settima

1970s

儀式 [Gishiki / The Ceremony] (Nagisa Ōshima, 1971)

Nov

11

World Origami Day

儀式 (1971)

A man kneeled in front of a Shintō altar. Ceremonial origami, known as origata or girei origami can be seen hanging from the altar. This is 幣帛 [heihaku], an offering made of cloth or paper. DP: Tōichirō Narushima.

Jaanipäev [St. John's Day] (Andres Sööt, 1978)

Nov

5

Bonfire Night

Jaanipäev (1978)

The neatly stacked pyre on jaanipäev with Tallinn's dreary socialist Plattenbau on the horizon. DP: Andres Sööt.

As long as they can remember, jaaniõhtu is when Estonians gather to celebrate midsummer. It started, they'll tell you, 4000 years ago when Kaali appeared. Ever since, come rain or shine, come socialism or capitalism, the people gather and light bonfires in its remembrance. Some sing the songs of the elders, memory willing. Others see this as their moment to shine. As a great musician perhaps. A faithful worker. Or a lover, for jaanipäev; #midsummer night.

“Come, this party is for hard-working people!”

Matinée (Jaime Humberto Hermosillo, 1977)

Nov

4

National Easy Bake Oven Day

Matinée (1977)

Friends Aarón (Rodolfo Chávez Martínez) and Jorge (Armando Martín) having a grownup discussion about the situation. DP: Jorge Stahl Jr..

Two boys skip class to catch a movie – Alexander Mackendrick's thematically similar A High Wind in Jamaica (1965) – and end up as members of a violent gang instead. While Matinée has elements of a typical 70s #ComingOfAge movie, the more fascinating element is the role reversal of the two children and the robbers. As the kids are forced to grow up, fast, the criminals live out their childhood fantasy of never having to listen to anyone ever again. And bicker over comics.

 

Robert Rodriguez stated that the fearsome criminals in his El Mariachi (1992) never outgrew their childhood nicknames. I start to suspect that once upon a time, a little boy named Robertiño skipped class and went to the matinee.

Fall 2 (Bas Jan Ader, 1970)

Nov

2

Look for Circles Day

Fall 2 (1970)

Ader plunging into an Amsterdam canal. A bridge and its reflection in the water form an imperfect circle (source).

“All is falling”

– Bas Jan Ader

Beatriz (Gonzalo Suárez, 1976)

Oct

5

soup

Beatriz (1976)

Basilisa (Nadiuska) holds up a terrine for Juan (Óscar Martín), who scoops the soup into his bowl. The bowl is the top of three the small boy has towering in front of him. DP: Carlos Suárez.

The Animal (Walter Ungerer, 1976)

Sep

30

National Ghost Hunting Day

The Animal (1976)

Jo (Jo Moore) in the couple's cabin. She's seen reflected in a mirror, together with what appears to be an older woman in an old photograph. DP: Walter Ungerer.

鉄輪 [Kanawa / The Iron Crown] (Kaneto Shindō, 1972)

Sep

20

fried eggs

鉄輪 (1972)

Meg Flower as the young woman eats a fried egg straight from a spatula. She's naked. DP: Kiyomi Kuroda.

Céline et Julie vont en bateau: Phantom Ladies Over Paris [Celine and Julie Go Boating] (Jacques Rivette, 1974)

Sep

17

National Women's Friendship Day

Céline et Julie vont en bateau: Phantom Ladies Over Paris (1974)

Celine (Juliet Berto) leans into Julie (Dominique Labourier) in the back of a car. DP: Jacques Renard.

“It doesn't hurt to fall off the moon.”

– Julie

Gimme Shelter (Albert + David Maysles, Charlotte Zwerin, 1970)

Sep

13

Uncle Sam Day

Gimme Shelter (1970)

Mick Jagger seen from the back wearing an Uncle Sam top hat, in front of an unseen crowd. DPs: Albert Maysles, David Maysles & Gary Weis.

It's December 6, 1969 and just like that, the 60s were over. It started out great, the West Coast edition of Woodstock. Santana, Jefferson Airplane, The Flying Burrito Brothers, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, a 300.000 strong crowd and, of course, The Rolling Stones on the final leg of their US tour. And, of course too, Hells Angels armed with motorcycle chains, sawed-off pool cues and $500 worth of beer, hired to stop fans from climbing the stage. And not in the least due to its proximity to Frisco, lots of bad drugs mixing with that crowd.

“Well, The Rolling Stones tour of the United States is over. It wounded up with a free concert at the Altamont Speedway for more than 300,000 people. There were four births, four deaths and an awful lot of scuffles reported.”

– Stefan Ponek, KSN Radio

Even before a single note had come out of Mick's mouth, someone had punched him in the head. More scuffles, Grace Slick begs the audience to keep their bodies off each other unless they intend love. The Grateful Dead, regular deployers of peaceful Angels security, wisely forfeit their performance. The Stones open their set, the final set of the day. By then, the Angels are far into their $500 beer bounty, and the audience far out of their mind. Meredith Hunter, high on drugs, had brought a gun. And the Angels did what they were ordered to: stop anyone from getting close.

0課の女 赤い手錠 [Zeroka no onna: Akai wappa / Zero Woman: Red Handcuffs] (Yukio Noda, 1974)

Sep

12

National Police Woman Day

0課の女 赤い手錠 (1974)

Rei (Miki Sugimoto) wielding the red chain of her handcuffs. DP: Yoshio Nakajima.

Rei (Miki Sugimoto) is a member of Division Zero, a top secret division of #Tokyo's police department. Hired to investigate a high-profile #kidnapping, she infiltrates the gang and kills them off with her signature blood-red handcuffs.