that awareness should be raised amongst those people so we can all remain free avoiding all those traps set by the huge corporations and corrupt organizations such as RIAA, BRAIN and sometimes even our own governments .

The book I can’t wait to tell you about is ” Little brother ” – written by Cory Doctorow and I loved it! The story line follows the adventures of a 17 year old high school kid in the US; Marcus (also known as w1n5t0n). He is a smart kid who knows a lot about technology (these days many young people do and I think that this is great) and tries to avoid the surveillance systems in his school in order to do what most people his age want; Having a saying about what goes in their lives and of course having fun.

Things get complicated for him when, after a major terrorist attack, he is detained by US Department of Homeland Security. His beliefs cause him to be suspicious in appearance and he is sent to a secret prison for interrogation and an attempt at brain washing. When he is finally released he finds out that the world has changed. That his country became a police state and every citizen is being watched and monitored “for his own safety and for the safety of society “. Knowing that he does not have many chances he decides to fight that system – with one goal in mind, Freedom !

I would not want to spoil the novel for you – so I will stop here with the plot description. Guaranteed you will find many familiar gadgets and tools in it – The Tor router , the Xbox , the Wifi finders , the plausible deniability techniques used and adversarial forces used to make you reveal the passwords you are using. Even the new and rapidly gaining popularity – Pirate Party is mentioned.

Even if the novel is sci-fi fiction, the things that are shown in it have their equivalent in the world around you which makes it quite realistic. “Little Brother” is a well written and intense novel and I do not have any hesitations in recommending it highly.

Cory Doctorow provides his book for free download licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike license, which lets you share it, remix it, and share your remixes, provided that you do so on a noncommercial basis. You can download it in variety of formats from his web site

Quote

Paranoid Linux is an operating system that assumes that its operator is under assault from the government (it was intended for use by Chinese and Syrian dissidents), and it does everything it can to keep your communications and documents a secret. It even throws up a bunch of “chaff” communications that are supposed to disguise the fact that you’re doing anything covert. So while you’re receiving a political message one character at a time, ParanoidLinux is pretending to surf the Web and fill in questionnaires and flirt in chat-rooms. Meanwhile, one in every five hundred characters you receive is your real message, a needle buried in a huge haystack.

~Cory Doctorow (Little Brother, 2008)

The winners of the 2009 COA Blogs Movie Awards

The winners of the 2009 Coming of Age blogs movie awards are ready to be announced. I must admit that I hoped that most people would participate in the nominating and voting process – which to my surprise did not happen. However the Awards are fact and I own a big ” Thank you ” to everyone who voted or by other means helped in this project.

The winners are :

Acting award nominations

Piotr Jagielski for his role in Jestem

Soundtrack nominations

En Tu Ausencia

Best cinematography nominations

Wild Tigers I Have Known

Best Coming-Of-Age Value Nomination

Perl Oder Pica

Short film nominations

2 Minites

Sueños

Sueños is a Spanish short film released directed by Daniel Guzmán. It was filmed in Madrid and released in 2003 and a year later won the Goya award for the best short film.

The story is about two friends who spent a hot summer day on a rooftop in the neighborhood of Aluche – sunbathing, listening to music, and talking about their desires and dreams. They know little of life and make plans, each in its own way, without knowing what awaits them across the corner. The young protagonists in the film (Adrián Gordilloy and Adam Jeziersky ) deliver a very good and credible performance. A bit of leisure in early childhood becomes an important dialogue that makes strong trends in life.

As with most successful films, the personality of the director is reflected in his creation which makes it so appealing to the audience. When asked to describe what inspired him to direct Sueños, Daniels Guzmán said :

“Dreams is the story of my adolescence, my past. I have my concerns, my desires, my fears and my dreams that I had at that stage of my life by mixing it with a bet, and a game as a backdrop. I wanted to share my concerns and experiences of that time.” (source)

Montreal Main

I found out about ” Montreal main ” in one of the “Coming of age books ” I have. I was intrigued by its summary and the screen shot of it that was published in the book. Thanks to CVMC I now have seen the film and even trough it turned out to be a bit different than my expectations were I found it quite moody and interesting . I am getting a taste towards films produced in Canada as the directors there seem always ready to work on topics many others would prefer to avoid ( Jet Boy for example is another example of a good Canadian movie )

The story in Monreal Main revolves about Frank Vitale – a photographer and his circle of friends in Monreal in the 1960’s. The films turn-point is when Franc befriends the 12 years old Johnny after doing a photo session of him with the permission of his parents . Johhny and Franch buddy up rapidly and their friendship flourish as each other teaches the other a lot of things about life – from how to take photos to how to repair broken bulbs and work with electrical gadgets . However their age difference causes suspicion amongst Johhny`s parents and the friend of Franc. Carlos Martinez Escalona who reviewed the film in its IMDB page excellently described the overall tone of the film by writing : ” It goes deep into the relentless fixations of a tightly knit society, where truths are told and lies are kept. Where the closeness of some people is sometimes unbearable and distance is painful.” And that is indeed the case – especially those days when the paranoia seems to be everywhere and many people are willing to doubt such a wonderful thing as the real friendship.

The film has its contrasts – contrast of feelings ,social classes and perceptions. Some of them are out there for everyone to see – while others are to be found in the dialogues and visuals trough out it . Speaking of dialogues Monreal Main is full of an intriguing ones , sometimes metaphoric – other times abstract or full of wisdom. Generally speaking they as well as the film`s photography and editing are quite good , but one has to really concentrate to be able to understand or at least interpreted the director`s ideas – such as the parallel plots we observe trough the film which while distinct focus the attention to the central issues of the film – humans interaction , relationships and friendships.

As you know my review are usually focused on movies which are partially or fully focused on the coming of age phenomena and “Montreal Main ” is no exception. More than one of its characters goes trough the coming of age process as the story revolves – and as it is often the case one`s age doesn`t make that process more or less difficult nor less unique for either one.

I enjoyed the film and do not hesitate it to anyone who may found my review of it at least a bit intriguing. Admittingly I am not found of the ending of ” Montreal main ” – but that is not because its is detached from reality – on the contrary – its just that once in a while I would like to see such good independent films with an ending as abstract and metaphoric as the scenes in them.

httpv://youtu.be/G5InRCGGR2c

“Montreal Main is an extraordinary film. Naturalistic in appearance, it has the air of making itself up as it goes along. Yet every image in the film and every element of its style possess the resonance of metaphor. Everything is what it is and yet, like the classic NFB documentaries of the 1950s, suggests other things.”

Take One -Montreal Main: uncertain identities ( source )

Official site of Montreal Main

The film “Montreal Main” celebrated its 31st birthday in Montreal – photo reportage

Apology to Josh Fleischman

Continuing the series of short films reviews at theskykid.com – the 6th title in it is an American film directed by Danny Goldfield called “Apology to Josh Fleischman”. The film is 8 minutes and during them there is only one spoken phrase related to its title. Like most short films I have seen the director relied strongly on visuals and the music score – as well as the acting talent of the actors to convey his message. Sometimes as is the case with “Apology to Josh Fleiscman ” the message of the story is challenging to discover. That is why I would first quote the films tag line taken from its IMDB page :

” A boy believes that anything that ever goes wrong must be all is his fault – it usually is.”

I could not relate the scenes I saw with that tag-line. To me the film was about a boy who hangs out at the school ground , throws a rock – which accidentally brakes the palm of the school bully. This creates an awkward situation to our hero – who thinks out a way to express his apology without reveling too much so he could avoid any possible revenge.

Overall I think that the young protagonist did a good job in portraying his confusion caused by the result of his actions. The camera work was decent and the director used slow motion throughout the film to emphasize on the world surrounding the protagonist.

If you have seen this short film , do not hesitate to let me know what did you make out of the story portrayed in it.

The film is included in the DVD titled ” Sandman and other shorts ” available at CVMC.

The Little Traitor (2007)

“My enemy was much more friend of mine, than my friends”

The Little Traitor is a coming of age film from Israel that is based on the novel Panther in the Basement by Amos Oz . Before seeing it I only knew of Ido Port (who plays the boy in the film) because a friend of mine recommended his acting in the film. For some reason the film did not get the publicity it deserves and this could be because of some of the sensitive issues it touches. Even if the action in it takes places back in 1947 (right before Israel become a state), in my reviews I try to avoid politics even if I have formed an opinion on the Middle Eastern conflicts) .

The film focuses on the relationship between a British soldier (Alfred Molina) and a young Jewish boy (Ido Port). Their friendship is not looked upon as good. At the time, many Jewish people thought of the British armed forces as occupiers and the British suspected the Jews of being terrorists. The Jewish boy, Proffy Liebowitz, is a sensible young boy who recently discovered an interest in girls and the friendship of someone who is interested in what he has to say, Sgt. Dunlop. The British soldier treats the boy as an equal. They discuss various topics – from the Jewish culture and their holy books to Western political ideology. Proffy’s friends (the ones with whom he plotted plans against the British) follow him and, seeing him talking with the “enemy”, decide to report him as a traitor. He is even sent to trail despite his young age. The film portrays the adolescent view of the possibilities and pitfalls of befriending the enemy (if there is an enemy) . You can get more insights of the movie’s plot by watching its trailer below:

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qw0DXRvI-js

“It is both a coming of age story of young Proffy, exploring his interest in girls; bonding with male role models; as well as a semi-documentary with genuine footage of historic events at the time, when Israel was declared an independent state in 1948”( Associated content )

The Little Traitor fits the drama genre and even though I was not impressed by its cinematography, soundtrack or acting – its story made it fun to watch. It’s a charming film – and if you have a chance to see it, you won’t be disappointed.

Baklava

I have always blamed the movies produced in the US for their lack of realism. And on the contrary, I have been praising European production for its depiction of events and people as they are. A recent conversation with a friend on Skype prompted me to reconsider my stance on liberalism in European cinema after discovering a coming-of-age film called Baklava. I did my research, and was amazed by the things I found. The film was produced in Bulgaria and among other things shows the reality there – the corrupt politics related to the mafia, the bought media ( both TV and newspapers ), the horrible conditions in a Bulgarian home for children. Due to these factors, the film was banned in the country where it was produced – the government’s political influence over the media led to the prohibition of its release on their territory. However, Baklava was shown on several festivals in US, UK and Netherlands and received raving reviews from the audience – it is currently called ” The Most Wanted Bulgarian film ” and is gaining popularity day by day .

I haven`t seen the film, which is why I am going to quote its plot summary published at IMDB:

“A country in the heart of the Peninsula. Two brothers, separated by the timelessness of the Transition. A collage of an end neighborhood with a slew of funny characters, child’s fantasies and dark dreams – a quest through the intimate secrets of Bulgaria. Djore is 26, dresses in black, listens to drum & bass and does graffiti. Kotze is 9, wears a silver chain, steals, fights and loves pop-folk. Despite their differences, the brothers hit the road in search of a buried treasure, which their grandmother had willed to them. On the way they will encounter unbelievable adventures, unexpected characters and undiscovered truths.”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k9ShUQNvwwA

The film`s page at IMDB

An article about the film in Sofia Echo

Oscar Pinta

Continuing the review of short movies I selected an Australian one as the 5th to be featured at theskykid.com. The name of the film is Oscar Pinta and it was directed by Joanna Quintanilla – who at the time was a University student. What initially attracted me to the film was its weird summary :

“A young boy takes a photograph of a stranger and is slowly consumed by the man’s soul.”

I am fond of street photography myself and having read the above description my impatience to see the film was quite understandable. Thankfully I found it posted on YouTube. I saw it and ended up liking it. It is a 5 minutes short done quite professionally, especially in terms of cinematography. The camera work and the visuals used in the film create a unique atmosphere in the film which even some full-featured films failed to achieve. I would also like to mention Michael Kotaridis who played the boy in the film as after seeing the film I have quite a high opinion of his acting talent. The film has almost half a million views on youtube and most of the comments there indicate that people are quite fond of it – and the best way to know your opinion about Oscar Pinta is to leave me a comment after seeing it.

Last Stand (2003)

” The history written in books and newspapers isn`t always the history written in the hearts of those who lived it “

Last stand is an American short movie which admittingly surprised me with the quality of its production. The film tells the touching story of the unlikely friendship between a wounded cavalry soldier and a young Lakota boy . Last stand is a visually rich film – the dialogue is minimum and instead Gabe Torres ( the film`s director ) relied heavily on the skills of the the two leading actors Jason London and Joseph Saul. Their facial expressions are nothing short of example of a brilliant acting. An excellent camerawork and attention to details ( such as the costumes and the history events concerned ) add an extra value to this short film.

Last Stand was a special movie to me. Partly because I studied US history in the US – but at the same time my teacher was honest enough to state that what is in the textbook has been changed several times throughout the years and what he was teaching was different than what we learned as a student himself. Sadly the history has the tendency to repeat itself – I like most boys have always been found of the native Americans – and think that the world would have been a better place shall they were allowed to live by their own rules , following their own traditions. Instead someone decides that his way of leaving in the correct one , that his nation is the bearer of civilization and every one else could be called “savage” and treated as such.

I recommend highly the short film Last Stand. If you get a chance to see this, don’t miss out !

2 Minutter/ 2 Minutes

Can you hold your breath ?

I selected a more “uplifting title” as a 3rd entry in the short movies review series at theskykid.com. The name of the film is “2 minutes ” and it relies stringy on its cinematography and excellent musical shore. There is no spoken dialogue – but the director ( Jacob Tschernia) decided to use a lot of close up camera shots and attention focusing techniques .

On first watch the film`s plot seems rather simple – a boy is trying to brake his own record , holding his breath under the water in a white bathtub. But it doesn`t takes long for the viewer to sense that something more is going on…for example although in the film we see another boy ( both boys are played by Mark Emil Schwarz- just like Feddie Highmore did 2 roles in Spiderweek chronicles ) – its existance is rather doubtful – so one may think if that`s two separate characters he is seeing or one is a projection of the other .

At the end of my short review of the short film 2 Minutes I would like to quote its official description on the DFI website:

“The best way to find out who you are is to test your own limits – to do the utmost of your ability.”

Room for troughts – now you have it – and if you see the film don`t forget to leave me comments with your impressions from it.

2 Minutter is distributed by the Danish film institute and you can see its official page on their web site .

TheSkyKid.com

TheSKyKid.com

TheSkyKid.com interviews Stephen Ryder – the screenwriter of L.I.E and The last days of April

“My enemy was much more friend of mine, than my friends”