"PAPER CANNOT WRAP UP EMBERS" IS THE WINNER

My poll 35 ended with 8 votes. Thanks very much to everyone who participated in it. Here is the result:

THE CHARACTERS IN THESE FILMS ARE POOR OR HAVE FINANCIAL TROUBLE. WHICH FILMS DO YOU LIKE?

1.PAPER CANNOT WRAP UP EMBERS (2007, Rithy Panh, Cambodia)

It got 4 votes, or 50 %.


2.HEREMIAS (2006, Lav Diaz, Philippines)

It got 3 votes, or 37 %.


3.BAMAKO (2006, Abderrahmane Sissako, Mali)
+DAYS OF TURQUOISE SKY (2008, Woo Ming-jin, Malaysia)
+MA-LAI (มาลัย) (2007, Weera Kempetch, Thailand)
+A PLACE ON EARTH (2001, Artour Aristakisian, Russia)
+LE SILENCE DES MACHINES (2007, Paul Calori + Kostia Testut, France)

Each of them got 2 votes, or 25 %.


8.BREATHING (หายใจ) (2000, Barameerut Chantarasriwong, Thailand)
+EN AVOIR (OU PAS) (1995, Laetitia Masson, France)
+FEAST OF VILLAINS (2008, Pan Jianlin, China)
+FUN WITH DICK AND JANE (2005, Dean Parisot, USA)
+LITTLE MEN (2003, Nariman Turebayev, Kazakhstan)

Each of them got 1 vote, or 12 %.


13.ALONG THE RAILWAY (2000, Du Haibin, China)
+APPRECIATION (หาบ) (2007, Tikampon Pupanna, Thailand)
+THE CYCLIST (1989, Mohsen Makhmalbaf, Iran)
+KILLER (1998, Darezhan Omirbaev, Kazakhstan)
+LIVE-IN MAID (2004, Jorge Gaggero, Argentina)
+MIRACLE ON FIRST STREET (2007, Yun Je-gyun, South Korea)
+THE STREET: A FILM WITH THE HOMELESS (1997, Daniel Cross, Canada)
+TWO ACRES OF LAND (1953, Bimal Roy, India)

Each of them got 0 vote.


--Zach Campbell wrote something about the aestheticization of poverty here:
http://elusivelucidity.blogspot.com/2008/05/simple-story.html

--He also wrote about Hollywood teenage films and the poor here:
http://elusivelucidity.blogspot.com/2008/10/your-audience-is-one.html

Reading his post reminds me of the differences between Hollywood teenage films in 1980’s and later. I think one of the most memorable teenage films in 1980’s is PRETTY IN PINK (1986, Howard Deutch), in which class differences is a major issue. My most favorite Hollywood teenage films in 1990’s and 2000’s include CLUELESS (1995, Amy Heckerling) and WINNING LONDON (2001, Craig Shapiro, starring Mary-Kate Olsen + Ashley Olsen). The main characters in both films are super-rich.


--I like PRETTY IN PINK, and I like the portraying of the poor in THE PURSUIT OF HAPPYNESS (2006, Gabriele Muccino), but somehow the endings of both films make me feel a little bit ambiguous. PRETTY IN PINK ends with the poor girl getting the rich guy (if I remember it correctly), and THE PURSUIT OF HAPPYNESS ends with the poor guy getting rich and materialistically, capitalistically successful. I’m not sure if these two films end up sending the right message or not.

You can read Riverdale’s comment on THE PURSUIT OF HAPPYNESS in Thai here:
http://riverdale-dreams.blogspot.com/2007/02/pursuit-of-happyness.html



--The theme song of this poll is FEEL NO PAIN by Sade. You can see its music video here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DEldA8KuL4E

The lyrics of FEEL NO PAIN

“Mama been laid off
Papa been laid off
My brother's been laid off
For more than two years now
Ooh can't get a job
Billy can't get a job
Ooh they gotta listen to the blues

Help them to strive
Help them to move on
Help them to have some future
Help them to live long
Help them to live life
Help them to smile
Don't let them stay home and listen to the blues

Mama been laid off
Papa been laid off
Billy can't get a job
For too long too long
Don't let them lose
We gotta give them a chance
It's gonna come back on everyone
If you don't make them dance
Don't let them stay home and listen to the blues
There's nothing sacred (why, why, why)
Breathing hatred
We have to face it (why, why, why)
No one can take it
And feel no pain
Mama been laid off
Papa been laid off
My brother's been laid off
For more than two years now
Ooh can't get a job
Billy can't get a job
Ooh they gotta listen to the blues

Help them to strive
Help them to move on
Help them to have some future
Help them to live long
Help them to live life
Help them to smile
Don't let them stay home and listen to the blues

One day we're gonna wake up
And the ghetto's all around
All over my friend
Have you ever seen a man break down

Do you know how that feels
To walk the street with your head held high
Why, why, why
Oh Lord have mercy
Did you ever see a man break down

There's nothing sacred
Breathing hatred
We have to face it
No-one can take it (how can they take that much)
And feel no pain

Oooh, did you ever see a man break down”