La noche de los Inocentes [Night of the Innocents] (Arturo Sotto Díaz, 2007)
Dec
28
The cast in the hospital. Lighting and stances appear theatre-like. DP: Ernesto Granado.
“On the night of December 26, at 8:00 on Ukyō-ku.”
姿三四郎 [Sugata Sanshirō / Judo Saga] (Akira Kurosawa, 1943)
Dec
26
8 p.m.
A letter beckoning to come to Ukyō-ku, on December 26, at 8 o'clock. DP: Akira Mimura.
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.
“Sloane! Be lucky!”
Nowhere to Go (Seth Holt + Basil Dearden, 1958)
Dec
22
Tue
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A man checks into a hotel. A wall calendar reads December 22, a Tuesday. DP: Paul Beeson .
– Paul Gregory
“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.
Accidente 703 [Los culpables] (José María Forqué, 1962)
Dec
21
A darkened room. People take care of a man slumped on a coach. A wall calendar tells us it's the 21st. DP: Juan Mariné.
“Écoute les orgues
Elles jouent pour toi
Il est terrible, cet air-là
J'espère que tu aimes
C'est assez beau, non ?
C'est le requiem pour un con”
Le pacha [Pasha / Showdown] (Georges Lautner, 1968)
Dec
19
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Jean Gabin and Dany Carrel in a still on the cover of Serge Gainsbourg's Requiem pour un con 7” (via). DP: Maurice Fellous.
– Serge Gainsbourg, Requiem pour un con (1968)
Jean: Are you bored?
Juliette: Oh, no.
Jean: Don't worry. There'll be places to see.
Juliette: Riverbanks.
L'Atalante (Jean Vigo, 1934)
Dec
16
on a river
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Juliette (Dita Parlo) in her bridal dress walks the cover of her husband's river barge L'Atalante. A steam barge putputs by (via). DP: Boris Kaufman.
Set on a river*
* the Bales 2025 Film Challenge for December has a few dateless themes. This is one of them.
“A geisha’s lie is not a real lie. It’s a cornerstone of our profession.”
祇園囃子 [Gion bayashi / Gion Festival Music] (Kenji Mizoguchi, 1953)
Dec
15
茶
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Studying the tea ceremony, accompanied by director Mizoguchi (via). DP: Kazuo Miyagawa.
Having tea*
– Miyoharu
* the Bales 2025 Film Challenge for December has a few dateless themes. This is one of them.
“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).