Last winter I took part of a Russian Maslenitsa celebration near Yekaterinburg. I promised to post some photos that my friend Dina took, she sent them to me today. I look overly enthusiastic that I probably was-- how often do you get to participate in a Maslenitsa! This included singing, sleighing, a massive snow fight and dancing and music later on. Biggest regards to my friends in Yekaterinburg!
We got an an introduction for a film called '48' (2009) by Susana de Sousa Dias
sent to us on our mailing list. Sounds fascinating.
What can a portrait photograph reveal about a political system?
Based
on photographs taken on the arrest of political prisoners during the
Portuguese dictatorship (1926-1974), this documentary aims to convey the
mechanisms by which a dictatorial regime sought to sustain its
existence throughout 48 years. After her film Natureza Morta-Visages d'une Dictature (Still
Life), Susana de Sousa dedicates herself again to the time of the
Portuguese dictatorship. By means of an innovative cinematographic
approach she succeeds in creating a film of universal impact. At a time
when the topic of torture is confronting us almost every day, reminds us
of the practice of the Portuguese dictatorship and of the after
effects, which still can be felt today. 48 was
embarked upon with a single certainty: that it is possible to tell the
history of the Portuguese dictatorial regime (1926-1974) just through
the photographs taken on the arrest of political prisoners and their
witnesses.
However,
this stood in contrast to the number of questions. The facial shots
taken by the PIDE (Portuguese Secret Police) stare out at us, appealing
and disturbing.
How
to film them while maintaining the integrity of this appeal? How to set
about transfiguring an image through the duration imposed upon it? What
balance should be established between the words and silences so that
the image would not be entirely swamped by the text? And how to set
about building up an environment that is conceptual rather than
physical?
Source: Filmville (UK Portuguese Film Festival) and Birkbeck University
