Les Dites Cariatides (1984)

Day 28: 28/03/2019

Les Dites Cariatides, Agnes Varda 

There is a cinematheque opening in my neighborhood very soon, and they started showing movies by devoting this month to Agnes Varda and a huge selection of her films. Yesterday, I watched couple short films by her, unfortunately today I learned she passed away.

There are many things about her cinema that affects me, like the way she interacts with cities and uses statues, stairs, objects in comparison to subjects in our lives. Watching these shorts by her made me want to grab my camera and just walk around in my own city, Istanbul, recording everything I love about it and commenting on them. Her take on the caryatids of Paris, how they can be compared to naked people walking around, how they are trusted “to carry” subjects like law on their shoulders, how she strengthened her storytelling with poems by Baudelaire and the music she used with those shots was very inspirational.

Interesting article: http://cleojournal.com/2018/04/11/wandering-in-the-presence-of-womenles-dites-cariatides/?fbclid=IwAR0YkIwlPhm2S_MTVdnmbTTVWsvscA13VW2KOVOsajsUE2QrdKW-IrAOVt8

Hotel Chevalier (2007) Cinematography Journal

This scene shows how he likes to (and pretends to) blend in with this new environment he created for himself.

It’s not just the color of his bathrobe to the overall tone of the room but also the way he tries to order his food in French – but that needs some help. He is happily messy in his room until he gets a phone call from his ex – after that everything starts to change.

He cleans up the room and puts on a suit that is in complete contrast with the room – the way he likes to portray himself is different than his inner world.

When she comes, we see that she also wears grey – could we say he tries to match her by putting on a mask? Over prepared with the music and everything. Could this be the problem? People usually love to put on masks to make themselves look “better” than they are in their minds – but maybe if they would let others in and just be themselves, other people would find them way more original.

She comes in with flowers. Is she the “Chevalier” and him “the damsel in distress” waiting in his comfort castle?

Being the dominant character, she easily takes over the power in the room. She slips something in his luggage – will we know that this is in The Darjeeling Ltd?

Confrontation looks like this.

Is she over me? Does she know that I’m over her? Because I’m totally are. 

Does he still love me? Does he still care? 

Now they both stand out in the room – and slowly get closer.

Where many people reviewed this film as being vague, to me to me it is a really clear representation of vague relationships.

“Whatever happens between us, I don’t want to lose your friendship at the end”. 

“I never see you as a friend”

In terms of colors, they still belong to different worlds in the end.

Here is the Wes Anderson signature in the titles.

Hotel Chevalier (2007)

Day 7a: Forgotten 

Hotel Chevalier, Wes Anderson

I guess for everyone there must be someone who have entered their lives that they can’t get over, wouldn’t like to get over even if they could because in an imaginary world they would dream that with that person they could just live the way they wanted to – and if they are honest enough, another part will tell them that that would never happen – that they are not for each other at all and that them not being over each other is just a pointless waste of time. Isn’t that what love is anyway? Is it not?

HC is Wes Anderson’s expression on those and more with a pinch of yellow, Peter Sarstedt and a feeling of not having time for each other in 13 minutes. This short is also Part 1 of Darjeeling Ltd., his feature film that takes place in a train journey in India.  

What makes it a great short film: creates a deeper and greater meaning for the feature, one extra bite of a delicious meal with a different flavor. It serves a purpose and connects to the core of the story.

Watch it here:

Ah this song ❤

=> Hotel Chevalier Cinematography Journal

Loving Vincent (2017) – The Making Of

Loving Vincent broadens the horizons of cinematography with paint – check out how they did it.

The making of video:

 

Behind the scenes: