Recensione: Viaggio in Antartide (2012) di Robert B. Yonaitis, ***

Map of Antarctic explorations

Sinossi

Viaggio in Antartide racconta la storia di un esperto viaggiatore in procinto di partire per un viaggio unico nella vita di un uomo. Narrato dalla prospettiva di un esploratore del mondo, Viaggio in Antartide è una miscela piacevolissima: da un lato, fornisce consigli pratici e suggerimenti di viaggio, dall'altro troviamo aneddoti, storie e vivaci descrizioni che rendono questo diario davvero memorabile. La narrazione del viaggio segue la nave mentre passa il Canale di Drake, il gruppo di turisti della spedizione mentre si avventurano a piedi sulla terraferma, attraverso lande selvagge, dove si mostra in tutto il suo splendore la natura del deserto più a Sud del mondo. Gli esploratori faranno delle esperienze sorprendenti lungo il viaggio, perfino un campeggio in Antartide. È una storia che dovrebbe essere letta da chiunque stia pensando ad un viaggio nel deserto di cristallo, ma che verrà apprezzata anche dagli amanti della natura e da tutti coloro i quali sono affascinati da questa terra lontana e ghiacciata.

Photo slideshow: "Minds in Path" di Shades of Women

L'associazione Shades of Women propone per il secondo anno una interessante serie di proiezioni di reportage di fotografe in giro per il mondo, a documentare il dramma di molti popoli in guerra. Oggi la seconda serata alla quale ho assistito. Puoi leggere qui un'intervista con Ilaria Prili, fotografa ed organizzatrice di questa serie di eventi. Ecco il programma:

At all latitudes the mind of men and, in particular, of young people is on the move, it designs, dreams, builds, faces obstacles, sometimes succumbs, but does not give up. A big river tells both these stories and those in which men themselves create obstacles, attack nature, pollute it, deform it. To win over all this is people’s creative sensitivity, their individual and social initiative, their ability to invent something in which new and old come together and complement each other.

Sotto tutte le latitudini la mente degli uomini e dei giovani in particolare è in cammino, progetta, sogna, realizza, affronta gli ostacoli, qualche volta soccombe, ma non rinuncia. Un grande fiume racconta queste storie anche quelle in cui gli uomini stessi creano gli ostacoli, aggrediscono la natura, la inquinano, la deformano. Vince la sensibilità creativa delle persone, l’iniziativa individuale e sociale, la capacità di inventare nella quale nuovo e antico si incontrano e si completano.

The Island President (2011) by Jon Shenk, ****

Synopsis
Jon Shenk's The Island President tells the story of President Mohamed Nasheed of the Maldives, a man confronting a problem greater than any other world leader has ever faced the literal survival of his country and everyone in it. After bringing democracy to the Maldives after thirty years of despotic rule, Nasheed is now faced with an even greater challenge: as one of the most low-lying countries in the world, a rise of three feet in sea level would submerge the 1200 islands of the Maldives enough to make them uninhabitable.

Film review: Another Woman (1988) by Woody Allen, ***

Synopsis

Woody Allen's 17th film. Gena Rowland plays Marion, an academic who rents a flat in which to write a book on philosophy and becomes intrigued by conversations she overhears from a psychologist's office next door. One patient, Hope (Mia Farrow), has a particular effect on Marion forcing her to re-think many of her assumptions about her own life: her unhappy marriage; her feelings for another man (Gene Hackman); and her relationships with her best friend (Sandy Dennis) and brother (Harris Yulin).


Review

It's convoluted film. Allen tries to put too much meat on his plate. Several stories are intertwined and it was easy to get lost trying to make sense out of them. One does get some stimulating psychological thrusts here and there. The problematic protagonist is a warning against spending a life concentrating too much on oneself. But then again she is also a victim of men spending too much time on themselves. The viewer is left with no way out. Maybe there is no way out.

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In the US you can order it here

Film review: Sideways (2004) by Alexander Payne, *****

Synopsis

Comedy drama which follows Miles (Paul Giamatti), an unsuccessful novelist, and Jack (Thomas Haden Church), an equally unsuccessful actor who is about to get married. They decide to take a trip to California in an attempt to sow their wild oats. There they explore the nature of their failures and question their relationships. Jack has an affair with Stephanie (Sandra Oh)  and wonders whether he should call off the marriage. Miles, recently divorced himself, questions whether or not he made the right decision while Maya (Virginia Madsen) plays a few games with him.


Review

An excellent movie that is only marginally about wine. Yes we go through California's wine country and learn a lot about many different kinds of wine, and especially Pinot Noir.

But the movie by Alexander Payne is more about what we can do with ourselves and our lives with the hand we are dealt at birth and by chance. I identify very much with Miles, a not-so-good-looking but deep thinking fellow who is deeply passionate about what he loves, be it his lost ex-wife or Pinot Noir. But it is the Jacks of the world who have more fun: not so deep, not so careful, just happy go lucky types. The last scene of the movie leaves a door open to hope however: while Jack sinks unenthusiastically into his marriage, Miles finds the true love of his life.

You can buy the DVD here


In the US you can buy it here: