I just watched a documentary on the late Henri Cartier-Bresson. It was quite fascinating and moving. The vast body of his work is so humbling and inspiring. And it was so interesting to watch the man himself go through piles and piles of his own photographs, each of them bringing back a memory that had been forgotten. Each of them a story, a piece of personal and also popular history.

I have this thing about movie quotes (if you haven't noticed =P), sometimes lines just stick in my head. One line that's always somewhere at the back of my mind is from Blade Runner, which is one of my favourite movies (if you don't mind). It's where a replicant Roy Batty (played by Rutger Hauer) comes across the man who made his eyes and says: 'If only you could see what I've seen with your eyes.' That simple thought, so powerful in its absoluteness, moves me. The fact that you are the only person inside yourself, and you are the only person who sees things exactly the way you do... To me, the attempt - or ability - to show life through your own eyes has always defined what photography, or any visual artform, is about.

Anyways, I got to thinking about this after all the places and thoughts and feelings Cartier-Bressons pictures made me visit. The man had been everywhere. And usually just at the right moment from a photographers point of view - be it visually, politically or emotionally. To think that what if he hadn't been a photographer... all these precious moments, jewels in time, would have only been embedded into his memories, slowly fading away even from there until evaporating from existence.

I must say watching that didn't really ease my itchy feet... it made me yearn for travel and exploring even more. But it also made me want to dig out all my (many many many) photo albums and visit some fading memories. By the way, if you ever want to travel through someone elses eyes, be sure to check out the wonderful photos and stories of skiphunt, if you haven't already. There's a vast colourful world waiting for you.

Oh and there were also interviews of people Cartier-Bresson has taken portraits of. I loved it when Isabelle Huppert told about the way they were chatting and how suddenly she saw that, right at that moment, he saw something in her... and took a picture. And how by looking at that picture she realised that he'd been able to see some part of her purest self, she wasn't even aware of, even though you'd think she'd know herself the best.

And what did Cartier-Bresson consider the most important aspect of taking photograps? Geometry. Everything has to be at their right place, at the right time. So there you go.

Labels: photography

I am rather proud of myself as I made pasties for the very first time in my life. And they tasted pretty damn good as well. :D Perhaps not the most beautiful aesthetically... but there has to be something I can work on eh... ;)

Labels: food

Umm. Nothing much to write. Autumn is here and it's depressing. Found Feast on Scraps after a long time. The CD that came with it is actually quite brilliant.

-
You're unsure and you're not ready so that must mean I want you
You're unavailable and disinterested and to you I look for comfort
A million times in a million ways I will try to change you
A million months and a million days I'll try to somehow convince you
I have waited for you and adjusted for you and I'm done
I have deferred to you and enabled you and I'm done
You're too young or you're too old or you're simply not inclined
You're asleep or you're withholding be that my cue to crave you
Several times in several ways I'll try to squeeze love from you
Several hours and several ways I'll feast on scraps thrown from you
I have bent for you and I've deprived for you and I'm done
I have depressed for you and contorted for you and I'm done
I have stifled for you and I've compromised for you and I'm done
I have silenced for you and sacrificed for you and I'm done
It won't be easy for us to disengage
I'm at the end of self deprivation stage
You're afraid of every woman afraid of your inner workings
You cringe at the thought of living under the same roof as me god and everything
A million times and a million ways I've tried to alter to match you
Several times every several days I've tried to uncrush on you
I have waited for you and adjusted for you and I'm done
I have deferred to you and enabled you and I'm done
I have bent for you and I've deprived for you and I'm done
I have depressed for you and contorted for you and I'm done

~Alanis Morissette - Bent 4 U~
-

Labels: music

In england again.

It's really hot (although apparently this is the last day of summer) and lovely and I've got tomorrow off. :D

Labels: my life

Today I finally saw the Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind then. And it was brilliant. Sad and bittersweet and beautiful. And all about humanity... the ability to love, and the willingness to even get hurt over it. I think that's what's most admirable in human nature. That even if we knew it would all end in tears, we would be willing to embrace it just so we can enjoy the ride.

Oh, I saw this film called Equilibrium on TV the other night and that was all about human emotions being illegal, as apparently without feelings like anger and hate there wouldn't be any wars or violence. In the end it was quite clear there wouldn't be any sort of life worth living either. Emily Watson said something like 'Without love, without anger, without sorrow, breath is just a clock... ticking', which I thought was quite fitting... and gripping. Anyways, watch that one if you want to see some Matrix like moves.

Back to the Eternal Sunshine. One of the things that made my jaw drop was Jim Carrey being absolutely fantastic. I've never been able to watch the so called funny Jim Carrey films with all the rubber faces, without cringing. But here... he was just so real, so human, so fragile, so brilliant. His performance was just heartbreakingly good. I so hope he gets more 'serious' roles in the future. And how funny was it to see Elijah Wood in a creepy sort of role. :D Very amusing indeed.

Charlie Kaufman's screenplay was fantastically quirky and touching. Even though I really enjoyed Being John Malkovich and absolutely loved Adaptation, Eternal Sunshine was just so complete and perfect. I can't wait to see what he writes next.

Visually most interesting as well, I suppose traveling in someone's mind always gives that freedom of illustrating the thoughts and experiences as vividly as possible. There was definitely a lot of eye candy scattered along the way.

The emotional journey of the movie (or the relationship portrayed) sort of traveled from back to front, from the end to the beginning... moving from the nasty, bitter behaviour and resentment of the end of a relationship to the pure and beautiful feelings and experiences of the beginning. It was a vital reminder to anyone, not to forget why you love someone, and how you arrived where you are now. I came out with such a sense of hope. And joy. Joy over everything I've experienced and felt in my life. It is all so important. And joy over holding on to love even when things get rough. As in the end, that is all that matters.

Clementine : This is it, Joel. It's going to be gone soon.
Joel : I know.
Clementine : What do we do?
Joel : Enjoy it.

Labels: Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, movies

So, today is our 5-year anniversary. Five years already... or only? In some ways it feels like a lot longer, I suppose because we've been through quite a lot. Lived in two different countries and all sorts. Anyways, it officially makes this my longest relationship ever. :D Let's see if I can make it to the 7-year itch... (just kidding dear =P). Here's one of the first pictures of us together, from September 1999.



Aww. The weather sure looks a lot nicer than what it's looking like at the moment... So much for the greenhouse effect. Pfft.

I'm thinking a low key celebration is in order, seeing as we already went on a cruise and all. So I think it's our favourite Thai place again tonight, like last year. Ooh, getting into a bit of a rut here. :D That's alright though, I think routines are a good thing... routines are the backbone of any relationship - if you live together at least.

I've been in no mood to take any photos. I just have no ideas. Or if I do, no energy to see them through. And I'm not feeling too bad about it either, happens sometimes. I guess it's normal. The need to clear the head completely in order to get any fresh ideas.

Really really want to go to the cinema this weekend, it's been way too long suddenly. There's so many films I haven't seen that I must see. Like the Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind, which I still haven't seen! I'm going to make myself a big note or something... I don't know why it's so easy to just potter through the weekend doing nothing, without realising it has passed, until the Sunday evening...

Labels: my life