Film: Eu sunt Adam! (Dan Pita, 1996)

‘Eu sunt Adam!’ (‘I am Adam!’) is a 1001 nights story that takes place in the inferno. The role of Seherazada is played by a professor of music in the 1950s, the years of the worst repression under the Communist rule, the years when people just disappeared from the streets swallowed into hell by black cars, investigated and condemned for imaginary reasons by a regime that after having liquidated physically its enemies had to search permanently for new ones in order to justify the existence of its institutions of repression, inventing  victims among its intellectuals and later from the rows of its own supporters. His stories are first the subject of the curiosity of a high Communist dignitary, but they soon trigger the curiosity and then the cruelty of the secret police, especially after the fall of his highly placed protector. Adam tries to protect himself and to gain time by inventing stories that meld fantasy and reality, past and present, magic and real but he soon is swallowed by the very fuzzy substance of the stories he is telling. The only reality he gets back to is the one of terror and repression and the price he will pay is eventually the one of his own sanity.

 

source http://www.cinemagia.ro/filme/eu-sunt-adam-eu-sunt-adam-4575/imagini/

 

Director and script writer Dan Pita built the stories and the dreams of Adam from a collection of stories written by the Romanian-born historian of religions Mircea Eliade during his youth in Romania in the 1930s. Eliade who flew to the West after the war to never return to Romania was placed at index during much of the Communist rule years to be fully recuperated after the fall of the Communism when this film was made. The short stories the film is based constitute the basic substance of the film, a mix of stories from the fringes of the Romanian inter-wars society with gates that open permanently to the unknown, with openings to sensuality but also to the moral questions that torment the hero to the same extent as the physical tortures he is put to by his tormentors.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pLL1oapVfmE

(video source TorianExperience)


The narrative structure of the film is not easy to follow, and may be confusing especially for viewers who know nothing about the literature of Eliade or about Romanian history. Yet the gates into unknown and the fantastic elements do not necessarily demand rigorous explanation, so I would recommend rather a viewing and reading a la David Lynch. When Adam tells the stories about past the juxtaposition is not only between reality and fantastic but also between profane and sacred, and between the tern reality of a country fallen under Communist rule and a past where dreaming and fantasizing were still possible. The main role is played by Stefan Iordache, one of the greatest Romanian actors (unfortunately he died a few years ago) and his creation dominates the film and is one of the best in his career. The final tragic mask, maybe the mask of insanity is the protection of last resort, the only one left when all other defenses, including fantastic have failed.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4mF4r_rFlqw

(video source TorianExperience)

The quality of the cinematography is unfortunately poor as the film was made a few years before Romanian cinema acquired the technical means for good quality films. Yet, there is a lot to watch in the camera movements, as Dan Pita was at the time he made this film a director who eventually freed from the constraints of the cinematography had the opportunity to make the films he always dreamed to. From an esthetic and creative point of view ‘Eu sunt Adam!’ is one of his best.

 

Posted in movies | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Documentary: Waste Land (2010)

In one of the several memorable sequences in ‘Waste Land’ world famous artist Vik Muniz teaches his audiences about looking at art in a museum. People tend, he tells them, to get closer to the painting, then farther, then closer, then farther again, several times. When they are far away they get the overall idea of the art work. When they get close they try to understand how it is made. From far they see the idea. From close they see the matter.

 

source http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1268204/

 

The great idea of the documentary directed by Lucy Walker is to describe the process of creation in which the subjects are the Brazilian garbage pickers, called catadores while the matter is the recyclable materials extracted from the huge garbage ground called Jardim Gramacho, which gathers most of the waste of the huge metropolis of Rio de Janeiro. However this is only the inner circle of this smart film, as the first part describes the search that triggers the project in which the artist explores the space of the big garbage dump. At first it looks like one of its work, a square on the map, getting closer men seem to be visible at the dimensions of ants, then zooming in we discover a full human landscape composed of people who may be working physically in garbage but they do it with pride and dignity and a sense of purpose of their work and its benefits for the overall good of the community. The human dimensions of the characters discovered by Muniz are best material on which relies the quality of his art and the quality of the film director Walker made about the process of creating his art.

(video source lastmintrailers)

‘Waste Land’ is beautifully filmed, the characters are well chosen, and one can say that garbage never looked so beautiful and full of colors and the garbage people never looked so clean and sexy as in this film. There is one more ethical question that needs to be asked about the realization of this documentary. By picking a few of the people of Jardim Gramacho and making them for a few months part of the artistic creation process, Muniz, Walker and their teams took them out of the social medium they were living in and exposed them not only to art, to better work conditions, but also to the broader world living at a very different pace, social relations and living standards. Even as the money raised from the selling of the works returned to the people involved and to the social activities in the ‘garbage garden’ I could not ask whether the human involved will be able to get back to their previous work, or even as they use some of the cash earned for the participation in the project will they be able to overcome the short glimpse they witnessed of the world of glamor of art trade? Although Walker’s documentary tried to give a rather positive answer to this question I could not avoid a slight suspicion of manipulation, or at least of a self-righteous perspective of the facts as they were presented. But maybe I am just over-concerned, or maybe Muniz and Walker are right in their approach, and the path to help the under-privileged of this world starts not with 99 or 100 of the lucky ones enrolling to help, but with the first of the 100.

Posted in art, documentary, movies | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Jazz: Ramon Valle and Denise Jannah in Tel Aviv

The new season of the Hot Jazz series at the Tel Aviv Museum of Art started started this year earlier than usual. A new and better Web site, a Facebook group and video presentations by the series organizer Ziv Ben distributed to the subscribing fans improve the media exposure of the leading series of the Israeli jazz scene.

 

source http://www.hotjazz.co.il/

 

The first concert in the series had as guests two artists already known to the Israeli audiences. Cuba-born pianist Ramon Valle and Suriname-born singer Denise Jannah have already been here separately. They both live in the Netherlands, are quite active on the international jazz scene, and seem also to be active politically. They came here at a time when many artists boycott openly or just avoid coming to Israel, but they also were present last year at the ‘Music for Gaza’ event in Rotterdam.

 

(video source bobjazz11)

 

Ramon Valle is one of the finest pianists that I have heard lately. His musical phrasing is generous and expressive, his presence is exuberant and engaging. In some of his pieces he seemed to play successively the roles of a whole orchestra, sometimes sounding as the clarinet or saxophone, to switch then to the rhythmic improvisation, and then back to the piano finale. The clip above was filmed at the Montreux festival nine years ago, he is playing one of the pieces he also made last night together with Denise Jannah.

 

(video source shamaym100)

 

Denise Jannah was a good fit for Valle. She is a gifted singer of the class of performers who embrace the audiences and the audiences embrace them. The program last night was a balanced mix of original music composed by the two artists, Cuban classical tunes, standards by Charlie Parker and Gershwin and even an Israeli final song executed in flawless Hebrew. The audience responded enthusiastically, and the season can be considered to have started on a definite right foot.

 

Posted in jazz | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Francis Mantel – Despre rodii

Un text interesant si documentat cum sunt intotdeauna cele scrise de prietenul meu Francis Mantel caruia ii multumesc pentru permisiunea acordata de a-l prelua aici.

———————-

Apropo de rodii.

Voi mentiona acum doar trei observatii:

(i) Se mananca traditional rodii de Rosh ha-Shana (anul nou evreiesc, care este considerat si ziua judecatii tuturor vietatilor), acolo unde se gasesc rodii. In Romania nu aveam, si mancam doar mere cu miere, pentru a ne ura simbolic, noi noua, un an nou ‘dulce’. Exista chiar un fel de “seder” de Rosh ha-Shana la masa festiva de sarbatoare in ambele seri de Rosh ha-Shana. La evreii de rit spaniol (sefaradim) ritualul este mai luxos si mai complex decat la evreii central (si est) europeni (adica ashkenazim). Mancatul rodiei, cu binecuvantarea potrivita, este parte traditionala din ritualul serii de Rosh ha-Shana.

 

source http://owlintheoak.blogspot.com/2010/11/pomegranates.html

 

(ii) Talmudul babilonian in volumul (masehet) Haghiga, pe ultima sa pagina, la foaia 27 (caf zain), pagina intai (amud alef), scrie ceva foarte frumos despre pacatosii de printre evrei. Dorind sa ne explice ca focul Ghehenei din Infern nu are capacitatea sa ii arda pe evreii pacatosi (caci chiar si evreii pacatosi au meritele lor), marele rabin amora-it Reish Lakish (sau Shimon ben Lakish, mare invatat, deseori amintit in partea de Ghemara a Talmudului babilonian; fusese bandit sau talhar inainte de a studia; devenise apoi ginerele marelui rabi Iohanan) , afirma ca “posh’ei Israel mleei mitzvot ca-rimon“.

Adica, pe romaneste s-ar traduce cam astfel:

Transgresorii (dintre) evrei sunt plini de fapte bune ca rodia (de seminte).

 

source http://www.drgranny.com/food-nutrition/health-benefits-of-pomegranate/

 

Filosofic evaluand asertiunea de mai sus, as categorisi-o ca un fel de mecanism de aparare, caci in urma cu circa 1,800 de ani in Iudeea ocupata, distrusa (mai ales dupa anul 135 e.n., cand legiunile romane au inabusit revolta iudeilor sub conducerea evreului Bar Kohba) si cotropita de peste doua secole de catre paganii romani, pentru a-si pastra moralul si dorinta de a supravietui, evreul umilit trebuia, macar el insusi, sa aiba o parere pozitiva despre sine. Self-respect. Psihologul ar putea numi actul asertiunii din Talmud ca fiind o incercare de auto-terapie, si de auto-incurajare, pentru a nu despera.

Cum mangaie dulce, alina usor/ Speranta, pe toti muritorii!”

🙂

 

source celebrationofcreativity.com

 

(iii) In alt volum din aceeasi enciclopedie vasta si bogata amintita mai sus, numita Pesahim, la foaia 74 (daf aiin-daled) pagina intai (amud alef), in Mishna de acolo se descrie cum mielul pascal care era sacrificat la Templul din Ierusalim de catre fiecare familie de evrei care venea la Templul din Ierusalim in cinstea sarbatorii de paste (in ebraica: “aliia la-Reghel”), trebuia apoi fript pe foc direct (tzalui esh), dupa ce mielul sacrificat si curatit de maruntaie era strapuns de la cap la coada cu un trunchi de ramura (adica un batz) de pom de rodie, pentru a fi proptit astfelo deasupra focului: “Keitzad tzolim et ha-Pesah (korban ha-Pesah)? Meviin shipud shel rimon vetohvo le-toh piv (shel korban ha-Pesah) ad beit nekuvato (shel korban ha-Pesah) … .” Se explica apoi de ce tocmai batul e bine sa fie din lemn de rodie si nu alt lemn.

Inchei aici, mentionand ca rodia apare si in Cantarea Cantarilor a regelui Solomon, in niste epitete sublime de dezmierdare a iubitei autorului. Acest poem extraordinar trebuie recitat vineri dupa amiaza, inainte de rugaciunile de primire a Shabat-ului, caci este recomandat in codul de comportare evreiasca (Shulhan Aruh) ca (cel putin!!!) in noaptea de Shabat (adica in noaptea de vineri spre sambata) fiecare evreu evlavios (daca este talmid haham, adica invatat si cu minte) trebuie neaparat sa ii dea atentia cuvenita sotiei sale. Nu cred ca e nevoie sa fiu mai explicit. Iar citirea poemului erotic (chiar si fara de metaforele filosofice adaugate despre dragostea lui D-zeu pentru poporul asa zis ‘ales’, ci cu versurile poemului luate asa cum sunt ele … la propriu) il va pune pe omul serios “in the right mood”, cu pofta si libido pentru actiune benefica … trupului si sufletului.

🙂

Pentru ca: “Vita nostra brevis est./ Brevi finietur”.

Posted in Francis Mantel, judaism | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Carte: Dan Stanca – A doua zi dupa moarte

Inceputul romanului lui Dan Stanca ‘A doua zi dupa moarte’ (editia a II-a revazuta, Curtea Veche, 2011) mi-a amintit de serialul in gen ‘horror’ ‘Regatul’ (Kingdom) creat de Lars von Trier in anii 90. ‘Spitalul se inalta mohorat pe fundalul acelui cer dogoritor de iulie. Desi vremea frumoasa ar fi trebuit s-o absoarba in norul de lumina si astfel s-o purifice, masiva cetatuie arata mai hidoasa si mai jupuita decat intr-o zi inchisa de toamna. La urma urmei, chiar si numele de Fundeni, care strainilor nu le spunea nimic, dar romanilor le evoca mereu fundatura, un fund gros si ntunecos de unde, daca intri, nu mai iesi, accentua imaginea sumbra a unui spital subdezvoltat, fara dotari, dar in care suferinta e aceeasi dintotdeauna, oamenii injura, blestema, medicii sunt la fel de rai si de abrutizati, fiindca tot ce vad e carnea pacientilor inecata in putreziciune.’ (pag. 7) Spitalul ruinat si bolnav el insusi in care se intalnesc pe paturi alaturate de suferinta doi bolnavi cu numele simbolice de Petru si Pavel, trecuti in mod foarte diferit prin incercarile vietii si vremurilor, este punctul de plecare al unei carti despre o lume ruinata si bolnava, asa cum percepe Dan Stanca Romania post-comunista. Ceea mai mare parte a actiunii cartii se petrece in anii 90, cu flashback-uri ale perioadei dinainte de 89 dar si flashforward-uri pana in 2026. Perspectiva este insa aceeasi, sansele vindecarii societatii sunt nule, iar cele ale salvarii personale se afla – poate – in cautarile cailor ascunse ale spiritualitatii si misticii diferitelor credinte.

 

sursa http://www.curteaveche.ro/A_doua_zi_dupa_moarte_Editia_a_II_a_revazuta-3-1207

Doua personaje principale are aceasta carte, un barbat si o femeie. Numele barbatului este Petru Bota, un singuratic si un supravietuitor reprezentativ pentru un anume tip de supravietuire a perioadei comuniste: ‘Fusese mereu singur si la adapost de grijile curente ale vietii. Nu plecase pe front, nu facuse prietenii riscante, nu se lasase impresionat nici de propaganda comunista care cerea tinerilor specialisti sa se inroleze pe frontul transformarilor revolutionare, dar nici nu raspunsese chemarilor subversive de-a scrie si de-a vorbi impotriva regimului oficial. Ii dispretuise de la bun inceput pe comunisti, dar nu-si tradase gandurile, cum facusera atatia, firi tumultoase avand vocatia contestarii. El ramasese retras, izolat, inconjurat doar de cativa oameni care-i semanau si in al caror fel de-a fi se oglindea.’ (pag. 36) Cercul de prieteni intelectuali ai lui Petru Bota alcatuiesc unul dintre acele mini-cenacluri prin care nu fara anumite riscuri intelectualii romani au supravietuit deceniilor dictaturii pastrand cu grija o flacara ascunsa de spiritualitate. Condus initial de un maestru simbolic despre care (cu intentie probabil) nu aflam prea multe, cercul lui Bota caruia ii revine sarcina indrumarii discipolilor dupa ce maestrul dispare este dedicat studiului a ceea ce in mod foarte inspirat este numita ‘ariergarda’ spirituala – nume generic al atasamentului fata de trecut, traditie, continuitate mai ales pe plan religios.

Personajul feminin poarta numele de Sabina. ‘Sabinei, anul ei’ este de altfel si dedicatia cartii. Premizele personajului dotat cu frumusete si inteligenta parca de dincolo de marginea acestei lumi ar putea prezice un destin extraordinar: ‘intruchipa imaginea odraslei curate si cuminti, recipient nefisurat al spiritului, pamant reavan, abia modelat de mainile bune ale creatorului’ (pag. 47) Destinul Sabinei este departe de a fi liniar, el incepe cu un viol brutal in pragul adolescentei. Cautarea echilibrului in studiu o aduce pe Sabina in cercul lui Petru Bota, pe care il paraseste subit in anii 80, intr-o casatorie de convenienta, iesita din tiparul personajului dar caracteristica acelor vremi, care ii permite emigrarea in Germania. ‘… se casatorise fara sa iubeasca, si pleca din tara, prefacandu-se ca admira Occidentul, cand ea nu visa decat Putna, Agapia si Tismana, visa Romania contemplatiei si sihastriilor, in niciun caz Romania concreta, murdara, a gunoaielor si molozului, a functionarilor de la ICRAL, a securistilor si a activistilor de partid, care cantau la betie cu gura larg deschisa “si noi suntem romani” (pag. 121). Gasim aici poate motivatia pentru reintoarcerea Sabinei in Romania anilor 90 care se afla in miezul actiunii romanului, dar aceasta este departe de a fi o reintoarcere la matca ci mai degraba o coborire in infern, urmata de o inaltare in ceruri. Traiectoria destinului Sabinei atinge abjectul, si pentru a o descrie Dan Stanca recurge la relatari care imbina monstruozitatea cu extazul, mistica cu erosul vulgar frizand pornografia. Cititorii mai sensibili este bine sa fie avertizati, caci cateva dintre pagini nu sunt usoare la citire. Pentru personajul Sabinei destinul personal este o inchidere a unui ciclu, inaltarea spre ceruri descrisa in buna traditie a misticii crestine avand loc in prezenta celui care o propulsase cu violenta pe traiectoria vietii cu ani in urma. Fraza cheie a cartii este rostita de Petru Bota, plecat in cautarea Sabinei si a intelegerii sensului ridicarii ei: ‘Oricand se deschide o poarta sau o trapa…

 

sursa http://www.rightwords.eu/author-details/dan-stanca

 

Dan Stanca este un scriitor cu real talent in  compunerea atmosferei si constructia atenta a structurii personajelor sale. Prima parte a cartii mi s-a parut interesanta, pasionanta in unele momente. Am inceput insa sa pierd contactul cu ceea ce doreste autorul sa transmita in momentele in care pe marginea celor intamplate – reale si fantastice – apar glossele, cele mai multe puse pe seama unui personaj numit Horia Giugaru,  conceput ca un fel de alter-ego al scriitorului. Analiza profund pesimista a istoriei si a starii actuale a societatii romanesti o poti accepta sau nu: ‘Apele, crangurile, toata vegetatia oglindeau sufletul indiferent al poporului, care nu reactioneaza la niciun stimul si din care nu pleaca nicio dorinta, rarele sale zvacniri fiind doar proteste vagi fata de politica de imbacsire generala. 1848, dar mai inainte 1821, Tudor Vladimirescu, fala marlanilor, gata, i-am belit pe turci, pe fanarioti, cand in realitate doar narghileaua isi mai putea lasa umbra protectoare asupra unor pamanturi adormite in ceara si mierea lor, lasandu-se jefuite fara sa le pese, doar narghileaua, salvarii si semiluna puteau sa ocroteasca o tara de jafuri si mai mari, o tara in care crucea era beata, mitropolitii si mai beti, iar domnitorii cu intestinele pline de mancare ivatau deja versetele demagogiei. N-a fost nimic eroic in aceasta tara, numai ca eroismul e si mai jalnic decat lasitatea si noi am stiut sa fim lasi ca sa nu fim ridicoli, avand un pumn de revoltati pe care i-am aruncat ca spuza din foc in ochii lumii.‘ (pag. 242-243) Idealizarea problematica a momentului legionar din istoria Romaniei pus pe seama personajului Horia Giugariu poate fi pusa si ea pe seama degringoladei ideologice si morale pe care o simt dureros toate personajele romanului lui Stanca. Daca solutia sau alternativa marasmului pamantesc este spiritualitatea mistica simbolizata prin ridicarea spre ceruri a Sabinei, firul epic care ar putea duce la aceasta concluzie este incalcit in verbozitate si neclar pe planul ideilor. Ultima suta de pagini a cartii mi s-a parut greoaie la lectura si nu a adaugat mai nimic nici povestirii si nici dezvoltarii personajelor, accentuand doar idei deja prezente in primele parti ale romanului. Doar critica adusa institutiei bisericesti in actuala sa intruchipare din Romania apare ca tema noua in partea finala a cartii dar ea nu mi s-a parut suficienta pentru a sustine lungul si complicatul sir de comentarii din finalul cartii.

In multe privinte ‘A doua zi dupa moarte’ este o carte caracteristica nu numai epocii post-comuniste pe care o descrie ci si stadiului in care se afla literatura romana de astazi care descrie aceasta perioada. Scriitorul a hotarit ca la structura narativa a cartii sa adauge cateva zeci de pagini de prolog, o parte petrecandu-se in viitor, dupa disparitia personajelor principale. Daca stilistic si artistic aceste pagini nu adauga dupa parerea mea prea mult, ele creaza insa sentimentul de continuitate a atmosferei si viziunii pesimiste, nelasand loc niciunei raze de speranta. Confuzia valorilor, incertitudinea in fata viitorului, prezentului si chiar si a trecutului, amestecul cotodian intre plictiseala si hidosenie, ezitarile stilistice si golul existential cu riscurile umplerii sale de catre gazul cu arome ademenitoare dar si ascuns-otravitoare al misticismului, toate acestea sunt prezente in cartea lui Dan Stanca si fac din ea un produs reprezentativ al perioadei.

 

Posted in books | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Gica Manescu – Teatre, spectacole si actori

Impartasesc cu mare placere un nou episod cu tenta memorialistica semnat de doctorul Gica Manescu. Gica implineste la sfarsitul saptamanii viitoare 95 de ani, si este o buna ocazie sa ii urez ‘La Multi Ani!’
——–

Copil find ma bucuram cand bunicul imi propunea sa mergem la circ sau la un balci. Era si el amator. Admiram animalele in arena sau in  custile lor, cate un scamator cu “Uite Popa, nu e Popa“,  si ma delectam lingand pojghita rosie, dulce de pe un mar.

Aveam si am si acum o curiozitate de a  sti, a cunoaste si  a  intreba “de ce?”. Eram deosebit de fratele si sora mea. Probabil am primit de la un  stramos o gena deosebita.  Memoria mea era si este inca, iesita din  comun. Singur, sunt deseori uimit. Insusirea  asta m-a ajutat sa pot preda Stintele Naturale la cele 8 clase ale Liceului evreesc din Focsani. Nu mai vazusem o carte despre  materiile de predare din timpul cand eram eu elev. Invatam  pe dinafara lectiile de predare pentru fiecare clasa.  Asta a fost mai greu la inceput, dar am reusit si toti au fost multumiti. Daca am fost un dascal bun, sever sau tolerant, asta o stiau doar elevii.

Fratele si sora au fost oameni culti, pofesionisti de valoare, onesti, si apropiati unul de celalat. Nu am simtit diferenta. Am sarit in ajutor cand a fost cazul. Parintii a fost buni, blanzi si intelegatori.

 

sursa http://despreusi.blogspot.com/2011/07/teatrul-pastia-din-focsani.html

In Focsani, urbea mea natala, exista de la inceputul secolului 20,  Teatrul “Maior Pastia“. Cladire  impozanta, cu un interior foarte frumos. Era o copie in mic, a Nationalului iesean.

Parintii mei aveau un abonament pentru toate spectacolele, erau numeroase prin trupele ce poposeau pentru un spectacol si la noi. S-a anuntat sosirea Teatrului idis cu Sevila Pastor. In familie doar mama  stia ceva (ieseanca), tata putin  si eu de loc. Am rugat sa ma ia si pe mine.  Mi-au implinit dorinta si au cumparat un bilet de intrare. Aveam 11- 12 ani. Era prima oara cand am pasit pragul si am admirat in curte, un bust  al unui barbat – Petre Liciu. Fost actor, mi s-a spus. N-am verificat.

Spectacolul, luminile, jocul ansamblului si vocea artistei-cantarete m-au cucerit. Nu trebuia sa inteleg multe. Mainile mele mici au aplaudat frenetic.

 

sursa http://teatrulromanesc.blogspot.com/2010_02_01_archive.html

In  anii urmatori, am vazut spectacole cu Leny Caler “Soarecele de biserica” si “Fete in uniforma“ . Marunta, subtirica, dar  plina de talent si o dictiune deosebita. Mi-au trecut prin minte spusele  mamei. Moasa oraseneasca,  cea care m-a scos pe mine la lumina zilei era mama actritei.

Un spectacol deosebit a fost cu piesa  “Manasse “ scrisa de evreul Ronetti-Roman. Problema spinoasa si de neinteles in perioada respectiva – casatoria mixta. Rolurile principale le-au interpretat actorul imbatranit, Constantin Nottara si cel feminin Dida Solomon-Calimachi. Era ceva ce nu credeam ca poate fi.

 

sursa http://ro.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fi%C8%99ier:Ion_Manolescu_-_actor.jpg

Norcul mi-a suras, cand mai tarziu, la Bucuresti, am revazut spectacolul , cu alti actori si Manasse a fost interpretat de marele Ion Manolescu.

In  toamna lui 34, de cateva luni student al Facultatii de Medicina din  Iasi, am luat bilet la  “Teatrul National “ pe care  il vazusem numai de afara. Intrand am revazut teatrul din Focsani. Piesa era o tragedie “Tatal“ de Strindberg. Eroul principal – un actor Ghitescu, cel pentru drame si tragedii. M-au impresionat, dar amintiri multe nu am.

 

sursa http://ro.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milu%C8%9B%C4%83_Gheorghiu

Doi actori, ca fruntasi ai scenei  erau Miluta Gheorghiu si Margareta Baciu. Fara a fi de clasa inalta, erau apreciati si stimati de ieseni. S-au lansat in opereta “Vanzatorul de pasari “ de Zeller. Au trebuit sa cante si au trecut multumitor obstacolul.

Regia o avea Ion Sava,  decorurile, operele lui Th. Kiriacoff.

Erau si teatre de revista. In  varful, piramidei era “Carabus “ al lui C. Tanase. Vazusem un  spectacol la Focsani. Eram la varsta cand intelegeam apropourile si poantele.

 

sursa http://www.divahair.ro/timp_liber/alo,_aici__e__stroe!_-_un_spectacol_extraordinar_la_teatrul_de_revista_

 

La mjlocul anilor 30, au luat finta doua teatre de  revista, Stroe si Vasilache primul cu textele a doilea cu muzica si ambii cu regia si organizarea. Al  doilea, a fost “Alhambra“ a lui Vladoianu, Kiritescu si Ion Vasilescu, compozitorul de neuitat.

In vacanta anlui 1938, fusesem invitat la Bucuresti la familia unor veri de ai mei. A fost cald dar n-am simtit soarele. Am batut strazile, am vazut filme si “ieseam prin Sarindar”. Si multe altele. Printre astea ma opresc la un spectacol de seara, al teatrului “Alhambra“ la gradina de vara din strada Vacaresti.

Am  fost numai ochi si urechi. Un tablou, prezenta un  copac si o tanara sezand pe o ramura. Cu o voce placuta si balansandu-se  usor, auzeam : “Sunt o puica de drac/ Agatata-n copac / Toata lumea-i a mea.. “. M-a incantat. Pe actrita o chema Zizi Serban. Am mai revazut-o ulterior.

source http://filme-carti.ro/filme/si-s-au-dus-ca-vantul-2010-8067/

Au venit  anii urgiei naziste si ai razboiului. A  luat finta pentru evrei, Teatrul  Baraseum “dupa nuumele strazii Spectacole de calitate, cu actori, Al. Finti regizor sj actor,  Wili Ronea, Beate Fredanov – i se spunea Biata –  si multi altii. Decorurile create de Jules Perahim si orchestra o  conducea  maestrul Schwartzman. Cred ca cel putin jumatate dintre spectatori erau crestini.  Moni Ghelerter, regizor care s-a ridicat in recunoasterea profesionala ca profesor.

A fost greu de  uitat pentru spectatorii unei seri din finele  anului 44 si apoi in 45, spectacolul maret “Ce faci asta seara ?” Deschiderea au facut-o surorile Gamberto, apoi Stroe, Jeny Smilovici  si ”Sperietoarea de pasari“, unde Agnia Bogoslava (a murit acum cativa ani in Israel) a recitat “Si s-au dus ca vantul /Maturand pamantul …”. De nemtii care pierdeau razboiul.

 

sursa http://ro.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fi%C8%99ier:George_Calboreanu.jpg

In anii care au  urmat “ am mancat teatru cu paine “. N-am scapat pe Caragiale, Sebastian si nici altele. George Calboreanu in “Apus de soare“ sau Jules Cazaban in “Moartea unui comis voiajor”, Liviu Ciulei in “Danton“ si cu Clody Bertola, in alte spectacole.  Nu uit “Tache, Ianke si Cadar“ si nici, la Teatrul Lucia Sturdza-Bulandra, piesa “Nebuna din Chaillot“. Aveam locuri in primul rand. La un  moment dat, caldura mare in sala si mai ales pe scena, doamna Bulandra, sezand pe o banca, spune incet ca nu se simte bine. Se trage cortina. Cineva de langa noi spune cuiva “O fi murit baba” .Tocmai apare in fata cortinei un barbat care anunta ca doamna B. a avut o slabiciune si in  cteva minute se va relua spctacolul. Asa a fost si a continuat cu replica intrerupta.

Nu se poate trece cu vederea, prezenta  pe scene a lui George Vraca. Monologul lui din “Richard  al 3-lea“ era celebru. Se spunea ca intr-un spectacol, cineva de la galerie a strigat cand el terminat monologul ca da un  regat pentru un  cal,  “dar un magar nu e bun?” La care el a replicat: “Da. Vino pe scena” . Cu Leny Caler au dat nastere unui teatru si i-am admirat  in “Pygmalion“ – B. Shaw.

 

sursa http://malcolmsplace100.blogspot.com/2009_11_01_archive.html

Dar  se pot trece cu vederea piesele lui Mirodan? In  nici un caz. Succese de neintrecut. “ Ziaristii “ , “Celebrul 702“, scrise pentru Beligan. Cea din urma,cu partenera Sanda Toma,  in regia lui Moni Ghelerter.

Dar pe Storin  in  “Regele Lear“ sau  Maria Filotti,  in   “Calul  nazdravan“, pe Fory Etterle, pe Emil Botta, si atatia altii.

Sau ale lui Aurel Baranga?  Evitam ale lui M. Davidoglu, cu “eroi “ si “succese” – cum  se calea otelul si munca oamenilor. Imitate dupa teatrul sovietic. Si ale lui Paul Everac, nu erau pe gustul si simtul meu.

Scoala de regie teatrala era renumita si in activitate, avea cativa mari creatori de spectacole. In afara lui M. Ghelerter (care  fusese ucenicul lui  Al. Finti) de care am pomenit, erau Sica  Alexandrescu si Soare Z. Soare, al  carui nume si pronuntare nu se facea fara “Z”.

Pe Sanda Toma o vazusem in primul ei rol, in “Hangita“ de Goldoni. Anul trecut la Bucuresti, alaturi de Victcor Rebenciug, in “Toti fii mei“ de A.Miller. Joc de calitate deosebita de la primul pana la ultimul actor.

Am avut norocul ca directorul la  “ ARIA “- Agentia romana de impresariat artistic” era Nori Minei, prieten apropiat. Daca ii telefonam ca n-am gasit biletele le primeam de la el,  platind acolo. O “‘pila “ de mica masura, platita cu  o  strangere de mana si multumiri.

Va fac  o marturisire, intre  noi, dragi listeni.

Acum cateva zile,  am auzit ca in Romania, incepe “Festivalul George Enescu“. Am  aflat   ca  in cele cateva saptamani,  vor fi  prezente,  doua dintre Filarmonicele renumite  din lume : cea vieneza si cea israeliana. Dirijor Zubin Mehta, solist D. Barenboim.

Acum doi ani fusesem in Sala Palatului la un  concert superb al unei Filarmonici  rusesti. Maestrul dirijor si tot asa solistul, in Concertul pentru pianl de Ceaikovski  si o Simfonie. Au fost de felicitat. Ovatii prelungite.

Am gasit biletele pe masa,  cadoul  fiului meu, pentru ziua mea de aniversare.  Mi s-au umezit ochii.

Gandurile n-au lenevit, au venit ca o ploaie si imi era frica sa nu ude creerul si ascunzisul memoriei. A sarit la alte concerte, la cinematograf si la teatru. La oameni in diverse roluri, la numele lor. Poate am mai gresit. Din memorie au intrat pe scena mea virtuala amintiri pe care le-am notat pe scurt. Am gandit sa scriu articolul, aranjandu-l oarecum cronologic. Ideea mea a fost ca foarte putini cunosc multe din cele pvestite sau chiar de loc. Sunt unii doritori de a afla si a medita la multe.

N-a fost simplu si usor sa scriu. A foat o concentrare a  gandirii si memoriei, sa am insa un  rezultat  bun. Nu imi  inchipuiam posibil. Cautarea de a  gasi diverse date si amanunte, intr-un mod la indemana, nu a fost realizabil pentru mine.

As dori sa multumesc poate cuiva, Dar nu stiu cui.

A fost si il  aveti. Voi sunteti arbitri.

Partea asta a vietii mele mi-a lipsit de la o anumita varsta (limba dificila, bat-o vina), mi-a lasat un gol si doar…amintiri. Umplu doar un pic in timpul cand sunt la Bucuresti si ma delectez.

Posted in Gica Manescu | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

signs and faiths in Jerusalem

I discover each time I am here the beauty and fascination of Jerusalem, this place unique on Earth for its combination of faith and history, of landscape, people and emotions. The weekend Liliana and me spent here was a quiet interlude in a busy period with many challenges. Jerusalem welcomed us with fresh air and a cool night (well, cool at least relative to the humid heat of the seashore area where we live) which we used for a guided tour on the ramparts of the old city.  We had already met the guide in one of the previous tours, a young Jerusalemite architect, passionate about his city, its history and people named Noam.The tour took us on the fortified walls of the old city which are not that old actually as they were built in the 17th century during the reign of sultan Suleiman the Magnificent. The portion of the walls we walked was the one between the Jaffa and Sion gates, then on the way back we strolled inside the Jewish Quarter and stopped in a few of its more significant places.

I will focus my rendering of the night tour around two of the pictures I took, quite significant for the complex and complicated history of this place.

 

The start of our tour was at the Jaffa Gate. The tower gate and the plaza at the entry of the Old City is marked by ceramic tiles signs created in the 20th century by Armenian ceramists. I wrote about this tradition in a previous blog story about a tour that was dedicated to the Armenian presence in Jerusalem. Look at the two signs. The upper one (‘Jaffa Gate’)  is from the 20s or the 30s of the previous century, during the British Mandate. You can see that the first language is English, as the mandatory laws demanded. The lower sign (the name of the square) has a more complex story. If you look with attention you can see it has two frames. Actually it’s been made in two stages, about 20 years apart. First was the sign written only in Arabic and English which was made during the Jordanian rule over the Old City, in the period Jerusalem was divided and no Jewish presence was allowed in the Old City. Then, after 1967, when the city was unified again under Israeli rule the Hebrew name of the square was added on the upper side of the sign. The same Armenian ceramist made the two parts of the sign.

 

Here is another picture made on the roof of one of the most famous buildings with Biblical significance in the Old City of Jerusalem. In the building below according to the tradition no other than King David is laid to rest. Jews, believers or not, come to pray and pay respect to one of the greatest kings in the history of nation, a saint and a prophet for the other religions. Psalms are being read here all day, all days of the year. The church watch tower belongs to the Dormition Church built at the beginning of the 20th century because it is on the same place that Mother Mary is said to have risen to heaven, and the Last Supper took place. The mosque structures built atop the roof mark the fact that King David of the Jews is also Nabi Dawud, a prophet in the Muslim faith. The symbols of the three religions superpose and interleave with an amazing density on this small and disputed territory.

Here are a few more snapshots from the Thursday night tour.

 

 

The Tower of David (actually built during King Herod) and the new complex of Mamilla.

 

The Abbey of Dormition appears at the end of a narrow street.

 

A portion of what is left of the Cardo – heart of the city in the Byzantine period.

 

Entry Gate of the Beit-El yeshiva.

 

 

Old City of Jerusalem, close to midnight.

 

 

 

 

 

Posted in Israel | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Film: A Matter of Size (Israel, 2009)

Only now I got to see ‘A Matter of Size’ or ‘Big Story’ (Sipur Gadol) as the original title in Hebrew goes, a film that surprised both the international and Israeli audiences a couple of years ago. International audiences were surprised as they seem to be any time a film from Israel deals with subjects that are not related to the Israeli-Arab conflict, to war or terrorism or their consequences. There was also however a surprise in this film for the Israeli audiences as well. Those who came to see the routine comedy that this film promised to be taken into account the background where it happens and the actors, were surprised to watch more delicate subjects of personal identity and courage of assuming it being dealt with in a light and spirited manner. The result is not bad, and the mild success that the film enjoyed was in my opinion deserved.

 

source http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1258123/

 

The heroes of the film all come from the lower class environment of a city which can be described as central in location and peripheral as social status in today’s Israel. Herzl (acted by big-eyed Itzik Cohen), his girl-friend Zehava (Irit Kaplan) and his friends all fight an oversize problem, which places them into the class of pariahs in a world obsessed by diets, as their weight places them out of the criteria of aesthetics and social acceptance. To some extent overweight is in the film directed by Sharon Maymon and Erez Tadmor a symbol for all the other inequities of gender, origin or social nature that make people different (which is a normal thing) but can also lead to discrimination (which must be fought). The fight is however not so much with the outer world but merely with the inner personality of the heroes. The physical disadvantage is turned into an opportunity when Herzl and his friends discover that the traditional Japanese sport of sumo can earn them respectability, but as they soon learn sumo is not only about being fat, it is also about proving strength of character and endurance in face of adversity. The tools of personal success or even survival are the same in any context.

 

(video source israelfilms)

 

The film does not take itself too much in serious, and this is both a quality – as it stays pleasant to watch and can be enjoyed by practically any audience – but also a weak point, as it cannot avoid some of the expected clichees of the feel-good movies.Taking upon the sport of sumo in a country that is the opposite of Japan from so many points of view is a comedy subject by itself, and there are a few spectacular moments of comedy with the big fat men running in their red sumo panties in the city or on the roads but the authors were so proud of them that they repeated them three times. Besides the lead roles, Dvir Benedek gives a good performance and so does Togo Igawa as sumo master Kitano (a homage name?) who comes to Israel … for Zionist reasons. It’s overall a movie that is nice to watch for everybody and with enough substance to make even the more sophisticated viewer unable to be sorry for the time spent watching it.

 

 

Posted in movies | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Film: Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011)

Amazing how many times can Hollywood try to squeeze the idea that triggered in 1968 the ‘Planet of the Apes’ series. The original film starred Charlton Heston and led to four sequels in the few years after its original release. A remake by Tim Burton with Mark Wahlberg in the lead role was made one decade ago. And now we have ‘Rise of the Planet of the Apes’ which takes the theme into the techno-thriller space, but which in my humble opinion while technically sophisticated lacks much of the quality and ideas on which the original films were based.

 

source http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1318514/

 

The evil human origins of the world dominated by apes were the nuclear apocalypse in the original film. The new evil role is nowadays taken by genetics research and medical corporations. Experiments on apes for a drug that can heal the Alzheimer disease go wrong and one smart ape triggers a revolution. The family-adopts-ape plot is extremely simplistic and not much complex then in scores of films and TV shows we have seen in the last few decades. Even so the film which is directed by Rupert Wyatt feels much longer than its 105 minutes.

 

(video source movieclips)

Rise of the Planet of the Apes‘ is certainly technically amazing. The imaging technique used already in such films as the ‘Lord of the Rings’ series or in ‘Avatar’ allows human actors to dress into fantastic shapes while keeping expressiveness and emotions.  Here this technique is brilliantly used to create the main chimpanzee character (Caesar) and the crowd of apes, each gaining individual traits. Unfortunately the more sophisticated the technique and the virtual characters the less expressive are the human ones. There is not too much talent to be wasted in the characters of the scientist played by James Franco or his girlfriend played by Freida Pinto, and the best human performance is given by John Lithgow as the Alzheimer disease-stricken father.

It is said that ‘Rise of the Planet of Apes‘ is the smartest entertaining film of the summer. I can only imagine how bad must be the other. You can certainly lie back in the chair, and enjoy the popcorn and the apes. Not much more. The scariest thing is that the signs are that this film is the first in a new series.

Posted in movies | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Film: Un long dimanche de fiançailles (Audrey Tautou, 2004)

‘Amelie’ is one of my preferred movies of all times. It brought to my attention the fabulous actress who is Audrey Tautou and also director Jean-Pierre Jeunet. To a large extent ‘Un long dimanche de fiancailles’ plays on the same strings as ‘Amelie’ with Tautou carrying the burden of a complex feminine character which combines fragility and tenacity, and whose big eyes and timid smile dominate any frame she is in and radiate the openness and goodness of a kind but determinate person. At the same time the story based on a novel by Sebastien Japrisot also places the movie in a very select company of great anti-war films inspired by the first world war. Kubrick‘s ‘Paths of Glory’ and Losey‘s ‘King & Country’ are the two that come first to my mind. No wonder they were made in the 50s and 60s, as something in Jeunet’s style of telling the story and catching in poignant frames the horror of the trenches and the nightmare that war imposes on their heroes reminds the style of filming of the classical movies made half a century ago.

 

source http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0344510/

 

Yet, ‘Un long dimanche de fiancailles‘ is also a very different kind of film. This is due to Tautou’s magnetism whose innocence and trust in love and goodness carries away the whole action and crosses the screen right into the hearts of the viewers. This is also because it is before and more than everything a love story. Last this is also due to the sophisticated story building of Japrisot, which brings back from forgiveness the fate of five soldiers who should have all died a non-honorable death in the cross-fires of the French and German front lines, punished for having let their basic human survival instinct prevail over the laws of the patriotic killing in war. As the investigation that Tautou’s Mathilde is running about the fate of her fiancee disappeared in the war progresses we are more and more immersed into the horror of the war and we start to live the fears and hopes of the human beings caught in the middle. Cinematography plays with a number of beautiful techniques and tricks which sometimes create memorable frames. Superb acting accompanies Tautou’s – Ticky Holgado in one of his last roles as detective Pire, Jerome Kircher as Bastoche, and Jodie Foster, guest starring as Elodie are among the best.

 

(video source jolty712)

 

In a recent interview Audrey Tautou spoke about quitting acting. This would be a terrible loss for the French cinema and cinema at large. Tautou merges in her eyes and smile the fragility and delicacy of the other Audrey, Hepburn and the inner light of Ingrid Bergman. She is one of the few actresses nowadays who can put life in any role she plays. Please, Audrey, change your mind!

 

Posted in movies | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment