Once again I see a film after being enticed by its trailer; that and my curiosity to watch a Coming-of-Age story that is both set and produced in Georgia and Abkhazia. The protagonist of the 2009 Georgian film The Other Bank is the 12-year-old Tedo (Tedo Bekhauri), a war refugee struggling to make a living on his own.
The Other Bank (2009)
Sharp Turn Ahead: an impression
Music
to make music
to learn those places to press down strings
to place fingers perfectly on keyboard
while the other one strums
tempo
to add voices treble-pitched
to place capo matching key
to those black and white sounds
echoed with bar chords
to perform live and make mistakes
two young brothers from Austin Texas
from the ‘lil Vietnam coffee shop
from the Triumph Cafe where they first performed
from the hands of a teacher
who guided the fingers into the frets
where they now find their way
routinely
but it took Kyle a while to learn them
from Paul
and the boy on keyboard is brother Ben
who learned from Layla
it is music
to learn to cast spells over people grouped
ready to listen to be enchanted
it is The Good Life by One Republic
practicing those tunes for hours
it is Ambition‘s bubbling young fountain
supported by Beth Sand‘s local guitar shop
and it is a whole school of American music
it embarks on harmonies
from decades of spellbinders
it’s ready to Fix You
in just two years it has sprouted-out
forty five live shows
in California
where we know dream factories thrive
they are Sharp to make music these brothers
Ben and Kyle
if only they could get to The Hoot
if only they could be liked liked liked
enough
then off to The Spectrum to Seaport Village
McKim for the masses
or maybe Daylight by Maroon 5
as long as it’s music
memorize harmonize
finish nice and take a bow
and somehow somewhere later on
that magic musical moment
will suddenly arrive
and a crowd will be suspended
on a wave of enchantment
as their diligent craftsmanship
finally arrives
like a wave washing over Laguna Beach
over people-pebbles with salt in their eyes
who turn to each other and ask surprised
who are these boys?
and where did they learn
to make music
music
for benjamin+kyle sharp
Quote from a YouTube reply: “We have played 45 live shows this past year–we do not pre-record–we play live music — one chance to get it right!” — SharpTurnAhead (age 13)
Podslon (2010)
The gap between generations is the main theme of the 2010 Bulgarian film Podslon (Shelter). Unless you have attended a festival where the film has been shown, it’s highly unlikely that you have heard of the movie, which is a shame as it is one of the few Bulgarian films with a Coming-of-Age narrative released after 2000.
Alex Ko: From Iowa to Broadway, My Billy Elliot Story — A Book Review
There’s so much I can tell you about Broadway. Many shows have come and gone over the history of the city of New York, and a good many streets make up what “Broadway” really is. Of course it hasn’t just been about Broadway the road for a very long time now. But until recently, I never knew there was a street that directly connected Broadway with the state of Iowa. Who knew? It’s a very happy street with colorful signs and trees, even a few rest stops along the way and—is that a tutu? And though the street belongs to Alex Ko
The Magic Ferret
In 2011, a review of Alison Parker’s short film Jake & Jasper: A Ferret Tale was published on this site. Recently I became aware that Director Parker has launched a fundraising campaign with the goal of financing yet another short film starring the enthusiastic and sympathetic young actor Jacob Tremblay (The Smurfs 2) and …..you guessed it: a ferret.
Nene (1977)
“Beautiful things are difficult to understand”
Very few movies feature narratives which focus on youth sexuality without being exploitive, manipulative or filled with fictitious happenings. Savatore Samperi’s film Nenè is one that avoids those pitfalls. While its plot doesn’t feature suspenseful scenes or surprising story twists, it genuinely portrays the voyage of a seven-year-old boy and his 14-year-old cousin, from childhood to adulthood.
Gravel Road
One doesn’t always stumble upon excellent movies, but in almost every film one can find something of value. In Gravel Road, a short film film by Keith Fleetwood, the value lies in its soundtrack and in the final message. Starring J.D. and Sam Hunt, the film tells the story of two brothers subjected to physical and psychological abuse from their father, who had become an alcoholic when his wife died. When a teacher notices the bruises on the kids, a report is filed with the Social Services.
Keby som mal pusku (1972)
Keby Som Mal Pusku (1972) aka If I Had a Gun is an anti-war themed film exploring the impact of war on children. The action takes place in a small Slovenian village where, despite the ongoing conflict (WWII), children play soldiers, dream of adventures and get into mischief.
Zmory (1979)
Wojciech Marczewski’s film Zmory (Nightmares) is one of the classic Coming-of-Age titles from Poland that has earned popularity internationally. Before seeing the film, I had a vague idea of what it was about, and the title and cover art convinced me that Zmory could be a horror flick.
In reality, the 1979 Polish film offers a true Coming-of-Age narrative that follows
Baklava (2007)
Stylized idealization is a technique that is frequently applied to films all across the globe. In essence the pursued outcome is the construction of an image of a country (or people living in it), so that the international audience can get a certain idea of what life is like (or was like) in that country. If you have seen any Hollywood films you have seen that technique in use and the same is valid for the majority of the government funded cinema in Europe.
But what happens if a director decides to deviate from the expected conformity and present shockingly accurate and realistic portrayals of everyday life in a certain place?
Porcelain Unicorn (2010)
Some people disregard short films, thinking that a captivating story could not possibly be developed in just a few minutes time. Once upon a time I thought this too, but when I started writing about films I discovered that this was wrong. I was reminded of this lesson learned with the poignant 2010 film directed by Keegan Wilcox: Porcelain Unicorn.
Set in present day Germany, the film opens with a flashback. An elderly man recalls an event from his childhood, when he was like many of his friends — a member of the Hitler Youth Organization. As a 12-year-old boy (played by Trevor Teichmann), he had broken into an abandoned Jewish house and discovered a frightened young girl (Fiona Perry) trying to hide from the Nazi soldiers. Suddenly, a search party enters the house and decisions have to be made…
Prior to seeing Porcelain Unicorn I would not have believed that a film could evoke such emotions in me, making me care about the fate of its characters, especially in less than three minutes. This movie provides storytelling at its best, combined with resourceful acting, excellent production design, and a touching musical score. Director Wilcox has filled his short film with meaning, beauty, compassion and hope in the goodness of humanity. I am astonished from the result of what he’s done with this short film and can only imagine what he could achieve at the helm of a full feature movie.
I urge you to invest three minutes of your time. It’s worth it!
Porcelain Unicorn – Full Movie
Introducing Cameron Alexander Molloy
Cameron Molloy is a boy from Moncton, New Brunswick who turned 12 on 12-Mar-2013. What impresses me most about him is his impeccable pronunciation of lyrics and his clear fearless voice.
The pleasure he derives from singing and performing are soon apparent to listeners of his music. There is a joy in chirping out those choruses and playing his six-string acoustic, which you don‘t always hear in young singers. But that is what it should be about!