儀式 [Gishiki / The Ceremony] (Nagisa Ōshima, 1971)
Jan
1
A boy in school uniform has his ear pressed against the ground. DP: Tōichirō Narushima.
Sprawa Gorgonowej [The Gorgon Case] (Janusz Majewski, 1977)
Dec
30
1931
Ewa Dałkowska as governess Rita Gorgonowa. DP: Zygmunt Samosiuk.
Balada pro banditu [Ballad for a Bandit] (Vladimír Sís, 1979)
Dec
24
Christmas Eve – Nikolas
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The bandit and his bride. DP: Viktor Růžička.
A Nikolas or Nicholas for Christmas Eve.
The tale of legendary highwayman Nikola Šuhaj from Koločava.
“He's growing! Look! See how he's growing! I have seen the Lord! The Lord! The Lord!”
Die Blechtrommel [The Tin Drum] (Volker Schlöndorff, 1979)
Dec
21
winter solstice
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Little Oskar with his tin drum. DP: Igor Luther.
Something short for winter solstice.
– Schugger-Leo
On the eve of World War 2, little Oskar – just three years old – decides he doesn't want to grow anymore.
“What is that? What is that I hear? Where's it coming from? I hear a siren, but I don't see any fire, I don't see any smoke. Whenever there's a siren, it means there's a fire, but I don't see any smoke. That siren. Where is it coming from? Where's that sound coming from?”
Santa and the Ice Cream Bunny (Richard Winer + Barry Mahon, 1972)
Dec
20
A bunch of screaming children on top of a red firetruck stand right behind the driver, a stoic person in a pink bunny costume. DPs: William Tobin & Richard Winer.
– Santa Claus
“I regard [Govindan] Aravindan as one of the most poetic filmmakers in the world. He is a poet who writes in the language of cinema and silence. Watching his films is like a meditative experience.”
കുമ്മാട്ടി [Kummatty / Bogeyman] (Govindan Aravindan, 1979)
Dec
14
Perumthitta Tharavad
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Kummatty (performed by Ramunni) dances with the children. They wear the animals masks he carries around with him (via). DP: Shaji N. Karun.
Perumthitta Tharavad: based on a folk tale.
– Shivendra Singh Dungarpur, Film Heritage Foundation (source)
Set during the Hindu rice harvest festival Onam, Kummatty tells the story of the seasons through the eyes of a mischievous boy. After teasing the temple guard – possibly Thamma – she warns the boy and his friends about the arrival of Kummatti (here unfortunately translated as the bogeyman but actually the name of a performer of a mask dance called Kummatti Kali). As faith wants it, Kummatti does arrive and accompanies the children in song and dance while the seasons change, rice is ready for harvest, and characters shift. To a certain extent, there's an interesting parallel with Frank Perry's Ladybug Ladybug (1963).
Gina [Stone Cold Revenge] (Denys Arcand, 1975)
Dec
11
1952
Gina (Céline Lomez) stripping in front of a silver tinsel curtain. The silhouette of a woman is visible in the foreground. DP: Alain Dostie.
“Everyone has the right to work, to free choice of employment, to just and favourable conditions of work and to protection against unemployment.”
Soleil Ô [Oh, Sun] (Med Hondo, 1970)
Dec
10
Human Rights Day
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An optimistic Robert Liensol in the city of lights (via). DPs: François Catonné & Jean-Claude Rahaga.
Celebrating human rights on Human Rights Day: the right to work
– Universal Declaration of Human Rights, United Nations General Assembly
A Mauritanian immigrant (Robert Liensol) too starts anew in Paris. But first, he'll need a job.
– I've never seen a film like this before. – Oh, it's different, alright.
The Lickerish Quartet (Radley Metzger, 1970)
Dec
5
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A 70s couple in a grainy black-and-white still. The frame looks damaged, suggesting a stag reel. The seemingly nude blonde pours a drink for her dark-haired man. She holds the cork between her teeth, seducingly. DP: Hans Jura.
L'ange et la femme [The Angel and the Woman] (Gilles Carle, 1977)
Dec
3
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Gabriel (Lewis Furey) and the woman he named Fabienne (Carole Laure). DP: François Protat.
A caregiver*
A woman is brutally murdered and taken home by a young man. This man – this angel – takes away her wounds, returns her to life, and nurses her. They fall in love.
* the Bales 2025 Film Challenge for December has a few dateless themes. This is one of them.