Thursday, November 19, 2009

Treeless Mountain

One month back, when I started seeing “Treeless Mountain”, I feel very uneasy in the first 10-20 minutes. It was series of “close-ups”, my eyes longed for long shots, but rarely saw one. Close-up after close-up, I find myself in an uncomfortable situation (maybe it is not the way I trained my eyes to watch a movie). But the cute girls in the film hold me tight in my seat. Their innocent faces told me to tolerate for some more time and I obeyed. The result was quiet interesting….after sometime I forget about the “narrow field of view” and started involve in the film. The girls lead me to the reality of life. They said “Do not live in a world where you dreamed to live…live in your real world, even how bitter it is. Many things, you can’t change but they can change you. Sometimes in the hardness of life you can find softness of humanity”.
Treeless Mountain is a children movie….but it is different from other children movies. 80% of film is made up of close-ups of the children. The plot of the film is similar to that of many other children films, where the main protagonists (children) have to suffer as they are forced(by the situation) to live away from their parents…… Here the protagonists are two small girls, who were send to their Big Aunt’s (father’s sister) house, when their mother needs to leave in order to find their estranged father. The mother gave a ‘piggy bank” (sambadya kudukka) to the children and promise to return when it is full. The girls are forced to acclimate to changes in their life. Counting the days, and the coins, the two bright-eyed young girls eagerly anticipate their mother's homecoming. But when the bank fills up, and with their mother still not back, they get frustrated. They say to themselves “Mummy is a liar”. Big Aunt decides that she can no longer tend to the children and took them to their grandparents' home. Here they come to learn the difficulty of life and softness of human relationships. In the end I felt it is a beautiful, meditative, and thought-provoking film. There was no music in the film…..the director decided only to use ambience sound.
film is directed by So Yong Kim, who is well known for her earlier film "In Between Days" . See her interview about making of this film http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Osp92F4jC1M.

Monday, November 9, 2009

some good hindi films

1) Alber Pinto ko gussa kyon ata hai (1980) - Saeed Mirza സംവിധാനം ചെയ്ത ഈ സിനിമയെ അവിസ്മരണീയമാകുനത് നസറുദീന്‍ ഷാ യുടെ അഭിനയമാണ്. class conflict നെ address ചെയ്യുന്ന ഒരു മികച്ച സൃഷ്ടി ആണിത്.

2) Angoor (1982) - ഷേക്സ്പിയര്‍ എഴുതിയ "The comedy of errors" എന്ന നാടകത്തെ ആധാരമാകി നിര്‍മ്മിക്കപെട്ട ചിത്രം. സഞ്ജീവ് കുമാര്‍ ഇരട്ട റോള്‍ ചെയ്യുന്ന ഈ സിനിമയില്‍ ദേവന്‍ വര്‍മയും ഇരട്ട റോള്‍ ചെയ്യുന്നു. A rare classic comedy.

3) Jaane bhi do yaaron (1983) - ഒരു പക്ഷെ ഹിന്ദി സിനിമയില്‍ ഇത് വരെ ചിത്രീകരിക്കപ്പെട്ട ഏറ്റവും മികച്ച ഹാസ്യ രംഗം ഈ സിനിമയുടെതായിരിക്കും. കൊല ചെയ്യപെട്ട ചീഫ് എന്‍ജിനിയറുടെ ശവത്തിനു വേണ്ടിയുള്ള നെട്ടോട്ടത്തില്‍, ശവം ഒരു നാടക അരങ്ങില്‍ എത്തി ചേരുകയും, ദ്രൌപതി വസ്ത്രാക്ഷേപ രംഗത്തെ കുളമാക്കുകയും ചെയ്യുന്ന ഭാഗം എല്ലാ കാലത്തും ഒരു ക്ലാസ്സിക്‌ ആയി നില നില്‍ക്കും. one of the best social satire ever made in hindi language. ....please do not forget to see this film.

4) Ek Ruka Hua Faisla (1986) - 12 angry men എന്ന ക്ലാസ്സിക്‌ ഹോളിവുഡ് സിനിമയുടെ ഹിന്ദി adaptation. ഒരു മുറിയില്‍ ആണ് സിനമയുടെ മൊത്തം രംഗങ്ങളും നടക്കുന്നത്. 12 പേര്‍ ചേര്‍ന്നു ഒരു കുറ്റകൃത്യത്തെ വിചാരണ ചെയ്യുന്നതാണ്‌ ഇതിവൃത്തം. excellent scripting and acting.....a very rare experiment in hindi language.

5) Sooraj ka Satvan Ghoda(1992) - നായക കഥാപാത്രം(Rajit Kapur) തന്റെ ജീവിതത്തിലൂടെ കടന്നു പോയ മൂന്ന് സ്ത്രീ കളുടെ കഥ പറയുന്നു. Shyam benegal സംവിധാനം ചെയ്ത ഈ സിനിമയില്‍ പല്ലവി ജോഷി മികച്ച അഭിനയമാണ് കാഴ്ചവയ്ക്കുനത്.

6) Samar(1999) - സിനിമ ക്കുള്ളിലെ സിനിമയുടെ കഥ പറയുന്ന ശ്യാം ബെനെഗല് ചിത്രമാണ് ഇത്. അമ്പലത്തില്‍ കയറിപോയത്തിനു പരസ്യമായി ശിക്ഷിക്കപെട്ട ദെലിതന്ടെ സംഭവകഥയെ ആധരമാകി സിനിമ ചെയ്യാന്‍ ഒരു ഗ്രാമത്തില്‍ എത്തുകയാണ് ഒരു സിനിമ സംഘം. ദെലിതന്ടെ റോള്‍ അഭിനയിക്കുന്ന നടന് സ്വയം ഒരു ദെലിതന് ആണ്. തന്നെ അതിക്ഷേപിക്കുന്ന സവര്‍ണകെതിരെ ശബ്തം ഉയര്‍ത്തുകയാണ് അയ്യാള്‍. സിനിമയും യാഥാര്‍ത്യവും ഒന്നാവുന്ന നിമിഷങ്ങള്‍

Friday, October 23, 2009

The ghost and the darkness

സ്റ്റീഫന്‍ ഹോപ്കിന്‍സ് സംവിധാനം ചെയ്ത "the ghost and the darkness" ഒരു മികച്ച suspense thriller ആണ്. 1996 ല്‍ റിലീസ് ചെയ്യപെട്ട ഈ സിനിമ പ്രേക്ഷകനെ ആദ്യാവസാനം സസ്പെന്‍സിന്റെ മുള്ള് മുനയില്‍ നിര്ത്തുന്നു. കാച്ചി കുറുക്കിയ തിരക്കഥ, അസാധ്യമായ ക്യാമറ വര്‍ക്ക്‌, പ്രകൃതിയുടെ ഭീതി ഒപ്പി എടുത്ത ശബ്ദ വിന്യാസം, ഹൃദയമിടിപ്പിനെ നിയന്ത്രിക്കുന്ന എഡിറ്റിംഗ് ഒരു മികച്ച വാണിജ സിനിമയ്ക്കു വേണ്ട എല്ലാ ചേരുവകളും ഈ സിനിമയില്‍ അണിചേരുന്നു. 19 ആം നൂറ്റാണ്ടിന്റെ അവസാന ദശകം. ആഫ്രിക്കയില്‍ ട്രെയിന്‍ പാത നിര്‍മിക്കുന്ന ബ്രിട്ടീഷ്‌ സംഘം ഭീതിയുടെ നിഴലില്‍ ആണ്. സൂര്യന്‍അസ്തമിക്കുമ്പോള്‍ ആരാണ് ഇന്ന് ആക്രമിക്കപെടുവാന്‍ പോകുന്നതെന്നു നിശ്ചയമില്ല. ഇതിനകം 200 ഓളം പേര്‍ കൊല്ലപെട്ടു കഴിഞ്ഞു. ഈ ഭീതിയെ അവര്‍ വിളിക്കുനത്‌ "the ghost in the darkness" - ആഫ്രിക്കയില്‍ ഇതിന്റെ ഇതിന്റെ അര്‍ഥം "സിംഹം" എന്നാണ്.

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Miracle at St.Anna - a film by Spike

സ്പൈക്‌ ലീ അറിയപെടുന്ന ഒരു ഹോളിവുഡ് ഡയറക്ടര്‍ ആണ്. അദ്ദേഹത്തിന്റെ പ്രശസ്തങ്ങളായ സൃഷ്ടികളാണ് "മാല്‍കം എക്സ്" , "do the right thing", "inside man" തുടങ്ങിയവ. വംശ വിദ്വേഷം, വര്‍ണ വെറി തുടങ്ങിയ പ്രമേയങ്ങള്‍ കൈകാര്യം ചെയ്യുന്നവയാണ് അദ്ദേഹത്തിന്റെ മിക്ക സിനിമകളും. 2008 ല്‍ പുറത്തിറങ്ങിയ "Miracle at St.Anna" യും ഇതില്‍ നിന്ന് വ്യത്യസ്തമല്ല. രണ്ടാം ലോക മഹായുദ്ധക്കാലത്ത് ഇറ്റലിയില്‍ ജര്‍മന്‍ സേനക്കെതിരെ പൊരുതിയ അമേരിക്കന്‍ കറുത്ത വംശജരുടെ കഥയാണ് ഈ സിനിമ പറയുന്നത്.

അസാധാരണമായ തുടക്കമാണ്‌ ഈ സിനിമക്കുള്ളത്. 1983 - ന്യൂയോര്‍ക്ക്‌ സിറ്റിയിലെ ഒരു പോസ്റ്റ്‌ ഓഫീസ്. അവിടെ ജോലി ചെയ്യുന്ന കറുത്ത വംശജനായ ഹെക്ടര്‍ക്ക് വിരമിക്കാന്‍ ഏതാനും മാസങ്ങള്‍ മാത്രമേ ബാക്കിയുള്ളൂ . X-mas കാലമായതിനാല്‍ പോസ്റ്റ്‌ ഓഫീസില്‍ നല്ല തിരക്കാണ്. സ്റ്റാംബ് വാങ്ങാനായി ഒരു വൃദ്ധന്‍ ഹെക്ടരിന്റെ അടുത്തെത്തുന്നു. അയ്യാളെ സൂഷിച്ചു നോക്കിയ ശേഷം ഹെക്ടര്‍ തന്റെ മേശയില്‍ നിന്നും തോക്ക് വലിച്ചെടുത്തു വെടിവെക്കുന്നു. ആ വൃദ്ധന്‍ അവിടെ മരിച്ചു വീഴുന്നു. കേസ് അന്വേഷിക്കാന്‍ എത്തുന്ന പോലീസിന് ഹെക്ടരുടെ വീട്ടില്‍ നിന്ന് പുരാതന മായ ഒരു പ്രതിമയുടെ ശിരസ്സ്‌ കിട്ടുന്നു. രണ്ടാം ലോക മഹായുദ്ധ ക്കാലത്ത് ഇറ്റലിയില്‍ നിന്നും കാണാതെ പോയ അപൂര്‍വ മായ പ്രതിമ ആയിരുന്നു അത്. എന്തായിരിക്കാം ഹെക്ടരെ ഈ കൊലപാതകത്തിന് പ്രേരിപ്പിച്ചത് ? ഇത്ര വിലപ്പെട്ട പ്രതിമ ഹെക്ടരുടെ കൈയ്യില്‍ എങ്ങനെ എത്തി ചേര്‍ന്നു? തുടര്‍ന്ന് ഈ രഹസ്യങ്ങളുടെ ചുരുക്കഴിക്കുകയാണ് സംവിധായകന്‍.

ഒരു സസ്പെന്‍സ് ത്രില്ലെരുടെ ചട്ടകൂടില്‍ നിന്ന് കൊണ്ട് ഒരു തലമുറയുടെ യാതനകളുടെ കഥ പറയുകയാണ്‌ ഈ ചിത്രം. സിനിമയിലെ ഒരു രംഗം എന്നും ഓര്‍മയില്‍ നിലനില്‍ക്കും. അമേരിക്കയില്‍ യുദ്ധ കുറ്റവാളികളായ നാസികള്‍ക്ക് ആഹാരം നല്‍കുമ്പോയും രാജ്യത്തിന് വേണ്ടി പോരാടുന്ന കറുത്ത വംശത്തില്‍ പെട്ട സൈനികര്‍ക്ക് അത് നിഷേധിക്കുന്ന ഹോട്ടല്‍ ഉടമ. തോക്ക് കാട്ടി സൈനികരെ പറഞ്ഞയച്ചതിനു ശേഷം ഹോട്ടല്‍ ഉടമ തന്റെ മകനോട്‌ പറയുന്നു " ഇങ്ങനെയാണ് ഈ നായകളോട് പെരുമാരേണ്ടത്"

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Suggestion of some films for IFFK 2009

1) Tokyo Sonata (Japanese)

The film is directed by famous Japanese director Kiyoshi Kirosawa. The film is a black comedy about a Japanese businessmen, Sasaki Hiroyuki, who lost his job and do not want to reveal the truth to his family. It is a very well made film, with lot of emotional elements.

2) Departures (Japanese)

Oscar award winning film. The main protagonist of this film Daigo Kobayashi, was a cellist in an orchestra which had just been dissolved. Daigo decides to move back to his old hometown with his wife. However, his life is revived when he starts working as an “encoffineer.” He cleans up the body, places the dead into the coffin, and sends the dead to the next world in the best way possible… he is the gatekeeper between life and death. The job is despised by his wife and the people around him, but through the “Deaths” that he encounters, he finally starts to find what “Life” is all about. Certainly this film deserves oscars. The director of this film is Yojiro Takita, who has made films like Onmyoji and When the last sword is drawn.

3) Breathless (Korean)

The film was made by a new comer Ik jun Yang. The main character of this film is Sang-hoon. he is working as a scamp to get money from debtors to creditors. One day, he encounters Youn-hee, a high school student. Both of them have gone through unhappy childhood with crashed families. She knows that Ik jun Yang has killed her mother. but she do not want to take revenge. but life is not that merciful.....something worst is waiting for him.

4) Mother (Korean)

The film was made by famous young director from Korea - Bong Joon ho and it was also a commercial hit in korea. Hye-ja is a ginseng vendor and an unlicensed acupuncturist in a small town in southern South Korea. She dotes on her son, Do-joon, who is 27, unemployed, and mentally incapacitated on some level, which Hye-ja seems to ignore.A high school girl is found dead on the roof of an abandoned building, and the local detectives arrest Do-joon based on circumstantial evidence. They coerce him to sign a confession and quickly imprison him. Hye-ja, distraught and convinced he is innocent, searches for the real killer, uncovering many secrets from the townspeople.

5) Handphone (Korean)

A thriller from Kim Han-Min. Missing of a Mobile phone can change ur life. Oh Seung-min manager of a film actress faces tragedy of his life through his lost mobile phone.

6) Tokyo !! (Japanese)

Three stories from three visionary directors who directly inspired by the vast metropolis of Tokyo. Three of world cinema's greatest visionaries: Michel Gondry ("Be Kind Rewind", "Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind"), Leos Carax ("The Lovers On The Bridge"), and Bong Joon-Ho ("The Host") each direct a segment of this surreal triptych set in the ultra-modern metropolis of Tokyo, Japan.

7) Thirst (Korean)
Cannes award winning film from Park Chan Wook. The film tells about the story of a vampire.

8) Old Partner (Korean documentary)

The real story of 30-year companionship between a 40-year-old ox and an octogenarian. The Sound of the Cowbell! Neither time nor civilization can go against their companionship. 80 years old, CHOI has an old ox that has worked for 30 years, and an ox aged almost 40. However, theres something special about the way Old CHOI treats this ox, which is so worn-out that it might be dead any minute. The old man is single- mindedly focused on the ox, instinct-ively turning to the beast when he hears the cowbell even though hes nearly deaf. One spring day, however, Old CHOI heard that his ox only has a year to live, which will make big troubles for him.

9) 24 City (Chinese)

Jia Zhangke goes one (magnificent) step further in his idiosyncratic exploration of both the thin border between documentary and fiction and the self-imposed destruction experienced by China in her march toward a free-market economy. Though factories were once the temples in which socialism was built, with their workers treated as heroes, they are now being dismantled all over the country, and thousands of their employees laid off. Jia documents the closing of the "420" factory (once an airplane engine plant, with military implications) to build a luxury apartment complex, "24 City," on its site, in Sichuan's capital city of Chengdu. You see a sign being dragged over gravel, a building imploding as workers are singing "The Internationale"—but mostly you hear the stories, covering a 50-year period, of the people whose lives have revolved around the factory.

10) And the spring comes (Chinese)

Setting in a northern county of China in late 80s and early 90s of last century, this movie is about a few ordinary people who dreamed to become artists, who are stubborn enough to fight for their dreams, but eventually give in to the mundane life. This is a somehow identical theme appeared in the director's previous award-winning film "Peacock". Nevertheless, this is a totally different story. Well written and directed, this is one of the best movies of China of the year. What makes this movie magnificent is that although it's a sad story, the director was able to add in some delicate and somehow absurd humor, pushing you to the edge of breaking your heart. One thing worth to mention is that the leading actress, Wenli Jiang, is in fact the director's wife, who is very beautiful in reality but appeared to be ugly in the movie.

11) Forever Enthralled (Chinese)

Acclaimed Fifth Generation director Chen Kaige brings the tumultuous life of Peking Opera legend Mei Lanfang to the big screen in the highly anticipated biopic Forever Enthralled. The inspiration for Leslie Cheung's character in Chen Kaige's 1993 masterpiece Farewell My Concubine, Mei Lanfang was one of the greatest Peking Opera stars of modern China.

12) Home Run (Chinese)

A child's quest to return to home on his own takes center stage on the reality television program. With declining ratings and investor pressures, Li, the producer and host of the program, also faces difficulty in locating the next show's talent. In the rush of things, a thought pops inside her head and she knows exactly who can take on as her next star. She locates and brings five-year-old Lu to the set, and sends him off to find his way home alone. The cocky and resourceful boy calls his divorced father to overcome numerous hurdles, and in the process finds new and unexpected routes in a treacherous but often hilarious journey, tracked discreetly by a television crew. Lu has always wanted to find the mother whom he doesn't know. The young boy's determination to find his mother touches the heart of the entire nation, including that of his estranged mother, who happens to be....

13) Set Off (Chinese)

Set Off, directed by debutant Liu Jiang, is the first film completed under China Film Group's young filmmaker funding project. Garnering great word of mouth when it was released theatrically, this low-budget comedy is highly acclaimed for its smart script and great casting. Set Off is about Lao Cui a good-for-nothing but kind-hearted man running a Chinese restaurant in Cyprus. He comes home to Beijing only to find his wife cheated on him, pregnant with his best friend's baby. Devastated, Cui's misfortune is further compounded by the news that his business partner is going to sell his restaurant. Before he flies back to Cyprus, Cui bumps into a sassy girl named Xiao Xia, and his real nightmare has only just begun...

14) City of life and death (Chinese)

City of Life and Death takes place in 1937, during the height of the Second Sino-Japanese War. The Imperial Japanese Army has just captured the then-capital of the Republic of China, Nanjing. What followed was known as the Nanking Massacre, or the Rape of Nanking, a period of several weeks wherein tens of thousands of Chinese soldiers and civilians were killed. The film tells the story of several figures, both historical and fictional, including a Chinese soldier, a schoolteacher, a Japanese soldier, a foreign missionary, and John Rabe, a Nazi businessman who would ultimately save thousands of Chinese civilians.

15) Cafe Isobe (Japanese)

Written and directed by Yoshida Keisuke (Raw Summer), low-key charmer Cafe Isobe (a.k.a. Junkissa Isobe) is a minor comedy that offers major laughs. Actor and comedian Miyasako Hiroyuki (20th Century Boys, Wild Berries) stars as a flaky single father who opens a dinky cafe that seems to only attract the strangest of customers. He's happy as can be though pining after the newly hired waitress, played by popular actress Aso Kumiko (Achiless and the Tortoise). Less enthused is his disgruntled teen daughter, embodied with angsty charm by rising star Naka Riisa (Gachi Boy, Island Times). Filled with both heart and humor, Cafe Isobe has enjoyed good word of mouth for its bright atmosphere, quirky comedy, and genial portrayal of a father-daughter relationship.

16) Tulpan ( Kazakh/Russian)

Having just completed his naval service, young Asa travels back to the Kazakh steppe to take a bride and begin his new life as a shepherd. Asa is eager to go back to the countryside, where he plans on living a nomadic life along with his sister and her husband. His sister's husband is a shepherd, a career that Asa, too, hopes to someday undertake. But before that happens, Asa will have to find a bride -- not an easy task on the deserted steppe. Young Tulpan is the daughter of another shepherd family and the most obvious choice, yet she isn't attracted to Tulpan due to his big ears. Will Tulpan ever be able to fulfill his lifelong dream of becoming a shepherd, or is he forever condemned to lead the life of a lonely bachelor?

17) Little Note (Singapore)

Living with little wants in the countryside. Zhiren and his mother expressed their love and support for each other in a simple way - by exchanging little notes. These words of encouragement spurred their every step forward in life, helping them cast aside fear and despair in times of uncertainty. Interweaving poetic cinematography, intricate scenes of mother-and-son intimacy and a heartfelt original score, Little Note will meander its way into your heart like a clear, pristine stream.

18) Two legged hourse (Iran)

A father who has a young son with one leg and no other household members must go to India for some weeks. He hires another boy for a dollar a day to carry the son around on his back, to the school or to whatever whims may occur to the son. Actually the son is so skilled in jumping at really great speed, that he does not need any help or any "horse". The son's whims include not only verbal and physical abuse, but also repeated "horse fights" where "the horse" will continually be knocked down. Even "the horse's" tender feelings for a child girl beggar are exploited and mocked. Because of the brutal and degrading treatment "the horse" will become more and more similar to a real horse.

19) Waltz with Bashir (Israel)

Oscar nominated film made by Ari Folman. In 1982, Ari Folman was a 19-year-old infantry soldier in the Israel Defense Forces. In 2006, he meets with a friend from his army service period, who tells him of the nightmares connected to his experiences from the Lebanon War. Folman is surprised to find that he does not remember a thing from that period. Later that night he has a vision from the night of the Sabra and Shatila massacre, the reality of which he is unable to tell. In his memory, he and his soldier friends are bathing at night by the seaside in Beirut under the light of flares descending over the city. Folman rushes off to meet another friend from his army service, who advises him to discuss it with other people who were in Beirut at the same time in order to understand what happened there and to relive his own memory. Folman converses with friends, a psychologist and the reporter Ron Ben-Yishai who was in Beirut at the time.

20) Vanished Empire (Russia)

The film's story takes place in Moscow in the 1970s. Its plot unfolds around the love triangle between two young men and a girl who study at the same university. They argue, make up, and face their first disappointments and victories. While busy with personal lives and loves, they miss foreseeing that the country in which they were born and live will soon disappear from the map.

21) Revolution cars (Turkey)

In the years of pulse, Turkey was unable to produce its own cars. But Pasha believed that Turkish people can produce their own cars so he ordered 2 cars. Gunduz and engineers with him must produce 2 cars in only 130 days!

22) The betrayal (Laos)

The epic story of a family forced to emigrate from Laos after the chaos of the secret air war waged by the U.S during the Vietnam War. Kuras has spent the last 23 years chronicling the family's extraordinary journey in this deeply personal, poetic, and emotional film.

23) Summer Book / Tatil kitabi (Turkey)

Mustafa is a hard-working and ambitious agricultural merchant who is cold and austere towards his family.One day he has a brain hemorrhage on a business trip and goes into a coma after the operation. Güler, who has been suspecting that her husband is having an affair, is now convinced of it. Veysel, their teenage son,wants to leave the military academy and start a civilian life of his own. Ali, their 10 year old son, has to cope both with his bully classmates and the chewing gums he has to sell. Hasan, Mustafa’s brother, chose to live a life in solitude after divorcing his wife and has always been an outsider to the family. But now he finds himself involved in his brother’s family after his brother goes into a coma. Hasan has to solve the mystery about his brother’s mistress and the money lost during his trip.

24) Ask Tutulmasi (Turkey)

Ask Tutulmasi is the story of football-crazy Ugur and career-oriented Pinar who lost all confidence in relationships. Their paths cross and more than fireworks follow. Will Ugur be able to let go of some of his love for this favourite football team and put Pinar before football?

25) Autumn / Sonbahar(Turkey)

Released from prison after 10 years for anti-government activities as a student in the 1990s, Yusuf returns to his sickly mother in a mountainous village near the Black Sea. He only sees his childhood friend Mikail. As autumn slowly gives way to winter, Yusuf and Mikail go to a tavern where Yusuf meets Eka, a beautiful Georgian prostitute. Love becomes a final desperate attempt to grasp life and elude solitude. Beyond the personal tragedy of a man who has nothing to look forward to, there lurks the bitter deception of a shattered socialist dream.

AMAL- a beautiful Hindi cinema

വളരെ നാളുകള്‍ക്ക് ശേഷം നല്ലൊരു ഹിന്ദി സിനിമ കണ്ടു - "അമല്‍". 2007 ല്‍ റിലീസ് ചെയ്ത ഈ സിനിമ ഡയറക്റ്റ് ചെയ്തത് കനേഡിയന്‍ സംവിധായകന്‍ റിച്ചീ മെഹ്ത ആണ്. റിച്ചീ യുടെസഹോദരനായ ഷൌന്‍ എഴുതിയ ഒരു കഥ യെ ആധാര മാക്കിയാണ് ഈ സിനിമ നിര്‍മ്മിക്ക പെട്ടിരിക്കുന്നത്. "അമല്‍" സിനിമയില്‍ ഹൃദയ സ്പര്‍ശിയായ ഒരു കഥയെ ലളിതമായി അവതരിപ്പിച്ചിരിക്കുന്നു. അമല്‍ എന്ന ഈ സിനിമയിലെ മുഖ്യകഥാപാത്രം ഡല്‍ഹിയിലെ ഒരു ഓട്ടോറിക്ഷ ഡ്രൈവര്‍ ആണ്. അത്യാഗ്രഹമില്ലാത്ത, മാന്യനായ ഒരു നിരക്ഷരന്‍. സവാരിക്കാരില്‍ നിന്ന് മീറ്റര്‍ പ്രകാരം ഉള്ള ചാര്‍ജ് മാത്രം ഈടാക്കുന്ന, മറ്റുള്ള വരെ സഹായിക്കുന്ന ഈ ഓട്ടോ ഡ്രൈവറുടെ സവാരിക്കാരനായി ഒരു ദിവസം ഒരു വിചിത്ര മനുഷന്‍ കയറുന്നു. പെട്ടെന്ന് ദേഷ്യം വരുന്ന, മറവികാരനായ വൃദ്ധന്‍. കണ്ടാല്‍ ഒരു തനി ഭ്രാന്തന്‍...!! പക്ഷെ ഈ യാത്ര ആ വൃദ്ധന്റെ ജീവിതത്തിനു ഒരു പുതിയ അര്‍ഥം കൊടുക്കുന്നു.

After many years i have seen a good hindi cinema - "AMAL"(2007). The main protagonist of the film - Amal Kumar (Rupinder Nagra), is a hardworking sweet-natured auto rickshaw driver. Driven by senses of honesty and responsibility, he charges the metre rate. One day he came across a crazy old man, who refuses to give the metre rate and irritates him. But like always Amal talks to him with respect. What results is an interesting series of events which changes our perception about "dignity" and "class division". this film is a unique search of humanity in an"urbanised society". what is the meaning of "dignified life"? is it possible to be happy and poor? do wealth brings happiness? how class difference affects social behaviour? how wealth accumulates in the hands of a few? The film critically examine the modern urban society (particularly DELHI) with out any over statements. it got many international awards including best actor award at 2008 Whistler Film Festival.

Thursday, September 24, 2009

Latcho Drom - an amazing documentary

നാടോടികള്‍, ചരിത്രത്തില്‍ എന്നും വെട്ടയാടപെട്ടവര്‍...അധികാരത്തില്‍ ഏറിയവരാല്‍ തുരത്ത്തിയോടിക്കപെട്ടവര്‍....പള്ളിയും ഹിറ്റ്‌ലറും തുടങ്ങി വികസനത്തിന്റെ ആധുനിക അപോസ്തലന്മാര്‍ വരെ ഇവരെ വേട്ടയാടിയിട്ടുണ്ട്. നൂറ്റാണ്ടുകള്‍ നീണ്ട ഈ ഒറ്റപെടുതലുകളെ, അടിച്ചമര്‍ത്തലുകളെ, ഉന്മൂല നങളെ ഓര്‍മ പെടുത്തുക യാണ് Latcho Drom എന്ന ഡോകുമെന്ററി. പക്ഷെ ഇതിനായി ചരിത്രത്തെ ഇഴ കീറായി പരിശോധിച്ച് അവതരിപ്പിക്കുന്ന കണക്കുകളോ, പഠന റിപ്പോര്‍ട്ട്കളോ നമുക്കിവിടെ കാണാനാവില്ല. രോദന ത്തിന്റെ, അമര്‍ഷത്തിന്റെ, ഓര്മ പെടുത്തലിന്റെ ഏറ്റവും ശക്തമായ ഭാഷയായ സംഗീതവും നൃത്തവും ആണ് സംവിധായകന്‍ ഉപയോഗപെടുത്തി യിരിക്കുനത്.

The documentary is hard to explain, it is something to feel about. It’s hypnotic. There is no voice over in it. It carries songs of various gypsy languages, almost one and half hour long. Starts out in India, where nomads dance in the magnificent Rajasthan desert, and then pass their music – without losing a beat – onto their roaming singing cousins in the mid-east and Egypt, and then onto their Roma relatives in Turkey and eventually into the heart of old Europe as gypsies. They sing about themselves-about their life, their happiness and agony and about infinite torture they suffered from the “mainstream” world. The most marvelous thing about this unusual film is the authenticity of the local singers, and their stunning locations and landscapes. You can’t tell how staged the performances are, or if they are. One feels like a gypsy on foot who just happens to meet some cousins as they sing their hearts out. This film works as ambient music video – stunning, mesmerizing scenes from some archetypical past.

Sunday, August 16, 2009

The Human Animal

The Human Animal, narrated by Desmond Morris (famous zoologist) is a six part science series on human race and its behaviour evolved from animal ancestors. In this portrait of the human species, Desmond Morris takes us right to the centre of human existence and explores all aspects of human life and behaviour. From the way we rear our young to the common use of certain facial gestures, he covers a fascinating variety of subjects: how our hunting instincts have been channelled into an extraordinary range of sporting activities; how the modern art world can trace its roots back to an early primate picking up a stone resembling a face; how different courtship rituals across the world reflect the universal emotion of love. Both candid and entertaining, Desmond Morris exposes our foibles, celebrates our triumphs and gives us a new understanding of the way we behave.

An amazing journey which will give insight to our own existence.

Friday, August 7, 2009

Space Race

i have seen an amazing documentary series made by BBC on the race between US and ussr to explore the space. the name of series is "Space Race". it is a 4 part series on the history of space programmes.
the big figures and master minds of this race were Sergei Korolev and Wernher von Braun. Braun was a NASI party member and a SS major, he developed German's rocket technology. he surrendered to US army when war was over and US got the man to conquer the space. The same time ussr was also looking for a geneus to start its space programme. at last they find out the man - a prisoner living in Siberia, sentenced during Stalin's ruling period-his name was Sergei Korolev. Both these master minds participated in the race which is one of the greatest suspense thriller story of modern history.
Korolev put Russia ahead of US , by sending first satellite, living creature, man into space, first space walk, first object orbit around moon and first object touched moon's surface.He was a demanding, hard-working man, with a disciplinary style of management. Korolyov personally monitored all key stages of the programs and paid meticulous attention to detail. His accidental death broke the back born of the USSR space programme. until his death, his identity was kept secret from the world.
one of the best documentary series i have ever seen. well researched, well scripted and well made big budget film. it is a docu-drama using lot of actual footage.

Friday, July 17, 2009

Old Partner

The global economic crisis has badly affected Korean film industry. Big production companies like CJ and Show box are hesitant to invest money for big budget films. But the year is not too bad for Korean cinema…. Park chan wook’s “Thirst” got award in prestigious Cannes film festival, films like “Breathless” got wide spread attention among international film festival viewers. The amazing director Bong joon ho has released his new movie “Mother”. There were surprise hits like “Hand Phone” which indicates the return of violence in Korean Cinema.

But the year 2009 will not be remembered by any of these films in future. It will be remembered after a small documentary made with a tight budget. This documentary has created history…… it touched the hearts of millions of Koreans…. The name of the documentary is “Old Partner”. It was released in 15th January in only 7 screens... as word of mouth and favorable reviews spread, the film entered the box office top position and the number of screens was reached 200. The film attracted nearly 3 million viewers, an unprecedented figure for a documentary and became the country’s highest grossing independent film. It won the Best Documentary Award at the 13th Busan International Film Festival and invited to overseas film festivals like Sundance.

Directed by Lee Choong-yeol, the movie tells the story of a crippled old farmer and the dying cow that has served him faithfully for decades. Old Partner’s focus on simple rural life, and on the strong bond an aging farmer has formed with his cow (so strong that his wife gets jealous). it harbor a nostalgia for the pastoral Korea of old.

Bongha village, where the film was shot, is planning an “Old Partner” museum to cash in on the movie’s success. The old couple has been besieged by tourists, and there has been concern from the movie director about the instrusions on their daily lives. On the other hand, the village seems thankful for the possible influx of cash.

Monday, July 13, 2009

Day 3, documentary made by Suneesh Surendran

Suneesh Surendran is my very close friend. he is now working in Rose bowl channel. His latest documentary was screened in the international video film festival at Trivandrum. it is a nice documentary about killing of street dogs in a remote village in Trivandrum. the whole documentary was shot in a day and made within a week. This documentary was telecasted many times in the channel.

This time also Suneesh proved his sense of sound and visual framing through this documentary. He got the craft with him but subject wise lacks depth. He is one of the rare documentary film makers in kerala who uses sound extremely sensible manner. In way he plays with close ups and sound. His earlier documentary got special jury award in Malayalam Television Awards given by Kerala Govt.

I think he has the caliber to become a very good film director in malayalam. If my prediction is right he has the talent to bring aesthetic changes in malayalam film industry..... Hope he will get the opportunity and exposure...
Another talent who i would like to introduce is Gireesh. Gireesh was my junior in C-DIT course. he is making his first feature film in malayalam, in which mamooty is the main hero. earlier he worked as associate director with Shyama Prasad.

i have seen his dedication towards his work while he was doing his diploma film. his sense of framing is excellent. i heard that Mamooty is very keen to work in his project and helped him to find out producer for the film.

i wish all the success to his first film and hope he will produce sensible film which malayalam film industry really needs.

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

Eagerly waiting to see two new Korean movies

I am eagerly waiting to see two new south Korean movies. Joon ho bong’s ‘Mother’ and Park Chan Wook’s “Thirst”. Both of them are my favourite directors from Korea.

40 years old Joon Ho Bong has already proved his talent through his films “barking dogs never bites”, “memories of murder”, “host” and “Tokyo”. His films are critically acclaimed as well as big successes in box office. He is a product of Korean Academy of Film Arts (known as KAFA, the state film school in Korea like our FTII. I got a chance to watch his diploma film ‘incoherence’ at KAFA- the present institute director who taught him told me how talented he is even when he was a student). His film “Memories of Murder” broke all the box records when it was released. It is a perfect crime thriller with out using many mainstream cinematic jargons and one of my favourite films ever produced in Korean language. His last commercial movie “The Host” is still the highest money collecting movie in the history of Korean cinema. This film was dubbed into more than 15 languages and released all over the world including India. His latest movie “Mother” was released last month in Korea and it instantaneously became another big success. I heard that it is also a crime thriller like “Memories of Murder”.

Park Chan Wook do not require any introduction, the two time Cannes award winner is considered to be the most precious film maker of modern Korean cinema. He started his career as a film critic and has a deep understanding of world cinema. He is world renowned for his “Vengeance Trilogy” – Sympathy to Mr. Vengeance, old boy and Sympathy for Mrs. Vengeance. IMDB has voted Old boy as one of the greatest movies ever produced in the history of world cinema. His earlier film “JSA”(Joint Security Area) is one of the ground breaking political film (remember it was a commercial film) which questioned the boundaries built by the political establishments over the unbounded love of humanity. I think JSA is the first South Korean political movie released in North Korea by the Kim ll-sung regime (it may be wrong to call it a communist government as it became a father-son business).

Park’s latest movie ‘Thirst’ got special jury award in Cannes film festival of this year. It is his first horror movie and it is about a vampire. I heard that it has lot of visual potential like ‘old boy’. “Thirst” will be released in Korean theatres in this month. I am very excited to watch this movie.

Interestingly both the directors – park chan wook and Joon ho bong are members of Democratic Labor Party, a leftist political formation in Korea. They are very critical towards the US centered policies of the South Korean Government. You can trace out anti imperialist statements/references in their films.

Thursday, June 4, 2009

Byambasuren Davaa

Byambasuren Davaa is a unique film director…. still now she has made only two films – “the weeping camel” & “The cave of the yellow dog”. Her films are unique for its very gently, subtle , uniquely fluid, organic, meandering way of storytelling.

She was born in Mongolia and studied in Germany. Her both films are about the vanishing culture of nomad people in Mongolia. But interestingly she used very different perspective to tell the story. In her own words : My aim was to document a vanishing culture. So as a film-maker, I’m in control of my language, but I wanted to step back and let them tell their story from their perspective, so in a sense I created a filmic language that would enable them to do that. They live quietly, and in a subtle way.

In the first film is about nomad family in Mongolia and one of their camels. The camel is not ready to accept its new born baby. The mother camel is not allowing the baby camel to drink its milk. So the family tries all possible ways to solve the issue but fails. Then according to their tradition if a particular music is played the mother camel will change its mind. So they bring two artists from faraway place to play the music. And astonishingly the music works...!! The camel starts crying and it allows the baby to drink its milk.

The story is very simple and close to nomad tradition. The second film is also about another nomad family but this time the main focus is on a child and her dog. All the characters are from real life and no script was used to produce both these films. For both this movies, she spent more than 2 months with the original nomad family. After some days the family was not worried abt the camera and presence of the team. So she created some situation in which the characters reacted naturally and she filmed those scenes. So there was no “Action” and “Cut” s during the shooting. It was really long, painstaking process of film making but result was very amazing. The characters were fitted with each situation in the film and it was so natural.

Monday, June 1, 2009

Zhang Yang

If cinema is a medium to narrate a story – Zhang Yang is one of the greatest film makers from Asia. His films presents human saga interwoven with affectionate humor. Turn away from art house destined costume epics of emperors, conquerors and concubines; he depicts the lives of ordinary citizens. He is a great talent as a teller of compassionate tales.

In his first movie - spicy love soup is considered to be the first box office hit of an independent film in Chinese film history. This celluloid work was based on 5 love stories, with changing tone and feel for each story, yet continues to follow a certain charming rhythm and style.

The first story is about a boy who loves sounds. He daily records sounds which please him. One day he came across the most beautiful sound in his life - sound of a girl student in his class. Using his recording and editing skills he creates a beautiful but manupulated conversation with the girl. It was his first gift to the girl ...may be the last also. In the second story we came across a boy who makes a dinner with a hope to reconcile his bickering parents. He adds some magic love potion (given by his grandmother) in the dinner to unite them. In the third story a husband and wife in the verge of alienation rediscover their love through toys…!! The fourth story is about a love at first sight …

In the centerpiece of the film, is the most heart touching story of a retired nurse who tries to find out her new life partner…..

His second ‘Shower” film brought him international attention.

Da Ming, goes home to Beijing when he receives a letter from his mentally challenged brother Er Ming thinking that his father had died. He finds his father working at the family's bathhouse (the false message was a ruse of Er Ming, to get Da home). Da stays a couple days, observing his father being social director, marriage counselor, and dispute mediator for his customers and a boon companion to Er. Da is caught between worlds: the decaying district of his childhood and the booming south where he now lives with a wife who's not met his family. When Da realizes his father's health is failing and the district is slated for razing, he must take stock of family and future.

His third film Quitting was a sensation in China. It depicts the story of a drug addicted actor- Jia, who tries to find out his existence through alienating himself from his family and society. . The film is a striking social document as well as a gripping personal story. The film is also a passage through the impacts of post modern "Beatles Culture" on the young generation of China in early 90’s.

Sunflower was his fourth film. "Sunflower" is a powerful and touching look at the compelling inner dynamics of post-Cultural Revolution Chinese society. As the political atmosphere of the country changed Zhang Gengnain, a self trained painter rejoins with his family from the labor camp. The physical torture in the labor camp made him incapable to continue the profession of an artist. But he wants to fulfill his dreams through his son Xiangyang. The films time period spans the course of three decades--focusing on the years 1976, 1987 and 1999--in the lives of Zhang Gengnian and his son.

His latest film is Getting home released in 2007. It is also a pulse counter of modern China. The film reflects the humane side of Chinese society as well as the emerging callous class difference and developmental paradigm of the society.

The plot follows Zhao as a construction worker whose best friend dies, leaving him to fulfill a promise that he will return his body to his distant hometown. Short on money, the determined Zhao decides to carry his friend's corpse on his back, relying on help from the people he meets on his travels…"Getting Home" is a road film in the purest sense, progressing in anecdotal fashion through Zhao's encounters with a variety of quirky characters, some of whom help and some of whom hinder him in his journey. The plot revolves around a number of small, personal stories and is frequently unpredictable, as the viewer never knows what lies around the corner, or who he will run into next. Through this, the film works well as a series of clever observations on the lives of everyday people in modern rural China, and is both believable and fascinating. Despite the subject matter, it makes for upbeat and life affirming viewing, helped by the fact that the honest and loyal Zhao makes for a great, sympathetic protagonist who the viewer really comes to care for. His efforts to fulfil his promise are very touching, as are many of the tales of the people he meets, and Zhang shows his usual skill in avoiding cheap sentiment, keeping things heartfelt and unforced throughout.

Zhang's works have emotional core which drives the film and which really pulls the viewer into the story. Few other directors working in modern Chinese cinema or indeed from anywhere else in the world are his equal in this respect. Funny and poignant in equal measures, it makes for great entertainment and again goes to show that the best films to come from China in recent times have been the small, personal ones rather than the big budget blockbusters.

Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Waltz with Bashir

ഈ സിനിമ ഒന്ന് അവസാനിചെന്കില്‍ എന്ന് ആഗ്രഹിച്ചു പോയി പല തവണ. ഇതില്‍ കണ്ട ദൃശ്യങ്ങള്‍ വളരെ കാലം ബോധ മനസിനെ വേട്ടയാടും എന്ന് സംശയമില്ല.
1982 ല്‍ ലെബാനോനിലെ സാബ്രയിലും ഷടിലയിലും നടന്ന വംശഹത്യയുടെ ഓര്‍മകുറിപ്പാണ് ഈ സിനിമ. ചരിത്രത്തിലെ ഏറ്റവും രക്ത രൂഷിത മായ, സ്റ്റേറ്റ് സഹായത്തോടെ നടന്ന കൂട്ട കൊല യാണ് ഈ വംശഹത്യ. ഈ സൈനിക നീക്കത്തില്‍ പങ്കെടുകേണ്ടി വന്ന സിനിമ സംവിധായകന്‍ മറന്നു പോയ തന്റെ ഓര്‍മകളെ തിരികെ തേടുകയാണ്.

ഒരു മുഴുനീള അനിമെഷന്‍ ഡോക്കുമെന്ററി ആണ് ഈ ചിത്രം.

Monday, May 25, 2009

A new Kim-Ki-Duk in World cinema

If you are waiting for a Kim-Ki-Dukian  movie, do not wait for Kim-Ki-Duk to make a movie. “Yang Ik June” will satisfy your Kim-Ki-dukian taste buds.

The new Korean movie “Breathless” marks the arrival of a new Kim-Ki-Duk in World cinema – Yang Ik June. This movie is the new sensation from korea, conquering film festivals and critical appreciation from the around the world.

Breathless originates from the dark side of human relationships. Throughout the film you can feel the violence which demystifies violence. The director is not concerned with viewers who would humiliate its characters. It does not try to make its characters appealing by concealing their stupidity. That is to say, it does not avoid absurd moments to make itself more romantic.

It can also see as a gangster movie but it gradually breaks away from all the traditional elements of a gangster movie. In the gangster traditional films, it is rather the sympathetic qualities that makes the gangster identifiable; the viewer somehow knows that actually the gangster is 'good hearted', and waits for that moment in which he reveals the good in him/her. But from the first scene breathless questions this perspective.

In the first scene you can see that- A man is beating a woman. Then another man comes along (“hero”) and beats the beater. At that point the viewer may think like "OK, this is the hero". Yet the scene continues and the man who beats the beater starts to beat the woman, blaming her for not fighting back. The viewer does not know if she/he is to laugh or get angry, to adore the guy or to degrade him.  

Interestingly this is the first film of Yang-Ik June and he played main role in this film. His performance as an actor was amazing…one may feel that his both skills were competing each other in this movie.  

Cinematic experience

What kind of experience do we have when we are watching movies? Is it only personal..?

While reading a book we conceive words into images…. Is it same happens with cinema also..? I think personalization happens with images also. The visual moving infront of the viewer’s eyes would be different from the visual (information) that he stores in his memory. There is a transformation happens in between these process. What is that..? How is it happens..?

I think this process of transformation is vital when we study the impact of moving images on an individual and on a mass. That is why different people have different feelings about a same movie.

Friday, May 22, 2009

Shower

ലോകസിനിമ ഇന്ന് zhang yang കഥ പറയുവാന്കാത്തിരിക്കുകയാണ്. ഓര്മകളായി മാറുന്ന മനുഷ്യ ബന്ധങ്ങളുടെ നൈര്മല്യംമാണ് zhang സിനിമകളുടെ ഇതിവൃത്തം. 80 കളുടെ അവസാനം ചൈനീസ് സിനിമയില്പുതിയ മാറ്റാങള്കൊണ്ട് വന്നു. പുതിയ ഒരു കൂട്ടം സംവിധായകര്നവ സിനിമയ്ക്കു തുടക്കം കുറിച്ചു. ചൈനീസ് നവ സിനിമയുടെ അമുല്യമായ സംഭാവനയാണ്‌ zhang yang. zhang നെ പ്രശസ്തി യിലേക്ക് നയിച്ചത് 2 മത്തെ സിനിമയായ "Shower" ആണ്. തികച്ചും ചെറിയ ബജറ്റ് ഇല നിര്മിച്ച സിനിമ അപ്രേധീഷിട വിജയമാണ് box officil നേടിയത്. ഒപ്പം വിവിധ ഫിലിം ഫെസ്ടിവലുകളില്വിമര്ശക അംഗീകാരവും നേടി.

 

Shower

 

Liu Daming നഗരത്തില്നിന്ന് അച്ഛന്റെ അടുത്തേക്ക് വന്നത് വളരെ ആശങ്കയോടെ ആയിരുന്നു. താന്ജനിച്ചു വളര്ന്ന ചെറിയ പട്ടണത്തില്അച്ഛന്നടത്തുന്ന bath house ( ആളുകള്ക്ക് സുഖപ്രദമായി കുളിക്കാനും സമയം തള്ളീനീക്കാനും വേണ്ടി നടത്തുന്ന സ്ഥലം) ഇല്എതിയപോയാണ് സമാധാനം ആയത്. അച്ഛന് കുഴപമോന്നും ഇല്ല. അച്ഛനോടൊപ്പം ബാത്ത് ഹൌസില്കസീയുന്നമാനസിക വളര്ച്ച കുറഞ്ഞ അനിയന്കാണിച്ച വേലയാണ് തെറ്റിധാരണ ക്ക് കാരണമായത്. തനിക്കു അയച്ച കത്തില്അവന്ബെഡില്കിടക്കുന്ന അച്ഛന്റെ പടം വരച്ചു, അച്ഛന് സുഖമില്ല എന്ന് Liu Daming കരുതുവാന്ഇത് കാരണമായി. ഇപ്പം അച്ഛന് കുഴപമില്ല എന്ന് കണ്ടപ്പോള്സമാധാനം ആയി, വന്ന സ്ഥിതിക്ക് 2 ദിവസം കഴിഞ്ഞു പോയാല്മതി എന്ന് നിശ്ചയിച്ചു. shower house ഒരു രസകരമായ ലോകം തന്നെ യാണ്. ഇവിടെ വരുന്ന ഓരോ ആളും ഓരോ തരക്കാരാണ്. ഒരാള്ക്ക് വെള്ളം തലയില്വീണാല്ഉടനെ പാട്ട് വരും. പാട്ട് കേട്ട് നിവൃത്തി ക്കെട്ടാല്മറ്റൊരാള്ഓടി പോയി tap അടയ്ക്കും. അപ്പോള്പാട്ടും തന്നെ നില്ക്കും. പക്ഷെ Liu Daming ഇന്റെ അനിയന്‍ Liu Erming ഇന് ആവട്ടെ പാട്ട് ജീവനാണ്. അയ്യാള്ഓടി പോയി Tap തുറക്കും. അപ്പോള്ഒരു ഉന്തും തള്ളും പ്രതിഷിക്കാം. അവിടെ വരുന്ന വയസ്സായവരാകട്ടെ കമ്പം "ചെറു പ്രാണികളെ " തമ്മിലടിച്ചു രസിക്കാനാണ്. പ്രാണികള്തമ്മിലുള്ള അടി അവസാനം അവര്തമ്മിലുള്ള അടിയായി തീരാന്അധികം നേരം വെണ്ട. ഭാര്യയുടെ അടി പേടിച്ചു വരുന്നവരും, വിചിത്രമായ കണ്ടുപിടുത്തം തലയില്കൊണ്ട് നടക്കുന്നവരും ഇവിടത്തെ സന്ദര്ശകരില്പെടും. എത്ര വിചിട്രമാനെന്കിലും ലോകം ഒരു തലമുറയുടെ വികാര വിചാര ങ്ങളുടെ രംഗ വേദി യാണ്. ഒപ്പം Liu Daming ഇന്റെ അച്ഛനായ Liu ഒരു ജീവിടകാലം കൊണ്ട് കേട്ടിപെടുത്ത ഒരു കുടുംബമാണ് bath house.

 

Liu നു പ്രായം ഏറെ ആയിരിക്കുന്നു. തന്നെ ഉപേഷിച്ച് നഗരത്തില്ചേക്കേറിയ മൂത്ത മകന്മാനസിക വളരച്ച്ചയില്ലാത്ത ഇളയ മകനെ തന്റെ മരണ ശേഷം സംരെക്ഷിക്കുമോ? വികസനത്തിന്റെ പേരില് പ്രദേശത്തുള്ള എല്ലാ വീടുകളെയും പൊളിച്ചു മാറ്റ്മെന്നു govt. അറിയിച്ചിരിക്കുന്നു . അപ്പോള്തന്റെ പ്രിയപ്പെട്ട bath house നെ വിട്ടു പിരിയേണ്ടി വരുമോ ? - Liu തന്റെ ആകുലതകളെ ഉള്ളില്ഒതുക്കി കഴിയുക യാണ് അപ്രേധിഷിത ആയാണ് Liu നെ മരണം കീഴടക്കുനത്. മരണം - Liu സഹോദരന്മാരെ എങ്ങനെ ബാധിക്കുന്നു എന്നതാന്നു സിനിമയുടെ അന്ത്യത്തില്നാം കാണുന്നത്.