Movies, Documentary
I recently came across the documentary Love Has Won, which tells the story of a young American woman who formed a cult around herself, convincing her followers that she was “Mother God.” The rise of smartphone technology after 2008, with the introduction of the iPhone and Android devices, has made documentary filmmaking significantly more accessible. Today, the challenge is not the lack of material but rather the task of selecting and shaping the most compelling footage.Love has Won
Movies, Drama
For many years, I have recorded films that I want to see in a to-do list software called OmniFocus. There are 128 items on the films list. One of them is Okuribito (a foreign language film). It is in position No. 5, which means it was recorded many years ago. I searched for the film and found that it is called Departures in English. To my surprise, it won the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film in 2009. This was probably how it ended up on my list of films to watch 15 years ago.Departures
Movies, Drama
Shakespeare wrote his play Romeo and Juliet in 1596. I just learned that there have been at least 30 major motion pictures of the play. I once read that there is a new Romeo and Juliet film every year, but I could not confirm this. In any case, Shakespeare’s genius lies in his ability to find, reshape, and invent stories that resonate with human beings across centuries. My first encounter with Romeo and Juliet in a film was in 1996 when Baz Luhrmann cast young Claire Danes and Leonardo DiCaprio in a modernized version set not in historical Verona, but somewhere in the United States. I remember liking this transposition of the storyline into modern America. I just learned about the 1968 version of Romeo and Juliet by the Italian director Franco Zeffirelli because the actress who played Juliet in Zeffirelli’s film (Olivia Hussey) recently passed away.Romeo and Julia
Movies, Comedy
*Sister Act* is a wonderfully funny film that showcases the acting skills of Whoopi Goldberg, who can pull off comedy solely with her facial expressions. It reminded me of the more recent Pitch Perfect movies, where teenagers compete to be the best a cappella group. Here, it’s a choir of nuns in San Francisco who, until Goldberg arrives, are singing completely out of tune. Whoopi is hiding in the convent because her ex-boyfriend wants to kill her. Now with time on her hands, and after some initial challenges in the convent, she becomes the choir leader with wonderful results. If you enjoy comedy and music, this is a film that will lift your holiday spirits.Sister Act
Movies, Drama
I had seen parts of this epic film starring Brad Pitt before, but I had forgotten most of it. I’ve always been fascinated by the Dalai Lama and have long dreamed of traveling to Tibet, which is what drew me to the movie. The plot is compelling. A group of Austrian mountaineers, including Heinrich Harrer (played by Brad Pitt), sets out to climb a formidable peak in the Himalayas. However, their plans are disrupted by the outbreak of World War II, and the group is captured and imprisoned by the British. After escaping from the internment camp, Harrer and his companion, Peter, journey through Tibet for an extended period. They eventually reach Lhasa, the capital city, where Harrer strikes up an unlikely friendship with the young Dalai Lama. Seven Years in Tibet