WELCOME TO THE REAL WORLD

A Picture of A Young Writer’s Restlessness: The Clash of Idealism and Reality.     

Xavier (Romain Duris), a young writer in his thirties who are experiencing chaos of life. Along his lifetime, Xavier who is now living in Paris wants to realize a dream of becoming a writer. Although he has ever tempted to choose a more “conventional” life to be a civil servant, Xavier eventually decided to follow the passion of his heart.

A few years later occurred were a fact of xavier’s choice result. Reasoning that he was paid enough, Xavier became a writer of low-grade popular novels as well as a ghostwriter for celebs who can not write their own biographies.

His love story is also not much better. In recent years, he had only a short affair with a clerk from Senegal namely Kassia (Aissa Maiga). Xavier is still on the verge of confusion to engage in more seriously relationships.

His ex-girlfriend Martine (Audrey Tautou) who are married and become an environmental actinist reminded Xavier about that, but he only gave her a short answer that his job is now sufficient to finance his day-to-day life.

An assignment to create television scripts confronts Xavier with Wendy (Kelly Reilly), one of xavier’s flat mates when he was still studying in Spain, Wendy has been a quite prominent television writer.

Xavier has a deep feeling on Wendy. Unfortunately, Wendy was engaging in a morbid love story. One day, Xavier was also involved in a project of Celia (Lucy Gordon) biography writing, a model. He, subsequently, got engaged in an affair with Celia. At the same time, his deep feeling to Wendy was getting stronger.

On the wedding party of Wendy’s brother William (Kevin Bishop), inviting Xavier, Wendy and some Xavier’s ex-flat mater in Spain departed to Moscow, Xavier got a chance to reflect on his life until today, as well as his feeling and love.

Le poupees Russes (Russian Dolls) is the continuation of L’Auberge Espagnole (The Spanish Apartement) produced in 2002, three years before Russian Dolls being released. The Spanish apartment is one of French movis winning International reputations. As the earlier movie, Russian Dolls was created in non-linear narrative from, with back and forth plot.

This movie encouranges the audience to get reflection and reminds the significance of sustained equilibrium maintenance between idealism and pragmatism as well as a reflection of how a young man understands his own life.

READMORE.... WELCOME TO THE REAL WORLD

JAVAN-JAVA IN DANCE

Similarities Between Okinawan and Javanese Cultures are Garrett Kam’s Source of Inspiration

His name is Garrett Kam. Since his youth he has loved many froms of Asian arts. Born in Hawaii, Garrett plunged himself into the world of dancing in 1975. On thet year, he began to study Javanese classical dances intensively under the tutelage of dance maestros, such as KRT Sasmita Mardawa, Raden Sunatomo, and Bambang Pudjasworo.

Garrett began to study Okinawan dances in 1982. Okinawan dances were not easy to master, especially for foreigners. But garrett mastered the movements rather easily. It turned out that the basics of Javanese dances, which he had learned before, has helped him to learn okinawan dances.

“When I practiced Okinawan dances, I discovered many similaritiesm of movements with Javanes dances that I had previously learned. That’s what helped my training process.”

After some time studying the two dances, Garret began to think of creating a dance coreograghy that combines element from both. But he was only able to realize the idea in 2007. Okijawa Journey, that’s whay Garret celled as the main theme of his dances. The dance was being performed for the first time for Jakarta public on Agust 20^th 2009, in the Hall of Japan foundation, Jakrta.

To give the audience clear picture about the combined elements in his dance, Garret divided that night’s performance into three parts. In the first part he performed Okinawan dances of Dakidun Bushi, Chunjun Nagari Bushi, and Medetai Bushi. On the second part he performed Javanese dances, such as Golek, Beksan Wanara, and Beskan Alus. Each dance was perfrom in short duration between one two minutes.

On the third part, Garrett then showed the combined elements of the two previous dances on his Okijawa Journeys pieces. Hi, sigh! Is the opening dance, and it combined the female dancer movements of Okinawa and Java. Eisaa – ruu, the second dance, combines monkey – like movements of Java and Okinawa. Fan-tasy, the third dance, combines the male movements of the two regions.

On those dances, in addition to combining movements, Garret also used musics, costumes, and dance accessories which combines elements of the two regions. In Hi, sigh! He used a Javanese dance scraf like Okinawan flower garland. The monkey movements in eisaa- ruu was emphasized by using bell anklets. And in fan-tasy. He used s fan as if it was a dance scarf in Javanese dances.  

Garrett Kam said that he did not mind to teach his dance. But the student has to study it from him in at least a year. “That’s the minimum time needed to cultivate the righ feeling for his dance which represent two regions,” he added.

READMORE.... JAVAN-JAVA IN DANCE

Thrilling Adventure in Southern America Jungle

A Dutch Teenage Adventure Film

A chance to go on adventur suddenly presen itself to the young rangers of Rhenen Ouwenhand Zoo. A woman name Mika, asks them to track the whereabouts of  De Loro, a very rere species of butterfly. And so the rangers Alwin, Sira, Bastian, Bionda, Taffie, Moes, and Mike- go on a trip to South America to find the butterfly in its original habitat.

The only clue Mika gives them is just one piece of a map that will lead the rangers to the de loro butterfly. “the other piece of the map was kept by the previous there adventurers who had succeded in finding De Loro before,” said Mika.

They have to find clues of those three adventurers before they can find the butterfly. So Banstian, Bionda, and company, undertake a thrilling journey to help Mika find and saves the rere butterfly.

Many funny moments happens when Bastian and friends divide themselves into two groups for a more effective search. On their journey, they have to handle a pack of wild horses, make a journey deep into the dangerous South American terrain, dance the tango, and come face to face with a gorilla that guards the other map piece.

Zoo rangers in Shout America (or Zoop in Zuid Amerika, in its original language) is a wide screen film adapted from a Ducth television series with the same title. The series was screened in Benelux countries starting from 2004.

This televisioan serial becomes extremely popular and has won many award, such as the Gouden Stuiver, an award for the best tnaage serial, Nickoledion kid’s choice awar, and kindeerkast televisieprijs.

The popularity of the series makes the wide – screen version of Zoo rangers is warmly welcomed by fans in the Benelux countries. Zoo rangers in south America is the third wide screen installmen of the series.

Before, Zoo Rangers in Africa was released in 2005, while Zoo Rangers in India was released in 2006. The words out, that when the film was first released in 2007, the film immediately grabbed success at the Box Office in the three countries, overcoming shreek III which was released almost at the same time. At that time, this movie collected more than 1.5 million dollar just in the Netherlands.

Zoo Rangers in South America was screened in the dutch cultural center, Erasmus Huis on August 29^th.

READMORE.... Thrilling Adventure in Southern America Jungle

VIGILANTE FROM TEGAL

The Story of Vigilantism That Goes a Legend by Word

Verbal tale of Begal Jamaludin in the Tegal society is rather popular. The resting place of Jamaludin, a local figure that lived around the 16^th or 17^th century in Dukuh Sembung of Tegal is considered mystical and is often times visited by local people to pay respects or to pray for wasilah (to ask for mediation to god), in order to end their life ordeals or to get their wishes answered by god. Here, only Dalang Darto dares ti give a performance of it. “ others are afraid of bad luck,” said Sry Waluyo Sebat, a Dalang from Tegal, graduate of the Indonesia arts Institute (ISI) of Surakarta.

The stage is arranged with modern theatre concept. Black colored cloths as high as 180 meters are aligned in three rows. The last row was the longest, descending shorter to the front. It was above those cloths that the puppets (golek uppets) are moved around from behind the scenes. Each person could only play one character. Different from the traditional dalangs that are able to play many characters in one show, waluyo was assisted by 4 of his friends.

The concept of performance was similar to a radio play put into a theatrical show. Then where are the narrators? They stay at the upper stage along with the musicians and singers. For this play, central Javanese, eastern Javanese and Cirebonan sound were performed one after another with connections. though utilizing traditional musical instruments, the melody was diatonic. The experiment of combining golek puppets with theatre that commenced back in 2005 is worth the appreciation. The characters of golek pupprts are shown through the costumest, facial and body contour and the dialect.

Geger Jamaludin tells the story of Jamaludin’s love to Sutijah, the daughter of king Anggreng Truno of the Kali Kemiri Empire. Though she is loved by the son of counselor Sobrang Barang, she would not accept the love from elites in the Kingdom. Jamaludin and Sutijah met in the celebration of sea offerings by the beach. Jamaludin is the son of bergas, the head of sub-distrct Dukuh Sembung. His father wished to propose Sutijah for him, but he was told to go even before reaching the front porch of the palace. “Shame on you! Who are you to intrude the greatness of this aristocracy? Shouted the counselor.   

The people of Sembung were upfront in not paying retributions to the palace. This was a major issue for Kali Miri Empire. Upon consent of thr king, counselor Sobrang Barang assaulted the sub-district for their allegedly rebelliouns act. He did not only set fire to the whole area, but took the retribution then by force. Murders and lootings occurred massively.

Jamaludin was outraged for the destruction of his father’s people. It was evident injustice and cruelty. “ No need for royalty to fight. No need to be crowned to set justice forth. I shall prove thet even a scoundrel deserves to show love to his land!” exclaimed Jamaludin.

As the army of counselor Sobrang was heading back to the palace central post he barricaded them and raid backthe retribution and lootings from Sembung. This fight was victored by Jamaludin. He was considered a hero by the villagers. As it turns out, this story of this raid was spread by words to all places and agitated the Kingdom. No one was able to defeat Jamaludin.

READMORE.... VIGILANTE FROM TEGAL