World Press Photo Montreal 2014 & La Maison Fontaine

World Press Photo of the Year 2013 / John Stanmeyer, USA, VII for 

26 February 2013, Djibouti City, Djibouti

National Geographic  

African migrants on the shore of Djibouti city at night, raising their phones in an attempt to capture an inexpensive signal from neighboring Somalia—a tenuous link to relatives abroad. Djibouti is a common stop-off point for migrants in transit from such countries as Somalia, Ethiopia and Eritrea, seeking a better life in Europe and the Middle East. // 

Des migrants africains brandissant leurs portables en l'air, la nuit, sur une plage de Djibouti, pour tenter de capter un signal abordable de la Somalie voisine – un lien ténu avec leurs parents à l'étranger. Djibouti est une étape connue des migrants en transit venant notamment de Somalie, Éthiopie et Érythrée à la recherche d'une vie meilleure en Europe et au Moyen-Orient.

FRANÇAIS EN BLEU

The 9th WORLD PRESS PHOTO MONTREAL exhibition is now open at Marché Bonsecours in Old Montreal. I was privileged to be invited to the opening night for a captivating guided tour. Photojournalists from around the world submit their most extraordinary shots to the non profit organization World Press Photo for annual exhibitions since its founding in 1955 in Amsterdam. It is the Oscars of professional photojournalism. The exhibition then travels around the globe.

As I walk through the exhibition I feel drawn in to the remarkable stories of my fellow humans. The images are no doubt famous around the world but to see them in the large scale and to become engrossed in the details, the people, the natural sites, the animals, in large splashes of color and emotion is very moving. Heroes and tyrants are captured by the lens of the daring men and women who travel the world to bring us these stories. A jury of renowned specialists must decide on a winning image every year. This must be a daunting task as so many images grab our hearts.

This year's winner is a very simple image yet the message is so profound. It is JOHN STANMEYER, USA, VII for National Geographic. A Full Moon on a beach, men with their cell phones raised towards the heavens trying to find a signal so they can contact their families left behind as they became the newest refugees in a growing number of displaced human beings on our planet due to conflict, war, and natural disaster. The Montreal curator, MATTHIEU RYTZ, explained the choice of this seemingly peaceful image as this year's winner " There is a staggering number of displaced people around the world at this time, people forced to leave their homes, their countries. We see ourselves in these people with their raised cell phones trying desperately to 'phone home'. I am thinking of that phrase 'ET phone home' and I am moved by this thing that unites all of us, our common bond. I am proud of this years jury to have made this bold selection."

Marché Bonsecours © Lena Ghio 2014

Some of my journalist colleagues and I were moved by another image that is so eery. It is the 3rd Prize Contemporary Issues Single, CHRISTOPHER VANEGAS, Mexico, La Vanguardia / El Guardían.
When I came upon this photograph in the exhibition I was not sure what I was looking at. It appears like a contemporary art intervention on some public highway. In reality it is a crime scene with two bodies hanging from a bridge and three others on the ground in Saltillo, Coahuila, Mexico. It is a practice in the drug wars to create elaborate staging of the murdered bodies of their enemies to send terrifying messages to the survivors.

The exhibition is now open everyday until September 28 2014. Follow the links for all the details about the schedule and activities.

FRANÇAIS

La 9e exposition WORLD PRESS PHOTO MONTRÉAL  est maintenant  ouverte au public au Marché Bonsecours  dans le Vieux Montréal. J’ai eu le privilège d’être invitée à la soirée d’ouverture pour une visite guidée captivante. Des photojournalistes  d’autour du monde soumettent leurs prises les plus extraordinaires à l’organisme à but non lucratif  World Press Photo pour ses expositions annuelles depuis sa fondation en 1955 à Amsterdam. Ce sont les Oscars du photojournalisme professionel. Ces expositions voyagent ensuite autour du globe.

Alors que je marche dans l’exposition, je me sens piquée au jeu par les remarquables histoires  de mes semblables. Les images sont sans doute célèbres autour du monde mais de les revoir dans ces larges dimensions, je suis absorbée par les détails, les gens, les sites naturels,  les animaux dans de grandes éclaboussures de couleurs et d’émotions et c'est très émouvant.  Les héros comme les tyrans sont capturés  par la lentille de ces hommes et femmes audacieux qui traversent le globe pour nous amener ces histoires.  Un jury de spécialistes  de renommée doit décider sur une image gagnante à chaque année. Ceci doit être une tâche difficile puisqu’il y a tant d’image qui nous déchirent le coeur.

Cette année l'image gagnante est très simple mais son message est si profond. C'est JOHN STANMEYER, États-Unis, VII pour National Geographic. Une Pleine Lune sur une plage, des hommes avec leurs cellulaires levés vers le ciel à la recherche d'un signal pour pouvoir contacter leurs familles qu'ils ont dû laisser derrière eux alors qu'ils sont devenus, malgré eux, la nouvelle cuvé de réfugiés dans le nombre croissant d'humains déplacés sur notre planète à cause des conflits, de la guerre et des désastres naturels. Le commissaire de l'exposition Montréalaise, MATTHIEU RYTZ, explique le choix de cette image gagnante qui semble de prime abord si serène " Le nombre de réfugiés autour du monde en ce moment est stupéfiant, des gens forcés de quitter leurs foyers, leurs pays. Nous nous voyons dans ces personnes avec leurs cellulaires levés, tentant désespérément d'appeler leurs proches. Je pense à cette phrase célèbre  'ET phone home' et je suis ému par cette chose qui nous unis tous, notre lien commun. Je suis fier du jury de cette année qui a osé cette sélection audacieuse."

3^rd Prize Contemporary Issues Single

Christopher Vanegas, Mexico, La Vanguardia / El Guardían    

08 March 2013, Saltillo, Coahuila, Mexico

Police arrive at a crime scene where two bodies
 hang from a bridge; another three are on the floor.
They had been killed by organized crime
in Saltillo, Coahuila, in retaliation against
 other criminal groups. Saltillo, Coahuila, Mexico.
// La police arrive sous un viaduc où ont été découverts cinq
corps, à l'aube du 8 mars, à Saltillo, Coahuila,au nord-est
 du Mexique, pays où les groupes rivaux du crime organisé
 et les cartels de la drogue s'envoient souvent de tels
 avertissements publics. Une narcomanta (banderole) a été
trouvée près des corps, mais son message n'était pas clair.
 Au moins 60 000 personnes ont été tuées depuis que
le gouvernement a commencé à utiliser les forces militaires
contre les cartels de la drogue en 2006.   

Quelques-uns de mes collègues journalistes et moi étions touchés par une autre image qui est si fantasmagorique. C'est le 3e Prix Sujets contemporains Photos isolées CHRISTOPHER VANEGAS, Mexico, La Vanguardia / El Guardían. Quand je suis arrivée sur cette photo dans l'exposition je n'étais pas certaine de ce que je voyais. Cela apparaît comme une intervention en art contemporain sur une autoroute. En réalité, c'est la scène d'un vrai crime avec deux cadavres pendus sur un pont et trois autres cadavres au sol à Saltillo, Coahuila, Mexique. C'est une pratique dans la guerre des drogues de créer des mises en scènes élaborées avec les corps assassinés de ses ennemies pour envoyer des messages terrifiants aux survivants. 

L'exposition se poursuit jusqu'au 28 septembre 2014. Suivez les liens pour plus d'informations.

LA MAISON FONTAINE

The first intervention associated with the Montreal Biennale to begin later this October, La Maison Fontaine is an ephemeral installation conceived by the German collective raumlaborberlin sponsored by the Goethe Institut in Montreal. MARKUS BADER, the Berlin artist who initiated the project, was in Montreal in 2012 to participate in a round table and was struck by the many drinkable water fountains still accessible to the public for free in Montreal. In many countries, the service of water is privatized and in still other countries, there is just not enough water for it to be so freely accessible. The installation is also a water fountain of fresh drinkable water. I walked through the structure with the artist and it does possess many pleasing features. It is composed of sturdy wood. Its exterior is a living skin that is even now spouting fresh grass so that by the end of the ephemeral installation, October 28 2014,  it should be a bright green. It evoked the Tower of Pisa for me because of its many arches and a stairway you can climb up to the top. However be careful as the watery mist makes the stairs slippery. The installation will not only be alive with grass, many artists will animate the site and there will be many discussions on all the issues associated with water that are of vital importance. For the detailed programming click here.

La Maison Fontaine & Markus Bader
photos © Lena Ghio 2014

FRANÇAIS

La première intervention associée avec la Biennale de Montréal qui débutera à la fin de ce mois d'octobre, La Maison Fontaine est une installation éphémère conçue par le collectif Allemand raumlaborberlin commandité par le Goethe Institut de Montréal. MARKUS BADER, l'artiste berlinois qui a initié le projet, était à Montréal en 2012 pour participer à une table ronde quand il a été frappé par la quantité de fontaine/abreuvoir encore accessible gratuitement au public Montréalais. Dans plusieurs pays, l'eau est privatisée et dans encore d'autre pays, il n'y en a tout simplement pas assez pour en offrir aussi librement. L'installation est aussi un abreuvoir d'eau fraîche. J'ai marché dans l'installation avec l'artiste et la structure possède plusieurs facettes agréables. Elle est composée de beau bois solide. Son extérieur est une peau vivante de laquelle germe en ce moment même du beau gazon frais, donc à la fin de l'installation, le 28 octobre 2014, elle sera toute verte. Elle évoque la Tour de Pise pour moi à cause de ses plusieurs arches et l'escalier qu'on peut monter jusqu'au toit. Cependant soyez prudent car les vapeurs d'eau tendent à rendre les escaliers glissants. L'installation ne sera pas seulement vivante à cause du gazon, plusieurs artistes animeront le site et il y aura des discussions vitales sur toutes les questions qui touchent à l'eau. Pour la programmation détaillée suivez ce lien.

-LENA GHIO

A word from water to those afflicted by the drought in the western USA

1) The Flag © Lena Ghio 2014

First I must clarify that I would offer such messages to any country experiencing drought, but I am only now learning and writing about The Language of Water. 

I haven't been watching the news for more than a year so I have missed a lot of tragedy and war. The drought moves me because, as those who follow my blog know, since July 23 2013 I have been documenting the image making faculty of water. This evolved into Emerge Art and now a book I am writing The Language of Water.

2) The Woman in White
and the Full Moon © Lena Ghio 2014

I took many pictures this morning asking the water one question: How can you bring hope to those people devastated by the drought in the western USA? The artwork surrounding the water are my OMIs paying homage to the great Canadian artist EMILY CARR who reproduced the Forest Spirits of the North-West Territories in her magnificent corpus. I chose these 3 images that sum up the message nicely. I hope these images, drawn by water and polished by me, will be uplifting for those in the midst of the drought.

3) The White Horse © Lena Ghio 2014

1) The Flag struck me as a symbol for what most people must be thinking and feeling: ENOUGH ALREADY! PLEASE! A figure is holding it up and it is tattered and dirty.

2) The Woman in White and The Full Moon shows a pregnant woman that seems to be imploring the Full Moon. The upcoming Full Moon on September 8 will be in Pisces a water sign. A few hours before it reaches fullness it will conjunct Neptune in Pisces, a very strong watery element.

3) The White Horse, a universal symbol for upcoming relief.

My prayers are with you all, Spirit has not forgotten you. LOVE

-LENA GHIO

The OMI meets the International Contemporary Art Scene

EMERGE ART OMI The King from The Constant Spirit series © 2014
www.lenaghio.com

It seems that for the most part art, science, politics and religion have become cynical and dissociated from the force that is responsible for our very life. We argue about what it could be. We are adamant we know the truth and are willing to kill for it. Even modern self-help gurus no longer guarantee the saving of our immortal soul but promise infinite material wealth as long as we keep our thoughts positive and our vision focused on the achievement of a unique goal.

Emerge Art arrives on the overcrowded international contemporary art scene; chaotic, media saturated, and unsure of what is art; a never before seen style of art: images “intended” by water. Why is this practice relevant in our time? For one, it revives in the most unlikely way, with the use of recent technology, Forensic Photoshop to be precise, the wonderment of Spirit and Its perennial link to each one of us. At once prophetic and nostalgic, proving the ancient occult art of scrying, it illustrates that nature is reaching out to us as it did in the past.

Water, gentle and forgiving, is speaking out. How does this relate to our historical moment? It is LIFE confirming itself, its autonomy, in the face of our extraordinary egocentric exploitation of our precious planet and of our young! Water is the ultimate diplomat. Not one of us can survive without it. The book I am writing, The Language of Water, will show you just how deeply water is individualistic, intelligent and aware. The image on top of this article is from the series The Constant Spirit. This series reveals one of the ways water uses the environment to talk to us. In the book you will discover all the methods I have uncovered on how water expresses itself.

For the world premiere exhibition of Emerge Art, Emerge Art with the book «Extrême: Esthétiques de la limite dépassée» by Paul Ardenne / Flammarion, I produced eight laser photographs that are the foundation of what will become a practice of the future: humans a practice of the future: humans having an intelligent dialogue with water not based on superstition, but on a visual vocabulary arrived at through scientific inquiry and artistic inspiration. There is a lot of research to be done to construct this vocabulary with the images water creates. These images prove the scope of water’s understanding and fluency. The precious fluid is a great concern of the contemporary artist and of the world of commodities markets that have already evaluated it as a greater source of future profit than diamonds and gold. But no one is doing what I am doing, conversing with water, with Spirit, photographing the original phenomena and then producing Objects of Mystical Importance (OMI).

These eight pieces are very evocative of the 32 Campbell’s Soup Cans paintings by ANDY WARHOL, 1962, minus the visionary art collectors like DENIS HOPPER and IRVING BLUM, who bought the ground breaking works for hundreds of dollars and sold them for millions. No one has yet grasped the extraordinary breakthrough that Emerge Art represents for art, science, politics, religion and economics. We never expected that nature would talk back to us! Don’t you think the humans of the future will be curious to see the original representations of water’s first words? How the conversation began?

Why is investing in Emerge Art the wave of the future for art markets? For one, IT HAS NEVER BEEN DONE BEFORE!!!! Emerge Art is unique and for the brilliant art collector who will acquire the first ever series of OMIs, depicting authentically, water dialoging with a human, it will be the most rewarding acquisition of a lifetime! The first utterances of water are a world heritage.

OMI Installation © 2014 Lena Ghio

The Object of Mystical Importance is the result of the philosophical path I took as an artist. I was moved by the writings of Carlos Castaneda at a young age. What impressed me the most was the value he put on the world, the Earth, as opposed to putting the sole value of human life on being obsessed by what people do, the roles societies assign to individuals that limit them, and in the end dissociate them completely from the Source of life itself. Although many discredit the author's truthfulness, there was an exciting wisdom in some of his quotes that I will always love dearly. For example the point he made that being consumed with obsession over what people do leads quickly to disenchantment and exhaustion.

I wanted to connect with the living world; I wanted to stand in the full force of what it means to be a human being in a wonderful world, in a wonderful time. Eventually, my studies expanded to include a passion for science, the martial arts, and astrology, to name a few.

The pyramidal OMIs are objects of power that radiate a constant and precise interaction with the solar system. To grasp the physics that underlies these objects see the following article: The Moons of Saturn, Gravity and the Evolution of Life. The Emerge Art, The King, above, demonstrates the action of the pyramidal OMIs on surrounding particles. The bowl of water is in the center of the pyramidal OMIs of The Shogun series. All six were built on the same day but at 6 different moments to capture all the facets that represent wealthy life: good relationships, health, prosperity, the riches of the land, intelligent rulership, the joy of shared opulence and a long life filled with Spirit. The water reacted by creating a handsome king, the perfect symbol for this series.

The Emerge Art OMIs capture the mystical side of reality and congeals it into a digital image that I then transfer onto an object. Both are pure magic working elegantly in our technological age. My art is now equal to my desire to know the fullness of the World I love, on the periphery of what people do and the sweet mysterious planet we inhabit.

For more information, please contact   info@lenaghio.com

-LENA GHIO

YVES SAINT-LAURENT le film

Quelques jolies personnes du milieu de la mode et des arts présentes à la première du film Lundi 11 août 2014
photos © Lena Ghio

En mai 2008 je rencontre PIERRE BERGÉ au Musée des Beaux Arts de Montréal alors qu'il introduit la magnifique exposition des créations YVES SAINT-LAURENT. Tout le monde connaissait la fragilité de la santé de Saint-Laurent, avant de voir le film, je ne réalisais pas la gravité de son état. M. Bergé a secondé son grand amour Saint-Laurent à travers de multiples épreuves que vous découvrirez dans le film.

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Yves Saint Laurent Beauté
photo © Lena Ghio

Quand j'ai parlé à M. Bergé j'étais si curieuse de savoir les méthodes de travail du grand couturier français qui a réalisé plusieurs robes de soirée brodées et perlées comme de somptueuses oeuvres d'art. M. Bergé m'a raconté que Saint-Laurent avait une équipe de brodeuses qui oeuvraient dans des ateliers qui n'existent plus maintenant. Ces robes qu'on peut admirer dans les Musées sont uniques au monde et ne seront jamais reproduite car les pierres, les tissus et les techniques des brodeuses qui les réalisaient n'existent plus. Dans le film le personnage de Bergé dit les mêmes paroles qu'il m'a raconté en 2008, que la Haute Couture a disparu depuis les succès commerciaux du Prêt-à-porter.

Le rôle de Yves Saint-Laurent est interprété par PIERRE NINEY de la Comédie-Française. Il ressemble exactement au type de Saint-Laurent et transmet parfaitement le côté fort de sa personalité et ses grandes faiblesses physiques. Dans ce clip de Saint-Laurent au travail avec la top modèle ALEK WEK vous pourrez constater l'excellence du jeu de Niney. Bergé est interprété par GUILLAUME GALLIENNE de la Comédie Française. Dans le même clip, vous voyez Bergé dans les coulisses qui observe son génie bien-aimé. On retrouve aussi la charmante CHARLOTTE LE BON dans le rôle de VICTOIRE DOUTRELEAU, sa première muse.

-LENA GHIO

CALVARY - THE TRIP TO ITALY- THE HUNDRED FOOT JOURNEY

The official opening of the movie The Hundred-Foot Journey this week in New York.

The thing these 3 great movies share are astonishing natural sceneries of mountains, oceans and winding roads; two of them include Haute Cuisine at its finest!

THE HUNDRED-FOOT JOURNEY

Based on the international best seller by RICHARD C. MORAIS, this co-production by STEVEN SPIELBERG, OPRAH WINFREY and JULIET BLAKE takes us to a France I never knew existed. The cast is headed by one of my favorite actresses, HELEN MIRREN as Madame Mallory, a widow who has devoted her life to the upkeep of her late husband's high class restaurant when a family of Indian immigrants with hot spices and loud music moves across the road to disrupt her well-established routines. Directed by LASSE HALLSTRÖM, the cast: OM PURI as Papa, MANISH DAYAL as Hassan the gifted young chef, CHARLOTTE LE BON as Marguerite another aspiring young chef, and the rest of the excellent cast, deliver an uplifting cinematographic experience of luscious beauty.

THE TRIP TO ITALY

Rob Brydon and Steve Coogan

This film follows the first one entitled The Trip. Steve (STEVE COOGAN) and Rob (ROB BRYDON) are once again asked by The Observer to do a series of restaurant reviews. I wanted to see this film because it brings together everything I love most about life on Earth: succulent food, luxurious restaurants in Italy, the company of intelligent, funny and talented men. Plus we visit some famous hotels and sites that are so beautiful it makes me want to cry. The scenery is so gorgeous I can't promise you you wont want to instantly book a trip to Italy. We also see the chefs at work in their own kitchens preparing the exquisite recipes that are then brought out. The conversation is funny witty very perceptive of the human condition. We are taken along for this elegant interlude before ordinary life resumes once again.

CALVARY

Brendan Gleeson

I really enjoyed this movie that allows us to reflect on the positive intentions of the catholic church versus its abysmal failings. BRENDAN GLEESON plays a good priest, the kind that would convert every person on earth to catholicism, not because he is perfect but because he is warm and honest in his intention to be of service. He navigates the village of misfits, carrying the weight of the previous priest's misconduct and the traumatic wounds left behind, equipped with the words of the gospel and his common sense. The cinematography is superb and the rocky edges of the coast underline the tensions building up in the story as one of the characters is plotting murder. I was moved by the main character's journey and his ultimate heartbreak at the end.

-LENA GHIO

FANTASIA! Conclusion...

Français en bleu

The 2014 Fantasia Festival is over. But what a great time we had. I did not get to see all the movies I wanted to see because there were just too many that got me intrigued. I will, however,  conclude with these two film reviews.

THE FATAL ENCOUNTER

This was my favorite movie of the entire Fantasia Festival and also the prime reason why I support the festival. This delicious jewel of a film will not be distributed in Montreal and has already finished its 25 North-American cities tour. Without the Fantasia Festival, I would never have had the opportunity to see it on a big screen where it deserves to be seen.

Water, stone, smoke, swords, earth, the elements are put in motion. King Jeongjo (HYUN-BIN) is refining his excellence in secret, he has many enemies. "When you want something, do your utmost, then it will be realized." The King reminds his faithful assistant, the eunuch Sang-Chaek (JUNG JAE-YOUNG) .

The Spirit of the story is structured upon the philosophies of Korean Martial Arts; how the warrior understands time and its relationship to all things, the Tao and the ways of nature. From the initial scene we are struck with the simple elegance of the decor and costume design. They express the balance the martial artist strives for, an elegance that is complete harmony to nature. The attention to details is ravishing. For example there is a scene where we see a hand writing a note with calligraphy on a red piece of parchment that is immediately followed by an image of branches reflected in blue water, a reminder of conflicting forces building up.

The lessons of this film on the subject of time are priceless. The King is held back, biding his time until the right moment to act presents itself. He remains constant in his practice and position even as he is the subject of his enemies mockery. The movie unfolds to reveal the entire story with flashbacks that unveil the events that have built up the inevitable encounter. This unhurried pace is the way a martial artist accumulates force. A martial artist waits for the opponent to make the first move so he will know where to strike, to move first would make him loose power for nothing. When the fatal encounter arrives and the King defends himself using archery you understand this principle again. The cinematography is masterful in representing the Zen nature of a martial artist in combat who must let all his accumulated practice take over as he surrenders to the intelligence of his trained body.

I want to underline the beautiful performance of the little girl who played Bok-Bing. Her performance as a servant child forced to attempt murder tore my heart out. Her name is YOO EUN-MI.

I would go on and on so much that I enjoyed this film. When it ended the whole theatre gasped and we looked at each other to confirm our mutual pleasure at seeing this gorgeous movie!

BRAVO!

1987 

Jean-Carl Boucher, Laurent-Cristophe de Ruelle,
Simon Pigeon, Pier-Luc Funk

Le nouveau film de RICARDO TROGI est pas pire, une expression Québécoise qui veut dire que le film contient quelques belles qualités. Parmi celles-ci la performance de SANDRINE BISSON dans le rôle de Claudette. Elle incarne authentiquement une mère des années 80 qui fume, qui veut rester mince, et qui élève deux adolescents. JEAN-CARL BOUCHER dans le rôle de Ricardo est moins impressionnant. On l'attrape en train de jouer son rôle, il est trop conscient de lui-même mais
il est pas pire. 

Le vrai bémol est le manque de rythme et de timing du film en général et le manque de synchronisme énergétique entre le choix de la bande sonore et l'action du du visuel. Certaines scènes sont trop lentes à aboutir donc on devine la chute en 30 secondes alors qu'elle est livrée 5 minutes plus tard.

Un film quand même amusant, c'est un film pas pire. 

The Winners / Les Lauréats

PRIX CHEVAL NOIR – Longs métrages
Prix Cheval Noir pour le meilleur film (à l’unanimité) : UZUMASA LIMELIGHT de Ken Ochiai
Prix de la mise en scène : David Zellner pour KUMIKO THE TREASURE HUNTER
Prix du scénario : Billy Senese pour CLOSER TO GOD
Prix d’interprétation masculine : Seizo Fukumoto pour UZUMASA LIMELIGHTPrix de l’interprétation féminine : Miyuki Oshima pour FUKU-CHAN OF FUKU-FUKU FLATS
Mention spéciale décernée à CYBERNATURAL de Leo Gabriadze, pour son accomplissement technique et conceptuel

PRIX NEW FLESH – Premières œuvres
Prix New Flesh pour le meilleur premier film : THE INFINITE MAN de Hugh Sullivan
Mention spéciale décernée à I AM A KNIFE WITH LEGS de Bennett Jones, pour l’audace et la vision d’un artiste à surveiller de près

PRIX  DU COURT MÉTRAGE INTERNATIONAL
Prix du meilleur court métrage international : JIMINY d’Arthur Molard
Mention spéciale décernée à HOW TO MAKE A NIGHTMARE de Noah Aust, pour sa vision cinématographique et psychologique

PRIX SATOSHI KON POUR L’EXCELLENCE EN ANIMATION
Prix Satoshi Kon pour le meilleur long métrage d’animation : GIOVANNI’S ISLAND de Mizuho Nishikubo
Mention spéciale décernée à THE SATELLITE GIRL AND MILK COW de Chang Hyung-yun, pour son inventivité et l’originalité de son scénario
Prix Satoshi Kon pour le meilleur court métrage d’animation ex aequo : THE PORTRAIT STUDIO de Takashi Nakamura et SUPERVENUS de Frédéric Doazan
Mention spéciale décernée à THE LOOKING PLANET d’Eric Law Anderson, pour sa créativité, son scénario et ses personnages attachants

PRIX AQCC 
Le jury, composé d’Apolline Caron-Ottavi, Martin Gignac et Jean-Marie Lanlo ont décerné le prix AQCC ex aequo à KILLERS des Mo Brothers et UGLY d’Anurag Kashyap.

PRIX SÉQUENCES
Le jury, composé de Pascal Grenier, Guillaume Potvin et Mathieu Séguin-Tétreault ont décerné le prix Séquences à COLD IN JULY de Jim Mickle.

PRIX L’ÉCRAN FANTASTIQUE
Le prix L’Écran fantastique décerné par Yves Rivard a été remis à PREDESTINATION de Peter et Michael Spierig.

PRIX DU PUBLIC
Meilleur film asiatique : MISS GRANNY de Hwang Dong-hyuk
Meilleur film international : IN ORDER OF DISAPPEARANCE de Hans Petter Moland

Meilleur film canadien :

DYS- de Maude Michaud

Meilleur film d’animation : GIOVANNI’S ISLAND de Mizuho Nishikubo et CHEATIN’ de Bill Plympton (ex æquo)

Meilleur documentaire : TO BE TAKEI de Jennifer M. Kroot et Bill Weber

Prix Guru : ONCE UPON A TIME IN SHANGHAI de Wong Ching-Po

Prix du film le plus innovateur : CYBERNATURAL de Leo Gabriadze

Meilleur court métrage :THE CHAPERONE de Fraser Munden et Neil Rathbone

I can't wait for next year!
J'ai déjà hâte à l'année prochaine!

For more information, pour d'autres informations: FANTASIA

-LENA GHIO

FANTASIA the last week-end / le dernier fin de semaine

This week I went to the press screening of three highly anticipated movies: Guardians of the Galaxy, Welcome to New York and The Green Inferno.

One of my favorite characters from Guardians of the Galaxy: Rocky!

Guardians of the Galaxy was a hit @ Fantasia and everybody left feeling happy and high. IT IS THAT GOOD! and FUN! With stars like CHRIS PRATT as Peter Quill, ZOE SALDANA as Gamora, VIN DIESEL and BRADLEY COOPER as the voices of Groot and Rocket plus DAVE BAUTISTA as Drax the chemistry is dazzling! IT is a MUST!!!! The soundtrack of Rock from the 70's is right on with the mood of the action. The 3D effect is very successful, the cinematography spectacular. You gotta see this on the big screen and your kids will love it.

Welcome to New York starring GÉRARD DEPARDIEU and JACQUELINE BISSET, written and directed by ABEL FERRARA, is a very strange movie speculating on the down and dirty side of (DSK) Dominique Strauss Kahn's scandalous case of attempted rape on a hotel maid and what was happening in his private life. He had a reputation for inappropriate behavior with women, for being a womanizer, and for enjoying the services of prostitutes. This describes millions of men in various social positions. Depardieu in the beginning of the film admits that he hates DSK. His performance, where he undresses himself totally to bare his contempt, is excellent! He brings to life a character that is a real pig. He grunts like a pig throughout the movie making his point and his contempt very clear. But it is not enough to make the movie an interesting whole. For example the recent movie Nymph()mania explores sexual addiction also but we become captivated by where the character is taking us. Here, we see a dirty old man who is in denial as he huffs and puffs from one woman to the next.

And they are already doing the sequel!

Finally, The Green Inferno! As I was heading to the press screening I was feeling apprehension for the fear the ELI ROTH movie was sure to produce in me. After all, beside Texas Chainsaw Massacre, his Hostel 1 was the second most scary slasher movie I had ever seen! This time however he made me feel bad for another reason. Sadly the movie is awful. So many things are bad about it I just don't understand how such a gifted film maker did this! First the evil cannibals are not evil at all. They are happy revelers eating these individuals in a very festive atmosphere. The plastic body parts are evident, there is too much daylight and the very unpleasant red the savages color themselves with clashes with the fluo green of nature. The cast is awful, the cinematography awful, and we left the theatre feeling awful.
The one possibility for this movie is if you go see it knowing how bad it is and revel in its awfulness as it provides humor for you and your friends. Too Bad!


-LENA GHIO