THE SEPTEMBER ISSUE [Golden Village Vivocity]

the September Issue

A documentary on the making of US Vogue September 2007 issue. I marvel at the rate and degree of creativity that explodes to reach invisible standards mercilessly set by the editor-in-chief. There seems to be an invisible and compelling interplay of forces between one woman and the entire crew. On the one side is the editor's raw power to say 'yes' or 'no'; and on the other, the power of creativity to produce, reproduce and create new creative boundaries to fight back from being cut out - yet again. The rest of the world just benefit from the work of this contest.

I equally marvel at the firm direction given by Editor-in-Chief, Anna Wintour, and the creative mind of Grace Coddington, the creative director. Both are inarguably incredibly creative beings - one with form, the other with feel. The form without the right feel is cold and hard. The feel without the right form is invariably lost and forgettable.

But as soon as I stepped out of the theatre to my world, I'm glad my reality is much better than the world of US Vogue.

HIGH SOCIETY [Screened at the Botanic Gardens]

High Society (1956)
Apart from Ocean 13 about 13 men [no Julia Roberts or Catherine Zeta Jones here] digging dirt right under a casino to rob it, I have not enjoyed another movie with a full line-up of men until this musical, comical and romantic classic. Listen to this: Bing Cosby, Frank Sinatra, Louis Armstrong and his band, and the picture-perfect Grace Kelly. And then, listen to this: it's free at the Botanic Gardens on a lovely Friday evening! I almost felt guilty that life can be so good when so much is happening around the world.

Therefore, freely receive, freely then give.

PERSEPOLIS [Cine Club @ The Alliance/FRENCH]

PERSEPOLIS

Jumping at a free Tuesday night with no cell with a determination greater than an annoying cough, I secured tickets to watch a black and white French cartoon (or so I thought!) with Tessa. As it turned out, the entire dialogue was in English which delighted Tessa and disappointed me. Based on Marjane Sartrapi's graphic novels and directed by herself, PERSEPOLIS (the name of an old Persian ceremonial capital) depicts the life of a young Iranian girl growing up in strife-stricken Iran. Two things worked against her - her precociousness and unconventionality. I enjoyed the  paradoxical love/hate America that pervaded in the dichotomy between public and private agendas. Amidst public sanctions against all Western influences was a thriving black market for all things Western. What is obvious and not obvious, what is freedom and not freedom, what is true and not true hangs on how one performs to different audiences; ie your level of hyprocrisy.

What I thought: freedom though desirable by many, is of no use if you don't know how to handle it.

I was clearing my throat throughout the movie! Interestingly, that same Friday, an American pastor of Germanian heritage (German/Iranian) spoke at the Vision Rally! Realized that perhaps that makes my nephew a Chinarian (Chinese/Iranian)!