Let’s Get Physical (with safe-distancing measures)
TAIPEI FILM FESTIVAL 2020 SETS THE BAR FOR PHYSICAL EVENTS IN PRESENT COVID-TIMES The new normal has us at our laptops at odd hours, attending more film festivals, music gigs, classes and webinars from the safety of our own homes than we ever did back In Real Life (the unplugged, offline world, a.k.a. IRL). Just…
Bright, bittersweet love in The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (1964) and La La Land (2016)
Designed by: Nurin From the bright pastel umbrellas in motion to that jazzy score by Michel Legrand in the opening scene, fans of La La Land (2016) would not be remiss to feel a sense of déjà vu. It’s a well-documented fact that The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (1964) was one of the main inspirations behind…
Let’s Get Physical (with safe-distancing measures)
TAIPEI FILM FESTIVAL 2020 SETS THE BAR FOR PHYSICAL EVENTS IN PRESENT COVID-TIMES The new normal has us at our laptops at odd hours, attending more film festivals, music gigs, classes and webinars from the safety of our own homes than we ever did back In Real Life (the unplugged, offline world, a.k.a. IRL). Just…
Film Journals #5 – YouTube: The New French New Wave
It’s easy to nit-pick at the flaws of YouTube videos and label them as “trashy” or “low production value”. But in this episode, we will compare YouTube’s history to that of the French New Wave and realise that… YouTube could actually be the French New Wave of our age. ABOUT FILM JOURNALS Film journals…
Film Journals #4 – How Shane Dawson Manipulated His Audience? Tiger King, 13 Reasons Why
Is sensationalism really always a bad thing, or could it actually do good as well? In this episode, we look at trending web series such as Netflix’s Tiger King and Shane Dawson’s docuseries to understand the effects of sensationalism in mass media today. ABOUT FILM JOURNALS Film journals – a series by Jian Wei,…
Film Journals #3 – Hollywood Makes Propaganda
Change my mind: Interstellar is a great space exploration film, but it is also a propaganda film for America. In this episode, we compare famous Hollywood films to propaganda films from China and the Soviet Union to study their similar propagandistic elements. ABOUT FILM JOURNALS Film journals – a series by Jian Wei, highlighting…
Film Journals #2 – When Bad Is Better
Tired of picture-perfect Hollywood? Why not try embracing imperfection instead! In this episode, we discuss the philosophy of Wabi Sabi — the Art of Appreciating Imperfection — and delve into how this is used to add artistic merit in films ranging from the those produced in the French New Wave to the Hollywood blockbusters of today….