The Palestinian director Hany Abu-Assad cannot deny his pride nor his surprise. His movie, Paradise Now has been nominated for an Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film and such a non political event has put Palestine back into the world map. It has also brought, for the first time in history, some glamour to people that “have been continually defeated”, he says.<
What I like most about a filmmaker like Michael Winterbottom is his continual drive to create and not “categorize” himself in terms of subject matter, genre or filmmaking formula. He certainly would make for an interesting auteur theory study.
A resurgence of sorts is occurring in the Australian film industry and international audiences are reaping the benefits. Trying to emulate the more commercial aspects of the Hollywood industry, the government financing in the film sector perhaps handicapped themselves by placing smaller projects and national cinema in peril. Since 05’ the hemorrhaging seems to be coming to a halt thanks to personal projects which are giving all audiences the chance to discover another cinema without borders.
I don’t wanna come off as some kinda necrophiliac, but let me start by saying this; Emmylou Harris is smoking. She’s always been a gorgeous woman, and I don’t know if she’s ever had any work done, but even so, time has been very good to her (whereas Neil’s back-up singers teeter on the “creepy” side unfortunately).