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跑道終點 [Pao dao zhong dian / The End of the Track] (Tun-Fei Mou, 1970)
Jun
2
Dennis Haysbert – 1954
Hsiao-Tung and Yung-shen at the track. DP: Chung-Hsin Chen.
A [favourite]* fictional athlete for Dennis Haysbert's birthday (1954).
Close friends Hsiao-Tung and Yung-shen spend their time together, wandering about, eating dumplings, and training for athletics. Until one of them pushes too hard, leaving the other alone in his grief.
* this month's Bales' Challenge is marred with “favourites”, something I don't believe in. Instead, I stick to great cinema and will squeeze in a few LGBT-themed films for Pride Month.
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La maudite galette [Dirty Money] (Denys Arcand, 1972)
Jun
1
Oscar the Grouch Day
Rolland (René Caron) and Berthe (Luce Guilbeault). She's had it with these money troubles. DP: Alain Dostie.
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Zítra vstanu a opařím se čajem [Tomorrow I'll Wake Up and Scald Myself with Tea] (Jindřich Polák, 1977)
Jun
1
Time-traveling tourist Shirley White (Marie Rosůlková) dragging a bewildered Hitler (František Vicena) in front of her husband's photo camera. DP: Jan Kališ.
“Patrick, it's Hitler! Yes it is Hitler! Patrick, you must take a picture of me with him!”
– Shirley White, American time traveler
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吾輩は猫である [Wagahai wa neko de aru / I Am a Cat] (Kon Ichikawa, 1975)
May
30
Hug Your Cat Day
The cat and his master, teacher Sneaze. DP: Kōzō Okazaki.
“Had I the time to keep a diary, I’d use that time to better effect; sleeping on the veranda”
– The cat
* The event falls on June 4
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Jesus Christus Erlöser [Jesus Christ Saviour] (Peter Geyer, 1971/2008)
May
29
Ascension Day
The birth, life, death or teachings of Jesus on Ascension Day
“Ich bin nicht der offizielle Kirchenjesus, ich bin nicht euer Superstar.”
– Klaus Kinski
It is November 20. The Jesus Christus Erlöser tour brings Klaus Kinski to Berlin's Deutschlandhalle. His monologue, spoken from Jesus the revolutionary's perspective, brings out the hecklers. It's 1971, the post-68 generation is not satisfied with words. It wants to debate, dissect, and devour their Saviour.
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فلسطين في العين [Filastin fi al-ayn / Palestine in the Eye] (Mustafa Abu Ali, 1977)
May
28
Amnesty International Day
Palestinian freedom fighters.
“Everyone has the right to life, liberty, and security of person”
– The Right to Live, the third of the Human Rights
Filmmaker #HaniJawharieh died while working for the #PLO Film Unit, an organisation fighting for the rights of the Palestinian people. His own death in 1976, which he caught on camera, is edited into this documentary.
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Jonathan (Hans W. Geissendörfer, 1970)
May
26
World Dracula Day
Siring the mortals. DP: Robby Müller.
This deeply political, unpleasant interpretation of Stoker's Dracula can not not be seen against the backdrop of political movements like the #RAF and West-Germany's youth revolting against the failed #Denazification that the country underwent under supervision of the Allied occupying forces.
Note the usage of colour and grouping of people; Klaus Mann's Mephisto (1981) borrowed quite a few visuals from Jonathan.
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Jubilee (Derek Jarman, 1978)
May
24
Tiara Day
Bod (Jenny Runacre), wearing a Crown Jewels-jewelish affair, and Amyl Nitrate (Jordan) clutching her pearls. DP: Peter Middleton.
“Rule Britannia, Britannia, Britannia…”
– Amyl Nitrite
Queen Elizabeth I (Jenny Runacre) requests Her court occultist John Dee (Richard O'Brien) to show Her Majesty the future of Her kingdom, baroness Thatcher's rotten England, ruled over by a gang of nihilist women.
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Grands soirs & petits matins [May Days] (William Klein, 1978)
May
24
1968
Sorbonne students discussing the political situation with an elderly Parisian man. DPs: William Klein & Bernard Lutic.
“Soyez réalistes, demandez l'impossible”
– May 68 slogan
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Mlad i zdrav kao ruža [Young and Healthy As a Rose] (Jovan Jovanović, 1971)
May
21
Employee Health and Fitness Day
Stiv (Dragoslav 'Dragan' Nikolić) working out. DPs: Petar Lalović & Petar Dositej Aranđelović.
“Ja sam vaša budućnost”
– Stiv