35 Rhums (2008)

After seeing Claire Denis' "35 Rhums", I checked the summary from the Istanbul Film Fesitval Guide. It turned out to be different from the one I had in mind - at least in certain points. Well, who got it wrong? I was not %100 sure. In a way, that's what's so fascinating about the film. Denis doesn't spell out things, she rather "feels" her way around. She never shows off, she never goes for sentimentality, and even avoids poetry(that includes an impressive dream "sequence"). I had my mind and heart working non-stop to hear the delicate sounds of her cinema. In the end, "35 Rhums" is a conversation with a great filmmaker. Does it really matter who said what line? I think not.

Sibelius' 5th Symphony

Sibelius is like a soul-mate to me. His music achieves everything I want to do with my experimental videos. Having listened to his 5th Symphony for the first time a few moments ago, I am speechless. The always elusive "question of form" has found its match. The sheer sound of the orhestral writing so shocking, you'll think it's the first time you've ever heard an orchestra in your life. And then there's that ending, so strange, so unexpected, so inescapable...Apparently before he finished the work, Sibelius wrote to his friend: "God is opening his doors for a moment, and his orchestra is playing the fifth symphony."

Süt (2009)

Semih Kaplanoglu's new film "Sut"(Milk) is truly inspired. His previous film "Yumurta"(Egg) was a similarly understated narrative, admirable for its stylistic simplicity(at least on the surface level). This time around, his ideas are bolder and yet no less subtle. His cinematic language favors hiding things: A visually mysterious chase scene, the use of wide shots, a sequence that is almost completely dark...Question marks are all over the place. Even in the nature landscape, which is a constant backdrop with its suffocating bright colors and sounds. It reminds me of the famous airplane scene from "North by Northwest". The surreal is always around the corner.

La Passion de Jeanne d'Arc (1928)

By demystifying the trial of Jeanne d'Arc, Dreyer somehow manages to film the transcendental experience. Jeanne is human because she believes. Her close-ups are wonderfully ambigious.

"harS" - choreography by Aydın Teker (2008)

"harS" by Aydın Teker was last night's wonderful discovery. It's a minimalist dance piece involving a harp, a dancer, and the silent void that surrounds them. Every sound, every move, every new discovery matters. Hints of imagery(some violent, some elegant) are scattered troughout but it's hard to find a center--assuming that it exists at all. The lack of narrative drive is also telling. Teker uses the intriguing imagery of a dancer and a harp as a starting point: The slowness of the piece leaves her audiance time to reflect, discover, ask questions of all kinds, and above all to meditate. Just like the dancer on the stage.

Entre Les Murs (2008)

Laurent Cantet's "Entre Les Murs" is an inspring cinematic experience. The entire movie literally takes place "entre les murs", with the characters point of views colliding in close-ups. Cantet looks at his all too-familiar material with wide-open eyes, like a scientist. But who is the subject of this experiment? The students, the teachers, or just about everyone involed? In fact, the very abstraction of the film(or the experiment) seems to question itself: What about beyond "les murs"? Is it even possible to find answers when the truth is so much more complicated(and possibly beyond rationality)?

Finally, the most important question of all: What about the prices on that new coffee machine?