Tag: black&white

Culture :: Obachan

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I don’t know about you but it’s been a while since I really got my hands dirty.  I mean up to my elbows working in the mud kind of dirty.  I guess sitting behind a desk several days a week will do that to you.  This film makes me miss my days working out in the garden.  I’ve been so busy lately that I hardly have time to go for a run in the evening, but I’m doing what I can to get outside, but not as much as I would like.  We finally have real summer weather and I’m stuck inside… a lot.

I digress…

Mackenzie Sheppard

Growing up in an agriculture rich state, farming is something that I have noticed, but never paid that much attention to.  I know that there are a lot of tractors and equipment to plow, plant and harvest the food products. There isn’t as much hands on farming any more.  When I say hands on, I mean where we actually had till the earth, plant the seeds and harvest the crop with our own hands.  Maybe that’s why Obachan is in her 80s and is still out in the fields every day- she still does everything by hand.  She hasn’t let modern invention take over and she is letting her body live naturally. Maybe… she has found the secret to living a long and healthy life?  It’s probably not the only reason that she has never been ill- I’m sure genetics and circumstance has had a lot to do with that as well.

What I like most about this film is the use of focus and the black and white footage. It lets the audience look at the rich texture that surrounds Obachan, and not so much the color that often over powers an image.  As you can imagine, most of these images are some shade of brown, which  in all reality isn’t always the most appealing of colors.  By making it black and white it changes the focus away from the color to the content.

I only hope that I can be as active as Obachan when I’m 85.  I have some pretty strong genes on my side, but then you can never know what is going to happen.

Runnoff :: Foz de Iguacu

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Foz-de-Iguacu

Foz de Iguacu, Argentina

These falls straddle the boarder between Brazil and Argentina and attract thousands of visitors each year.  The mist makes every thing hazy and of course soaks anyone standing  on the observations decks scattered around the park.  I took this picture from the Argentine side and I looked like I had gone for a swim in the falls by the time I made it back to the park entrance.  I would definitely advise wearing a swimsuit when you visit and keep a spare set of clothes in a waterproof bag.

Having said that, these falls should be on everyone’s list of places to visit.  They are beautiful and a cool reprieve from the hot and humid South American temperatures.

Art :: American Roots

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Green Lens Media, LCC

This film may not be an obvious documentary to some, but this is the perfect example of an art documentary.  It gives us time to reflect on the roots of the American people while using images to tell the story instead of conventional interviews and b-roll.  I love how this film lets the viewer reflect on the subject without being told what to think.

Art :: Boundless

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[vimeo https://vimeo.com/29498902 h=360&w=640]

Dir. Gregory Colbert

I thought this was the perfect transition from “Award Season” to “Art”.  Ashes and Snow truly is a magnificent piece of film art and should be recognized for it. I consider this an art film beyond the image as the metaphoric meaning is artful enough.

As described by the director:

“Gregory Colbert’s Ashes and Snow feature film captures extraordinary moments of contact between people and animals as seen through the lens of the artist’s camera on more than thirty expeditions to some of the earth’s most remote places. Written, directed, produced, and filmed by Gregory Colbert, it is a poetic field study that depicts the world not as it is, but as it might be—a world in which the natural and artificial boundaries separating humans from other species do not exist. The viewing experience is one of wonder and contemplation, serenity, and hope.”